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The differences between safety managers and safety engineers 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 engineer. Additionally, a safety manager has an average salary of $74,754, which is higher than the $74,228 average annual salary of a safety engineer.
The top three skills for a safety manager include OSHA, safety program and safety procedures. The most important skills for a safety engineer are OSHA, safety standards, and safety program.
| Safety Manager | Safety Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,754 | $74,228 |
| Hourly rate | $35.94 | $35.69 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 16,155 | 16,617 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
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.
Safety managers and safety engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Manager | Safety Engineer | |
| Average salary | $74,754 | $74,228 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $115,000 | Between $49,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a safety manager and a safety engineer in terms of educational background:
| Safety Manager | Safety Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between safety managers' and safety engineers' demographics:
| Safety Manager | Safety Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 9.7% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |