Safety director vs safety representative

The differences between safety directors and safety representatives 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 director, becoming a safety representative takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a safety director has an average salary of $85,687, which is higher than the $50,717 average annual salary of a safety representative.

The top three skills for a safety director include OSHA, DOT and safety procedures. The most important skills for a safety representative are OSHA, safety procedures, and corrective action.

Safety director vs safety representative overview

	Safety Director	Safety Representative
Yearly salary	$85,687	$50,717
Hourly rate	$41.20	$24.38
Growth rate	4%	6%
Number of jobs	19,507	15,531
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	42	45
Years of experience	2	6

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 representative do?

A safety representative is responsible for reiterating safety protocols and regulations in the workplace to prevent potential hazards and operational delays. Safety representatives facilitate training and programs for the employees and inform them of any communications related to their safety and wellbeing. They also submit incident reports to the safety manager and provide recommendations to minimize risks and practice emergency drills. A safety representative must have excellent communication and organizational skills to create a safe environment for operations.

Safety director vs safety representative salary

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

	Safety Director	Safety Representative
Average salary	$85,687	$50,717
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $131,000	Between $32,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	South San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Genentech	ConocoPhillips
Best paying industry	Construction	Energy

Differences between safety director and safety representative education

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

	Safety Director	Safety Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	San Diego State University

Safety director vs safety representative demographics

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

	Safety Director	Safety Representative
Average age	42	45
Gender ratio	Male, 79.8% Female, 20.2%	Male, 77.5% Female, 22.5%
Race ratio	Black 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, 10.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	4%	7%

Differences between safety director and safety representative 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.

Safety representative example responsibilities.

Complete HAZMAT training and manage squadrons HAZMAT program.
Manage the development/execution of the EHS communication and program strategy for this diversify global technology and industrial leader.
Maintain the CPR kit program.
Administer first-aid and CPR when need.
Skil in hazard communication, LOTO, machine guarding, and contractor safety.
Insure permits and LOTO procedures are as followed for commissioning, pumps, motors, turbines.

Safety director vs safety representative skills

Common safety director skills

OSHA, 13%
DOT, 7%
Safety Procedures, 6%
PET, 5%
Patients, 5%
Safety Policies, 4%

Common safety representative skills

OSHA, 13%
Safety Procedures, 6%
Corrective Action, 5%
Safety Program, 5%
Safety Training, 4%
Safety Audits, 4%

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Safety Director
Safety Director vs Safety Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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