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The differences between safety officers and safety directors 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 director takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a safety director has an average salary of $85,687, 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 director are OSHA, DOT, and safety procedures.
| Safety Officer | Safety Director | |
| Yearly salary | $46,336 | $85,687 |
| Hourly rate | $22.28 | $41.20 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 68,487 | 19,507 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| 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 director is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the business and its employees, enforcing strict safety standards, and facilitating safety drills and programs to avoid potential hazards within the office's premises. Safety directors inspect the building's premises, including the office's equipment and other systems, and perform immediate actions even for the smallest inconsistencies. They also create incident and audit reports to discuss with the management and implement or adjust regulations as needed.
Safety officers and safety directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Officer | Safety Director | |
| Average salary | $46,336 | $85,687 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $73,000 | Between $55,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Amgen | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | Government | Construction |
There are a few differences between a safety officer and a safety director in terms of educational background:
| Safety Officer | Safety Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between safety officers' and safety directors' demographics:
| Safety Officer | Safety Director | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% | Male, 79.8% Female, 20.2% |
| 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, 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 | 7% | 4% |