Safety manager vs safety consultant

The differences between safety managers 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 manager and a safety consultant. Additionally, a safety manager has an average salary of $74,754, which is higher than the $72,011 average annual salary of a safety consultant.

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

Safety manager vs safety consultant overview

	Safety Manager	Safety Consultant
Yearly salary	$74,754	$72,011
Hourly rate	$35.94	$34.62
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	16,155	20,066
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	2	2

What does a safety manager do?

A safety manager is someone who ensures that a company is compliant and adhering to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines. Safety managers are responsible for planning and implementing OHS policies and programs. They regularly prepare educational seminars and educate employees on various safety-related topics. They conduct enforcement of preventative measures as well as risk assessment. Also, they prepare reports on accidents and violations and determine what caused them. Safety managers must have excellent attention to detail to find the hazards, discover ways to improve conditions, and execute safety programs.

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 manager vs safety consultant salary

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

	Safety Manager	Safety Consultant
Average salary	$74,754	$72,011
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $115,000	Between $46,000 And $111,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	NVIDIA	Phillips 66
Best paying industry	Energy	Energy

Differences between safety manager and safety consultant education

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

	Safety Manager	Safety Consultant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Connecticut

Safety manager vs safety consultant demographics

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

	Safety Manager	Safety Consultant
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4%	Male, 82.0% Female, 18.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 9.6% White, 69.1% 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 Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between safety manager and safety consultant duties and responsibilities

Safety manager example responsibilities.

Train and lead industrial Hazmat response team.
Manage consultants to complete air permit application and SPCC plan reviews.
Coordinate and conduct JHA, safety stand downs, accident investigation and manage individual WC claims.
Meet with PPE vendors and manage PPE inventory and PPE use compliance on the production floor.
Train and manage a team of competent persons and gas-free technicians under the direction of NFPA standards and marine chemist.
Manage financial oversight and budget management including financial modeling and analysis, new products, travel, tools, and scheduling.

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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.

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Safety manager vs safety consultant skills

Common safety manager skills

OSHA, 13%
Safety Program, 6%
Safety Procedures, 4%
Safety Training, 4%
Safety Policies, 4%
Safety Regulations, 3%

Common safety consultant skills

OSHA, 13%
EHS, 7%
Safety Procedures, 5%
Safety Audits, 4%
Safety Program, 4%
Corrective Action, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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