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Safety director vs safety consultant

The differences between safety directors and safety consultants 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 director and a safety consultant. Additionally, a safety director has an average salary of $85,687, which is higher than the $72,011 average annual salary of a safety consultant.

The top three skills for a safety director include OSHA, DOT and safety procedures. The most important skills for a safety consultant are OSHA, EHS, and safety procedures.

Safety director vs safety consultant overview

Safety DirectorSafety Consultant
Yearly salary$85,687$72,011
Hourly rate$41.20$34.62
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs19,50720,066
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

What does a safety director do?

A safety director is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the business and its employees, enforcing strict safety standards, and facilitating safety drills and programs to avoid potential hazards within the office's premises. Safety directors inspect the building's premises, including the office's equipment and other systems, and perform immediate actions even for the smallest inconsistencies. They also create incident and audit reports to discuss with the management and implement or adjust regulations as needed.

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.

Safety director vs safety consultant salary

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

Safety DirectorSafety Consultant
Average salary$85,687$72,011
Salary rangeBetween $55,000 And $131,000Between $46,000 And $111,000
Highest paying CitySouth San Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew Jersey
Best paying companyGenentechPhillips 66
Best paying industryConstructionEnergy

Differences between safety director and safety consultant education

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

Safety DirectorSafety Consultant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of Connecticut

Safety director vs safety consultant demographics

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

Safety DirectorSafety Consultant
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 79.8% Female, 20.2%Male, 82.0% Female, 18.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 9.7% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%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%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between safety director and safety consultant duties and responsibilities

Safety director example 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.
  • Indoctrinate and train new employees in CPR, and basic first aid.
  • Teach CPR, first aid, blood borne pathogens and baby sitting classes.
  • Show more

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 director vs safety consultant skills

Common safety director skills
  • OSHA, 13%
  • DOT, 7%
  • Safety Procedures, 6%
  • PET, 5%
  • Patients, 5%
  • Safety Policies, 4%
Common safety consultant skills
  • OSHA, 13%
  • EHS, 7%
  • Safety Procedures, 5%
  • Safety Audits, 4%
  • Safety Program, 4%
  • Corrective Action, 4%

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