Safety manager vs safety inspector

The differences between safety managers and safety inspectors 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 manager, becoming a safety inspector takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a safety manager has an average salary of $74,754, which is higher than the $48,765 average annual salary of a safety inspector.

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

Safety manager vs safety inspector overview

	Safety Manager	Safety Inspector
Yearly salary	$74,754	$48,765
Hourly rate	$35.94	$23.44
Growth rate	4%	6%
Number of jobs	16,155	30,193
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	42	45
Years of experience	2	6

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 inspector do?

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.

Safety manager vs safety inspector salary

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

	Safety Manager	Safety Inspector
Average salary	$74,754	$48,765
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $115,000	Between $34,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	NVIDIA	Volkert
Best paying industry	Energy	Energy

Differences between safety manager and safety inspector education

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

	Safety Manager	Safety Inspector
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	-

Safety manager vs safety inspector demographics

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

	Safety Manager	Safety Inspector
Average age	42	45
Gender ratio	Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4%	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
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, 10.1% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	4%	7%

Differences between safety manager and safety inspector 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 inspector example responsibilities.

Assist with ergonomics assessments, assist in managing HAZMAT and chemical storage programs, and evaluate fire prevention plans.
Complete workshop and laboratory equipment safety for all university buildings for compliance with OSHA and other appropriate regulations.
Investigate and document incidents using accurate and industry relate terminology to protect against lawsuits and to provide OSHA with additional information.
Upgrade and assist with the maintenance of the facility MSDS system, in particular the raw material MSDS's.
Detail record keeping of JSAs, tool, ladder and PPE inspections.
Participate in new equipment planning and installation team activities to include PSM processes documentation and validation i.e.

Safety manager vs safety inspector skills

Common safety manager skills

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

Common safety inspector skills

OSHA, 13%
Safety Procedures, 7%
Safety Inspections, 6%
Fire Protection, 5%
Safety Standards, 5%
Contractor Safety, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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