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The differences between safety engineers and health & safety officers 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 engineer, becoming a health & safety officer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a safety engineer has an average salary of $74,228, which is higher than the $56,507 average annual salary of a health & safety officer.
The top three skills for a safety engineer include OSHA, safety standards and safety program. The most important skills for a health & safety officer are OSHA, site safety, and em-385.
| Safety Engineer | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,228 | $56,507 |
| Hourly rate | $35.69 | $27.17 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,617 | 115,573 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
The duties of a safety engineer depend on one's industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the implementation of the safety policies and regulations in a company by conducting regular inspections and maintenance checks, coordinating with department personnel to gather data, assessing risks, and arranging precautionary measures. A safety engineer must also address issues and concerns, responding to them in a timely and efficient manner. Furthermore, there are instances when they have to lead safety orientations and seminars to maintain a safe and productive environment for everyone.
A Health and Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring the workplace's safety and security to provide smooth operations and implement safety practices within the premises. They inspect the facilities and equipment's condition and report any failures and defects for immediate resolution. They also facilitate safety training and programs for the employees to reiterate safety protocols and policies for strict compliance. A health and safety officer reviews incident reports, recommend safety and security resolutions and develop safety initiatives.
Safety engineers and health & safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Engineer | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Average salary | $74,228 | $56,507 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $110,000 | Between $37,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Apple | 24M Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Construction |
There are a few differences between a safety engineer and a health & safety officer in terms of educational background:
| Safety Engineer | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | University of Connecticut | - |
Here are the differences between safety engineers' and health & safety officers' demographics:
| Safety Engineer | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 9.7% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 7% |