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Product safety specialist vs safety officer

The differences between product safety specialists and safety officers 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 officer. Additionally, a product safety specialist has an average salary of $78,152, which is higher than the $46,336 average annual salary of a safety officer.

The top three skills for a product safety specialist include product safety, chemistry and FDA. The most important skills for a safety officer are OSHA, patients, and patrol.

Product safety specialist vs safety officer overview

Product Safety SpecialistSafety Officer
Yearly salary$78,152$46,336
Hourly rate$37.57$22.28
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs74,36968,487
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
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 officer do?

A safety officer specializes in maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for employees in a building or establishment. Aside from adhering to the safety standards and regulations within a company, a safety officer also has to craft and improve policies that prioritize the physical and mental health of workers. Furthermore, it is essential to implement safety programs by educating workers on various precautionary measures, performing regular inspections of equipment and machines, and ensuring the proper disposal of any hazardous waste materials.

Product safety specialist vs safety officer salary

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

Product Safety SpecialistSafety Officer
Average salary$78,152$46,336
Salary rangeBetween $49,000 And $123,000Between $29,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City-New York, NY
Highest paying state-New York
Best paying company-Amgen
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between product safety specialist and safety officer education

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

Product Safety SpecialistSafety Officer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorNursingBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaCalifornia State University - Bakersfield

Product safety specialist vs safety officer demographics

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

Product Safety SpecialistSafety Officer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 35.9% Female, 64.1%Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2%
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, 9.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between product safety specialist and safety officer 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 officer example responsibilities.

  • Manage safety coordination with EHS and owner representatives.
  • Manage and facilitate extensive Safety/Security and HAZMAT training for all personnel.
  • Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations to include OSHA and NFPA guidelines.
  • Prepare clients for ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification.
  • Maintain cleanliness of all equipment for maintenance and inspections.
  • Give applicants full CDL exam and submit appropriate paperwork to DDS.
  • Show more

Product safety specialist vs safety officer skills

Common product safety specialist skills
  • Product Safety, 33%
  • Chemistry, 14%
  • FDA, 10%
  • Data Entry, 7%
  • Regulatory Compliance, 5%
  • OSHA, 4%
Common safety officer skills
  • OSHA, 8%
  • Patients, 7%
  • Patrol, 6%
  • Safety Procedures, 6%
  • Safety Program, 5%
  • Risk Management, 4%

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