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The differences between safety officers and safety consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a safety officer, becoming a safety consultant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a safety consultant has an average salary of $72,011, which is higher than the $46,336 average annual salary of a safety officer.
The top three skills for a safety officer include OSHA, patients and patrol. The most important skills for a safety consultant are OSHA, EHS, and safety procedures.
| Safety Officer | Safety Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $46,336 | $72,011 |
| Hourly rate | $22.28 | $34.62 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 68,487 | 20,066 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A safety officer specializes in maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for employees in a building or establishment. Aside from adhering to the safety standards and regulations within a company, a safety officer also has to craft and improve policies that prioritize the physical and mental health of workers. Furthermore, it is essential to implement safety programs by educating workers on various precautionary measures, performing regular inspections of equipment and machines, and ensuring the proper disposal of any hazardous waste materials.
A safety consultant specializes in establishing safety guidelines and regulations for a company to ensure a safe and productive work environment. Their responsibilities revolve around understanding company operations, assessing existing safety programs to identify areas needing improvement, and recommending solutions through reports and presentations. They must also develop strategies to provide safety information to workers, creating information programs as necessary. Furthermore, as a safety consultant, it is essential to lead the implementation of new guidelines and policies, ensuring workforce compliance.
Safety officers and safety consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Officer | Safety Consultant | |
| Average salary | $46,336 | $72,011 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $73,000 | Between $46,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Amgen | Phillips 66 |
| Best paying industry | Government | Energy |
There are a few differences between a safety officer and a safety consultant in terms of educational background:
| Safety Officer | Safety Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between safety officers' and safety consultants' demographics:
| Safety Officer | Safety Consultant | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% | Male, 82.0% Female, 18.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 9.6% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 4% |