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What is a safety director and how to become one
The modern world of business is incomplete without safety directors. Thanks to them, all the operations run safely, ensuring everyone's protection in the organization. They prevent all sorts of potential hazards that may cause environmental damage, injury, or death in the job site.
They have to decide company policies on safety programs, according to the company guidelines and legal compliance. They coordinate, implement, and develop health procedures and policies for every employee in the company. They are also bound to direct everyone to follow OSHA safety standards during working hours.
You generally require a tremendous amount of managerial experience along with a bachelor's degree to become a safety director. As far as your skillset, you should have analytical abilities, multitasking skills, and know-how to be a team leader. It is a high-paying job, a salary of $34.17 an hour, and is expected to grow by 5% by 2028.
Avg. Salary $85,687
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 4%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%
Asian 9.71%
Black or African American 4.79%
Hispanic or Latino 11.78%
Unknown 3.96%
White 69.58%
Genderfemale 20.25%
male 79.75%
Age - 41American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 41Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
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Safety Director career paths
Key steps to become a safety director
Explore safety director education requirements
Start to develop specific safety director skills
Skills Percentages OSHA 12.79% DOT 6.64% Safety Procedures 5.90% PET 4.89% Patients 4.68% Complete relevant safety director training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New safety directors 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 director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real safety director resumes.Research safety director duties and responsibilities
- Manage institutional compliance with OSHA, EPA, DEP, JCAHO, AOA, NFPA, and other regulatory authorities.
- Lead and manage ISO 9001 and ISO 17025 internal, third party, customer and supplier audits for the group.
- Manage HSE programs for a national corporation specializing in concrete product manufacturing.
- Conduct routine health, safety and environmental inspections in accordance with OSHA 29 CFR 1910, EPA and NFPA standards.
Get safety director experience
Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a safety director. The most common roles before becoming a safety director include safety manager, safety coordinator team lead and safety supervisor.Prepare your safety director resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your safety director 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 director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
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Apply for safety director jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a safety director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Safety Director Job
Brian Hairston
Safety Director
In the transportation truck and bus industry there are certain times a company will select individuals that have demonstrated responsibility and have an overall excellent safety record themselves.
When that happens many companies will select those that are willing to attend private courses geared to train up those safe drivers and send them through seven day workshops where they would obtain an accredited safety certification honored by Federal, State and local municipalities.
As for my self I obtained my safety credentials from the Los Angeles Unified School District and then enhanced my safety background in the transportation industry by obtaining a Certified Director of Safety by attending a specialized training course recognized by the Federal Government.
Once you obtain the CDS you then would be required to stay up to date by means of updated training white papers and seminar courses held around the United States to continue to be familiarized with new laws and safety directives.
Average safety director salary
The average Safety Director salary in the United States is $85,687 per year or $41 per hour. Safety director salaries range between $55,000 and $131,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do safety directors rate their job?
Safety Director reviews
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.
It takes time to implement and see the safety culture grow.
All about safety and health and taking care of the company.
They don't report any information
Provide a clear path to organization in establishing and managing safety program that enhances productivity and profitability.
A management goal of adopting safety program for regulatory compliance only.
Updated January 8, 2025
