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The differences between safety assistants and health & 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 safety assistant and a health & safety officer. Additionally, a health & safety officer has an average salary of $56,507, which is higher than the $38,077 average annual salary of a safety assistant.
The top three skills for a safety assistant include patients, patient care and patient safety. The most important skills for a health & safety officer are OSHA, site safety, and em-385.
| Safety Assistant | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $38,077 | $56,507 |
| Hourly rate | $18.31 | $27.17 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 13,994 | 115,573 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A Health and Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring the workplace's safety and security to provide smooth operations and implement safety practices within the premises. They inspect the facilities and equipment's condition and report any failures and defects for immediate resolution. They also facilitate safety training and programs for the employees to reiterate safety protocols and policies for strict compliance. A health and safety officer reviews incident reports, recommend safety and security resolutions and develop safety initiatives.
Safety assistants and health & safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Assistant | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Average salary | $38,077 | $56,507 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $53,000 | Between $37,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairbanks, AK | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Capco | 24M Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Construction |
There are a few differences between a safety assistant and a health & safety officer in terms of educational background:
| Safety Assistant | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | - |
Here are the differences between safety assistants' and health & safety officers' demographics:
| Safety Assistant | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |