Safety manager vs safety representative

The differences between safety managers and safety representatives 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 representative takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a safety manager has an average salary of $74,754, which is higher than the $50,717 average annual salary of a safety representative.

The top three skills for a safety manager include OSHA, safety program and safety procedures. The most important skills for a safety representative are OSHA, safety procedures, and corrective action.

Safety manager vs safety representative overview

	Safety Manager	Safety Representative
Yearly salary	$74,754	$50,717
Hourly rate	$35.94	$24.38
Growth rate	4%	6%
Number of jobs	16,155	15,531
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
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 representative do?

A safety representative is responsible for reiterating safety protocols and regulations in the workplace to prevent potential hazards and operational delays. Safety representatives facilitate training and programs for the employees and inform them of any communications related to their safety and wellbeing. They also submit incident reports to the safety manager and provide recommendations to minimize risks and practice emergency drills. A safety representative must have excellent communication and organizational skills to create a safe environment for operations.

Safety manager vs safety representative salary

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

	Safety Manager	Safety Representative
Average salary	$74,754	$50,717
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $115,000	Between $32,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	NVIDIA	ConocoPhillips
Best paying industry	Energy	Energy

Differences between safety manager and safety representative education

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

	Safety Manager	Safety Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	San Diego State University

Safety manager vs safety representative demographics

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

	Safety Manager	Safety Representative
Average age	42	45
Gender ratio	Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4%	Male, 77.5% Female, 22.5%
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, 10.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	4%	7%

Differences between safety manager and safety representative 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 representative example responsibilities.

Complete HAZMAT training and manage squadrons HAZMAT program.
Manage the development/execution of the EHS communication and program strategy for this diversify global technology and industrial leader.
Maintain the CPR kit program.
Administer first-aid and CPR when need.
Skil in hazard communication, LOTO, machine guarding, and contractor safety.
Insure permits and LOTO procedures are as followed for commissioning, pumps, motors, turbines.

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Safety manager vs safety representative skills

Common safety manager skills

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

Common safety representative skills

OSHA, 13%
Safety Procedures, 6%
Corrective Action, 5%
Safety Program, 5%
Safety Training, 4%
Safety Audits, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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