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The differences between product safety specialists and safety representatives 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 representative. Additionally, a product safety specialist has an average salary of $78,152, which is higher than the $50,717 average annual salary of a safety representative.
The top three skills for a product safety specialist include product safety, chemistry and FDA. The most important skills for a safety representative are OSHA, safety procedures, and corrective action.
| Product Safety Specialist | Safety Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $78,152 | $50,717 |
| Hourly rate | $37.57 | $24.38 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 74,369 | 15,531 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A safety representative is responsible for reiterating safety protocols and regulations in the workplace to prevent potential hazards and operational delays. Safety representatives facilitate training and programs for the employees and inform them of any communications related to their safety and wellbeing. They also submit incident reports to the safety manager and provide recommendations to minimize risks and practice emergency drills. A safety representative must have excellent communication and organizational skills to create a safe environment for operations.
Product safety specialists and safety representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Safety Specialist | Safety Representative | |
| Average salary | $78,152 | $50,717 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $123,000 | Between $32,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | ConocoPhillips |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a product safety specialist and a safety representative in terms of educational background:
| Product Safety Specialist | Safety Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between product safety specialists' and safety representatives' demographics:
| Product Safety Specialist | Safety Representative | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1% | Male, 77.5% Female, 22.5% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 10.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |