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Safety consultant vs safety engineer

The differences between safety consultants and safety engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a safety consultant and a safety engineer. Additionally, a safety engineer has an average salary of $74,228, which is higher than the $72,011 average annual salary of a safety consultant.

The top three skills for a safety consultant include OSHA, EHS and safety procedures. The most important skills for a safety engineer are OSHA, safety standards, and safety program.

Safety consultant vs safety engineer overview

Safety ConsultantSafety Engineer
Yearly salary$72,011$74,228
Hourly rate$34.62$35.69
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs20,06616,617
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

What does a safety consultant do?

A safety consultant specializes in establishing safety guidelines and regulations for a company to ensure a safe and productive work environment. Their responsibilities revolve around understanding company operations, assessing existing safety programs to identify areas needing improvement, and recommending solutions through reports and presentations. They must also develop strategies to provide safety information to workers, creating information programs as necessary. Furthermore, as a safety consultant, it is essential to lead the implementation of new guidelines and policies, ensuring workforce compliance.

What does a safety engineer do?

The duties of a safety engineer depend on one's industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the implementation of the safety policies and regulations in a company by conducting regular inspections and maintenance checks, coordinating with department personnel to gather data, assessing risks, and arranging precautionary measures. A safety engineer must also address issues and concerns, responding to them in a timely and efficient manner. Furthermore, there are instances when they have to lead safety orientations and seminars to maintain a safe and productive environment for everyone.

Safety consultant vs safety engineer salary

Safety consultants and safety engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Safety ConsultantSafety Engineer
Average salary$72,011$74,228
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $111,000Between $49,000 And $110,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyNorth Dakota
Best paying companyPhillips 66Apple
Best paying industryEnergyTechnology

Differences between safety consultant and safety engineer education

There are a few differences between a safety consultant and a safety engineer in terms of educational background:

Safety ConsultantSafety Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorBusinessMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeUniversity of ConnecticutUniversity of Connecticut

Safety consultant vs safety engineer demographics

Here are the differences between safety consultants' and safety engineers' demographics:

Safety ConsultantSafety Engineer
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 82.0% Female, 18.0%Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 9.6% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 9.7% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between safety consultant and safety engineer duties and responsibilities

Safety consultant example responsibilities.

  • Maintain and manage air and water permits for multiple industrial and commercial sites in accordance with EPA regulations.
  • Manage financial oversight and budget management including financial modeling and analysis, new products, travel, tools, and scheduling.
  • Perform facility and construction site audits confirming OSHA regulatory compliance, and ensuring occupational exposure limits are not exceed.
  • Provide regulatory compliance expertise for various customer markets in regard to EHS programs including industrial hygiene, environmental and safety programs.
  • Maintain require NFPA and OSHA certifications.
  • Experience with emergency responses such as first aid, CPR, spills and fire.
  • Show more

Safety engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage hazardous and special waste programs and profiles including audits/inspections, vendor compliance, documentation and recordkeeping.
  • Develop SWPPP and SPCC programs.
  • Design new Lockout/Tag-out (LOTO) system for production floor and facilities.
  • Direct subcontractors in safely deploying spill response equipment to enforce EPA / TDEQ regulations.
  • Provide safety support for construction projects -Conduct audits for LOTO, environmental, IH surveys, safe work practices etc.
  • Create site-specific EHS orientations for contractors.
  • Show more

Safety consultant vs safety engineer skills

Common safety consultant skills
  • OSHA, 13%
  • EHS, 7%
  • Safety Procedures, 5%
  • Safety Audits, 4%
  • Safety Program, 4%
  • Corrective Action, 4%
Common safety engineer skills
  • OSHA, 10%
  • Safety Standards, 6%
  • Safety Program, 5%
  • Safety Regulations, 4%
  • ISO, 4%
  • Corrective Action, 4%

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