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What is a safety coordinator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted expert
Wesley Tinker
introduction image

A safety coordinator ensures that an organization complies with safety regulations and guidelines. They develop and implement safety policies, conduct audits, and train employees on safe practices. A safety coordinator also investigates accidents and incidents to determine their cause and prevent future occurrences. They work with management, employees, and regulatory agencies to promote a culture of safety. Overall, a safety coordinator maintains a safe and healthy work environment for all employees.

What general advice would you give to a safety coordinator?

Wesley Tinker

Assistant Professor of Safety, University of Central Missouri

- The day-to-day duties of a Safety Professional depend on the industry they currently work in but also the level of tenure they have in the organization. There is a long list of duties but the following allow for a broad sweep across an average day. The schedule of a typical workday could start with a toolbox talk which allows for a brief 'heads-up' to a vast array of safety-related topics or issues that workers have the possibility of seeing on-site. Field audits would be another crucial duty to examine the site for new safety-related issues and to monitor controls set on previously identified hazards. Conducting pieces of training for new workers and/or updates on safety-related issues on their site. Accident investigations are one of the random unexpected duties a Safety Professional might conduct, which is important in the prevention of future injuries and illnesses. Providing good customer service toward the workers and management but also the organization's vendors is critical for nearly all aspects of that company. Customer service is closely connected to the culture of the company as the majority of industry leaders provide a 'Safety First' environment. Overall, the Safety Professional provides many attributes to the day-to-day functions of many organizations. These attributes directly impact that company's stance in the overall global marketplace.
ScoreSafety CoordinatorUS Average
Salary
4.8

Avg. Salary $61,604

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.9

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.8
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.23%

Asian 5.67%

Black or African American 9.76%

Hispanic or Latino 14.30%

Unknown 6.13%

White 62.91%

Gender

female 28.15%

male 71.85%

Age - 45
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45
Stress level
7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a safety coordinator?

Pros

  • Job security and stability

  • Competitive salary and benefits

  • Variety of tasks and responsibilities

  • High demand for safety coordinators in various industries

  • Work-life balance with predictable schedules

Cons

  • May need to travel frequently for inspections or training sessions

  • Can be challenging to engage employees in safety initiatives

  • Can be physically demanding, requiring site inspections or heavy lifting of safety equipment

  • Risk of burnout due to high workload and constant focus on safety issues

  • May require dealing with legal and insurance issues related to safety incidents

Safety coordinator career paths

Key steps to become a safety coordinator

  1. Explore safety coordinator education requirements

    Most common safety coordinator degrees

    Bachelor's

    50.5 %

    Associate

    23.7 %

    High School Diploma

    11.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific safety coordinator skills

    SkillsPercentages
    OSHA13.83%
    Safety Procedures5.55%
    Safety Program5.28%
    Safety Audits4.42%
    Safety Training3.99%
  3. Complete relevant safety coordinator training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New safety coordinators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a safety coordinator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real safety coordinator resumes.
  4. Research safety coordinator duties and responsibilities

    • Identify and minimize hazardous conditions, oversee accident prevention and remediation activities, and manage logistical operations of all HAZMAT carriers.
    • Authore corporate safety policies and programs ensuring compliance with OSHA and EPA regulatory requirements.
    • Develop EHS training/policies and facilitates require training including new hire safety training and orientation.
    • Train store/outlet personnel how to conduct operational loss prevention and OSHA safety audits and submit quarterly reports.
  5. Prepare your safety coordinator resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your safety coordinator resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a safety coordinator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable safety coordinator resume templates

    Build a professional safety coordinator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your safety coordinator resume.
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  6. Apply for safety coordinator jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a safety coordinator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first safety coordinator job

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Average safety coordinator salary

The average safety coordinator salary in the United States is $61,604 per year or $30 per hour. Safety coordinator salaries range between $40,000 and $94,000 per year.

Average safety coordinator salary
$61,604 Yearly
$29.62 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do safety coordinators rate their job?

3/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Safety coordinator reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2023
Pros

You have the satisfaction of keeping the employees safe and you know that higher management gives you support. If you go through an OSHA inspection you are confident that you've done your due diligence.

Cons

It takes time to implement and see the safety culture grow.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Cons

Contractors who don't implement Safety rules. Make sure all Employees understand all safety standards

Pros

Saving lives


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

Working with leadership and taking part in creating a safer work environment through physical changes in the plant as well as a heavy focus on behavioral based safety. I enjoy training others and being tasked with difficult questions that require research and a follow up. I'm slowly becoming an expert in specific policies and standards set by our company, government agencies, and other industry standards.

Cons

I've got limited official background in OSH and find it difficult to navigate the corporate environment to find answers at times. Knowing who to include in what meetings and information sharing sessions has been somewhat of a challenge as well.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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