How to hire a Safety Officer

How to hire a safety officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step safety officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a safety officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new safety officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a Safety Officer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the safety officer you need to hire. Certain safety officer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine Employee vs Contractor Status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A safety officer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, safety officers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents safety officer salaries for various positions.

   Type Of Safety Officer	Description	Hourly Rate
   Safety Officer	Occupational health and safety specialists analyze many types of work environments and work procedures. Specialists inspect workplaces for adherence to regulations on safety, health, and the environment... Show More	$13-35
   Public Health Internship	A public health internship provides students with a great learning opportunity to put into practice those educational principles and skills learned in the classroom. They will gain a better understanding and appreciation for the duties and responsibilities of full-time professionals in public health... Show More	$12-26
   Environmental Health Safety Manager	An Environmental Health Safety Manager supervises the compliance of an organization with environmental legislations regarding safety in the workplace. They are responsible for applying state and federal environmental policies.	$29-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • OSHA
   • Patients
   • Patrol
   • Safety Procedures
   • Safety Program
   • Risk Management
   • CPR
   • Safety Regulations
   • Customer Service
   • Hazardous Materials
   • Emergency Response
   • Risk Assessments
   • Safety Inspections
   • Safety Training

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage safety coordination with EHS and owner representatives.
   • Manage and facilitate extensive Safety/Security and HAZMAT training for all personnel.
   • Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations to include OSHA and NFPA guidelines.
   • Prepare clients for ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification.
   • Maintain cleanliness of all equipment for maintenance and inspections.
   • Give applicants full CDL exam and submit appropriate paperwork to DDS.

   More Safety Officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your safety officer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A safety officer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, safety officers' average salary in oklahoma is 53% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level safety officers 60% less than senior-level safety officers.
   • Certifications. A safety officer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a safety officer's salary.

   Average safety officer salary

   $46,336yearly

   $22.28 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level safety officer salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated March 26, 2025

   Average safety officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	New York	$72,043	$35
   2	Pennsylvania	$71,044	$34
   3	Massachusetts	$67,968	$33
   4	Alaska	$67,449	$32
   5	Connecticut	$62,973	$30
   6	Virginia	$62,516	$30
   7	Maryland	$59,247	$28
   8	California	$59,044	$28
   9	Nevada	$58,166	$28
   10	Washington	$54,497	$26
   11	Michigan	$51,833	$25
   12	Illinois	$48,927	$24
   13	North Carolina	$46,047	$22
   14	New Mexico	$40,981	$20
   15	Indiana	$40,446	$19
   16	Florida	$38,831	$19
   17	Texas	$38,180	$18
   18	Georgia	$37,324	$18
   19	Colorado	$37,215	$18
   20	Utah	$36,020	$17

   Average safety officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Amgen	$93,792	$45.09	7
   2	Wabtec Corporation	$90,486	$43.50
   3	City of Detroit	$70,010	$33.66	7
   4	Sanofi US	$69,881	$33.60	10
   5	CDC Foundation	$69,390	$33.36
   6	Johnson Controls	$68,494	$32.93	13
   7	Johnson & Johnson	$68,095	$32.74	2
   8	University of Illinois Springfield	$67,596	$32.50	1
   9	Tetra Tech	$67,345	$32.38	3
   10	National Renewable Energy Laboratory	$64,928	$31.22	2
   11	Enel Green Power	$64,672	$31.09
   12	Tetra Pak	$64,444	$30.98	2
   13	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute	$63,752	$30.65	15
   14	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$63,735	$30.64	18
   15	Mayor Ethan Berkowitz	$63,708	$30.63
   16	Columbia University in the City of New York	$63,625	$30.59	28
   17	Massachusetts General Hospital	$62,823	$30.20
   18	Innovative Emergency Management	$61,965	$29.79	4
   19	Delaware State Government	$61,832	$29.73
   20	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University	$61,689	$29.66	6

4. Writing a Safety Officer Job Description

   A safety officer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a safety officer job description:

   Safety Officer job description example

   Pay: $18.00 an hour
   
   Reports to the safety & security manager. Responsible for coordinating the center safety program in compliance with government and management directives and federal, state and local regulations.

   Essential Functions:
   *Inspect all center areas for safety of facilities and health violations to identify potential hazards; initiate corrective action.
   *Ensure fire extinguishers are available in required locations and in working condition at all times.
   *Assist in developing and implementing the occupational safety and health plan.
   *Assist in the development of new and revised policies and procedures affecting safety.
   *Provide fire and safety procedures and literature to staff and students; develop and implement safety training programs for staff and students on the center safety and health plan; conduct training for staff on OSHA standards.
   *Maintain logs and reports of all employee and student injury/accident reports; investigate serious accidents and make recommendations for prevention.
   *Coordinate with other center staff concerning safety programs.
   *Ensure monthly fire drills are conducted in all areas.
   *Promote safety campaigns on center to reduce accidents.
   *Ensure that personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn in the trades to comply with OSHA standards.
   *Provide training in proper usage.
   *Complete accident investigation reports which include a detailed narrative of the incident, injuries, causal factors and recommendations for corrective action.
   *Facilitate monthly safety committee meetings.
   *Provide positive, quality customer services to students, staff and other center customers
   *It is expected that the incumbent shall perform other duties as assigned within his/her capabilities as determined by management.
   
   Education and Experience Requirements:

   High school diploma or equivalent and two years related experience. Associates degree preferred. Experience with youth, excellent written and verbal communications skills and computer proficiency required. Valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record, unless waived by management.

   
   
   

   Management & Training Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right safety officer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with safety officers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit safety officers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your safety officer job on Zippia to find and recruit safety officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with safety officer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new safety officer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the safety officer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new safety officer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a safety officer?