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The differences between safety inspectors and health & safety officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a safety inspector and a health & safety officer. Additionally, a health & safety officer has an average salary of $56,507, which is higher than the $48,765 average annual salary of a safety inspector.
The top three skills for a safety inspector include OSHA, safety procedures and safety inspections. The most important skills for a health & safety officer are OSHA, site safety, and em-385.
| Safety Inspector | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $48,765 | $56,507 |
| Hourly rate | $23.44 | $27.17 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 30,193 | 115,573 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A safety inspector is in charge of performing inspections to ensure that workplaces comply with the company or government's safety standards and regulations. Their responsibilities include inspecting tools and equipment, reviewing documents and specifications, assessing the workforce performances and conditions, observing facilities, and ensuring that employees have protective gear and safety measure knowledge. Moreover, a safety inspector utilizes the findings of their observation to recommend methods that will help workplaces maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone. They may also investigate workplace incidents to keep them from happening again.
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 inspectors and health & safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Inspector | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Average salary | $48,765 | $56,507 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $69,000 | Between $37,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Volkert | 24M Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Construction |
There are a few differences between a safety inspector and a health & safety officer in terms of educational background:
| Safety Inspector | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between safety inspectors' and health & safety officers' demographics:
| Safety Inspector | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9% | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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 | 7% | 7% |