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The differences between safety officers and safety representatives 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 representative. Additionally, a safety representative has an average salary of $50,717, 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 representative are OSHA, safety procedures, and corrective action.
| Safety Officer | Safety Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $46,336 | $50,717 |
| Hourly rate | $22.28 | $24.38 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 68,487 | 15,531 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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 representative is responsible for reiterating safety protocols and regulations in the workplace to prevent potential hazards and operational delays. Safety representatives facilitate training and programs for the employees and inform them of any communications related to their safety and wellbeing. They also submit incident reports to the safety manager and provide recommendations to minimize risks and practice emergency drills. A safety representative must have excellent communication and organizational skills to create a safe environment for operations.
Safety officers and safety representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Officer | Safety Representative | |
| Average salary | $46,336 | $50,717 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $73,000 | Between $32,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Amgen | ConocoPhillips |
| Best paying industry | Government | Energy |
There are a few differences between a safety officer and a safety representative in terms of educational background:
| Safety Officer | Safety Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between safety officers' and safety representatives' demographics:
| Safety Officer | Safety Representative | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% | Male, 77.5% Female, 22.5% |
| 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, 10.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |