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The differences between safety consultants and safety inspectors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a safety consultant, becoming a safety inspector takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a safety consultant has an average salary of $72,011, which is higher than the $48,765 average annual salary of a safety inspector.
The top three skills for a safety consultant include OSHA, EHS and safety procedures. The most important skills for a safety inspector are OSHA, safety procedures, and safety inspections.
| Safety Consultant | Safety Inspector | |
| Yearly salary | $72,011 | $48,765 |
| Hourly rate | $34.62 | $23.44 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 20,066 | 30,193 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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.
A safety inspector is in charge of performing inspections to ensure that workplaces comply with the company or government's safety standards and regulations. Their responsibilities include inspecting tools and equipment, reviewing documents and specifications, assessing the workforce performances and conditions, observing facilities, and ensuring that employees have protective gear and safety measure knowledge. Moreover, a safety inspector utilizes the findings of their observation to recommend methods that will help workplaces maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone. They may also investigate workplace incidents to keep them from happening again.
Safety consultants and safety inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Consultant | Safety Inspector | |
| Average salary | $72,011 | $48,765 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $111,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Phillips 66 | Volkert |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a safety consultant and a safety inspector in terms of educational background:
| Safety Consultant | Safety Inspector | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Connecticut | - |
Here are the differences between safety consultants' and safety inspectors' demographics:
| Safety Consultant | Safety Inspector | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.0% Female, 18.0% | Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 10.1% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 7% |