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The differences between safety managers and safety supervisors 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 supervisor. Additionally, a safety manager has an average salary of $74,754, which is higher than the $65,392 average annual salary of a safety supervisor.
The top three skills for a safety manager include OSHA, safety program and safety procedures. The most important skills for a safety supervisor are OSHA, safety procedures, and safety program.
| Safety Manager | Safety Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $74,754 | $65,392 |
| Hourly rate | $35.94 | $31.44 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 16,155 | 16,481 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| 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.
A safety supervisor is responsible for monitoring the overall operations of a production, ensuring the safety and security of everyone, and enforcing strict regulations and protocols. Safety supervisors organize safety orientations and training for the workers, as well as reiterating disciplinary measures and policies and procedures during meetings. They inspect the workplace, including the maintenance of tools and equipment, immediately calling for repair for any defective items found. A safety supervisor also assists with the investigation of workplace hazards to prevent such complications in the future.
Safety managers and safety supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Manager | Safety Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $74,754 | $65,392 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $115,000 | Between $43,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | Cargill |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a safety manager and a safety supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Safety Manager | Safety Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between safety managers' and safety supervisors' demographics:
| Safety Manager | Safety Supervisor | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% |
| 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, 11.8% Asian, 9.7% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |