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The differences between safety officers and safety inspectors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a safety officer and a safety inspector. Additionally, a safety inspector has an average salary of $48,765, 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 inspector are OSHA, safety procedures, and safety inspections.
| Safety Officer | Safety Inspector | |
| Yearly salary | $46,336 | $48,765 |
| Hourly rate | $22.28 | $23.44 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 68,487 | 30,193 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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 inspector is in charge of performing inspections to ensure that workplaces comply with the company or government's safety standards and regulations. Their responsibilities include inspecting tools and equipment, reviewing documents and specifications, assessing the workforce performances and conditions, observing facilities, and ensuring that employees have protective gear and safety measure knowledge. Moreover, a safety inspector utilizes the findings of their observation to recommend methods that will help workplaces maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone. They may also investigate workplace incidents to keep them from happening again.
Safety officers and safety inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Officer | Safety Inspector | |
| Average salary | $46,336 | $48,765 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $73,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Amgen | Volkert |
| Best paying industry | Government | Energy |
There are a few differences between a safety officer and a safety inspector in terms of educational background:
| Safety Officer | Safety Inspector | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | - |
Here are the differences between safety officers' and safety inspectors' demographics:
| Safety Officer | Safety Inspector | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% | Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9% |
| 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, 10.1% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |