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Product safety specialist vs safety assistant

The differences between product safety specialists and safety assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a product safety specialist and a safety assistant. Additionally, a product safety specialist has an average salary of $78,152, which is higher than the $38,077 average annual salary of a safety assistant.

The top three skills for a product safety specialist include product safety, chemistry and FDA. The most important skills for a safety assistant are patients, patient care, and patient safety.

Product safety specialist vs safety assistant overview

Product Safety SpecialistSafety Assistant
Yearly salary$78,152$38,077
Hourly rate$37.57$18.31
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs74,36913,994
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4545
Years of experience66

What does a product safety specialist do?

Product safety specialist positions require skills in marketing, communication, presentation, customer support, and engineering with a thorough understanding of how the product development process works. A familiarity with current trends, customer demands, and brand image will also be greatly needed. This career will call for the development and conducting of tests to evaluate product safety levels, as well as recommending safety measures for the reduction or elimination of hazards.

What does a safety assistant do?

Safety assistants help safety managers create and execute safety protocols. Typical duties include examining work areas, locating hazardous elements as well as keeping up with safety manuals and guidelines. Also, they interview injured employees, maintain first aid centers, and probe work safety incidents. Additionally, they direct regular audits with safety mentors to make certain that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) policies and procedures are followed. Primary job qualifications include knowledge in safety protocols, detail-oriented, organizational skills, teamwork, and time management. Another important requirement in this field is training in occupational hazards.

Product safety specialist vs safety assistant salary

Product safety specialists and safety assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Product Safety SpecialistSafety Assistant
Average salary$78,152$38,077
Salary rangeBetween $49,000 And $123,000Between $27,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City-Fairbanks, AK
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Capco
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between product safety specialist and safety assistant education

There are a few differences between a product safety specialist and a safety assistant in terms of educational background:

Product Safety SpecialistSafety Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorNursingBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Product safety specialist vs safety assistant demographics

Here are the differences between product safety specialists' and safety assistants' demographics:

Product Safety SpecialistSafety Assistant
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 35.9% Female, 64.1%Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between product safety specialist and safety assistant duties and responsibilities

Product safety specialist example responsibilities.

  • Maximize productivity through coordinating and managing efforts between service engineers, sales personnel and external OEM automation programmers.
  • Conduct OSHA chemical hazard communication training courses for company employees on a global basis.
  • Conduct numerous facility inspections advising various companies of potential equipment and health hazards and possible OSHA citations.
  • Review and approve EHS documentation, conduct EHS audits and provide a follow-up to ensure audit recommendations are implement.
  • Perform when necessary audits on drivers CDL expiration, hazmat endorsement expiration, medical examination/DOT physical expiration.

Safety assistant example responsibilities.

  • Maintain and manage training records relate to MSHA compliance, ATF compliance and company-requir training.
  • Manage and facilitate extensive Safety/Security and HAZMAT training for all personnel.
  • Assist patients with daily hygiene, also assist nurses with patients periodically; distributing medication and direct observation
  • Work as one-to-one patient safety assistant worker providing supervision to patients who suffer from physical, mental and psychological conditions.
  • Organize CPR trainings and hearing tests for employees.
  • Train in the use of the Autopulse CPR machine.
  • Show more

Product safety specialist vs safety assistant skills

Common product safety specialist skills
  • Product Safety, 33%
  • Chemistry, 14%
  • FDA, 10%
  • Data Entry, 7%
  • Regulatory Compliance, 5%
  • OSHA, 4%
Common safety assistant skills
  • Patients, 21%
  • Patient Care, 11%
  • Patient Safety, 10%
  • CPR, 8%
  • OSHA, 5%
  • Safety Audits, 4%

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