Safety director demographics and statistics in the US
Safety director demographics research summary. Zippia estimates safety director demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our safety director estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about safety directors after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 19,185 safety directors currently employed in the United States.
- 20.2% of all safety directors are women, while 79.8% are men.
- The average safety director age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of safety directors is White (69.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.8%), Asian (9.7%) and Black or African American (4.8%).
- Safety directors are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The construction industry is the highest-paying for safety directors.
- South San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $144,567, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women safety directors earned 96% of what men earned.
- 4% of all safety directors are LGBT.
- California is the best state for safety directors to live.
- Safety directors are 73% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Safety director demographics by:
Safety director gender statistics
20.2% of safety directors are women and 79.8% of safety directors are men.
- Male, 79.8%
- Female, 20.2%
Safety director gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 79.8% |
| Female | 20.2% |
Safety director gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$88,584
Female income
$85,206
Safety director gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in safety director positions over time. Currently, 20.2% of safety directors are female.
Safety director gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 85.37% | 14.63% |
| 2011 | 84.98% | 15.02% |
| 2012 | 83.35% | 16.65% |
| 2013 | 82.53% | 17.47% |
| 2014 | 84.38% | 15.62% |
| 2015 | 83.40% | 16.60% |
| 2016 | 81.75% | 18.25% |
| 2017 | 82.74% | 17.26% |
| 2018 | 81.62% | 18.38% |
| 2019 | 84.21% | 15.79% |
| 2020 | 82.47% | 17.53% |
| 2021 | 79.75% | 20.25% |
Safety director related jobs gender ratio
We compared safety directors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, senior electronics design engineer and refrigeration engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Engineer | 11% | 89% |
| Safety Director | 80% | 20% |
| Machine Tool Designer | 99% | 1% |
| Refrigeration Engineer | 99% | 1% |
| Senior Electronics Design Engineer | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Safety director demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among safety directors is White, which makes up 69.6% of all safety directors. Comparatively, 11.8% of safety directors are Hispanic or Latino and 9.7% of safety directors are Asian.
- White, 69.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 11.8%
- Asian, 9.7%
- Black or African American, 4.8%
- Unknown, 4.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Safety director race
| Safety director race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 69.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.8% |
| Asian | 9.7% |
| Black or African American | 4.8% |
| Unknown | 4.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Safety director race and ethnicity over time
See how safety director racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Safety director race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 76.44% | 4.64% | 9.37% | 7.77% |
| 2011 | 77.87% | 4.79% | 6.84% | 9.06% |
| 2012 | 77.59% | 3.91% | 8.13% | 8.59% |
| 2013 | 76.67% | 4.87% | 7.94% | 8.64% |
| 2014 | 75.25% | 4.95% | 8.84% | 8.98% |
| 2015 | 75.09% | 5.46% | 8.29% | 9.67% |
| 2016 | 74.17% | 4.64% | 8.98% | 9.69% |
| 2017 | 73.46% | 4.14% | 9.64% | 10.70% |
| 2018 | 73.43% | 4.22% | 10.35% | 9.71% |
| 2019 | 71.23% | 4.39% | 11.66% | 10.57% |
| 2020 | 71.38% | 4.88% | 9.58% | 10.54% |
| 2021 | 69.58% | 4.79% | 9.71% | 11.78% |
Safety director wage gap by race
According to our data, asian safety directors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american safety directors have the lowest average salary at $85,738.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $89,862 |
| White | $85,998 |
| Black or African American | $85,738 |
| Asian | $94,463 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $87,151 |
Average safety director age
See how the average age of safety directors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Safety director age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 41 | 37 |
| White | 42.5 | 40 |
| Black or African American | 40 | 39 |
| Asian | 38 | 34 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 40.5 | 40.5 |
Safety director age breakdown
The average age of safety directors is 40+ years years old, representing 53% of the safety director population.
Safety director age breakdown
| Safety Director Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 53% |
| 30-40 years | 30% |
| 20-30 years | 18% |
Safety director educational attainment
The most common degree for safety directors is bachelor's degree, with 55% of safety directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 10%.
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Associate, 21%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 7%
Safety directors by degree level
| Safety director degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 55% |
| Associate | 21% |
| Master's | 10% |
| High School Diploma | 7% |
| Other Degrees | 7% |
Safety director jobs you might like
Safety director wage gap by degree level
According to the data, safety directors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $106,742 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, safety directors earn a median annual income of $90,279 compared to $70,547 for safety directors with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $106,742 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $90,279 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $70,547 |
Safety director employment statistics
Most safety directors work for a private in the construction industry.
Company size where safety directors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where safety directors work.
Safety director jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 16% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 23% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 23% |
| > 10,000 employees | 21% |
Safety director jobs by company type
Employees with the safety director job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most safety directors prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Safety director jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 21% |
| Private | 73% |
| Government | 4% |
Safety director jobs by industry
The most common industries for safety directors are construction, manufacturing and professional.
Safety director industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Construction | 18% |
| Manufacturing | 11% |
| Fortune 500 | 11% |
| Professional | 10% |
| Transportation | 7% |
| Health Care | 5% |
| Retail | 5% |
| Hospitality | 4% |
| Energy | 4% |
| Government | 3% |
| Utilities | 3% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Automotive | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
Safety director turnover and employment statistics
Safety director unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for safety directors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Safety director unemployment rate by year
| Year | Safety director unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.89% |
| 2011 | 4.17% |
| 2012 | 3.90% |
| 2013 | 3.52% |
| 2014 | 3.01% |
| 2015 | 2.38% |
| 2016 | 1.95% |
| 2017 | 2.07% |
| 2018 | 2.58% |
| 2019 | 2.26% |
| 2020 | 3.20% |
| 2021 | 2.82% |
Average safety director tenure
The average safety director stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 7,348 safety directors resumes in Zippia's database.
Safety director tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 13% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 18% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 13% |
Safety director LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of safety directors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Safety Director | 3.67% | - |
| Green Building Engineer | 5.25% | 6,618 |
| Power Generation Engineer | 6.39% | 14,893 |
| Stress Engineer | 7.54% | 36,117 |
| Chemical Research Engineer | 8.92% | 49,328 |
| Materials Research Engineer | 10.43% | 82,912 |
| Environmental Program Manager | 12.89% | 101,160 |
Similar safety director jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Green Building Engineer | 5.25% | 6,618 |
| Power Generation Engineer | 6.39% | 14,893 |
| Stress Engineer | 7.54% | 36,117 |
| Chemical Research Engineer | 8.92% | 49,328 |
| Materials Research Engineer | 10.43% | 82,912 |
| Environmental Program Manager | 12.89% | 101,160 |
Foreign languages spoken by safety directors
The most common foreign language among safety directors is Spanish at 58.2%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Carrier at 12.8% and French is the third-most popular at 5.7%.
- Spanish, 58.2%
- Carrier, 12.8%
- French, 5.7%
- Russian, 5.0%
- Dakota, 3.5%
- Other, 14.8%
Safety director languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 58.2% |
| Carrier | 12.8% |
| French | 5.7% |
| Russian | 5.0% |
| Dakota | 3.5% |
| Other | 14.8% |
