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The differences between safety officers and safety technicians 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 technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a safety officer has an average salary of $46,336, which is higher than the $38,709 average annual salary of a safety technician.
The top three skills for a safety officer include OSHA, patients and patrol. The most important skills for a safety technician are OSHA, patients, and customer service.
| Safety Officer | Safety Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $46,336 | $38,709 |
| Hourly rate | $22.28 | $18.61 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 68,487 | 38,218 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| 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 technician is responsible for inspecting the office equipment and machinery, as well as the safety of facilities, avoiding potential hazards in the workplace. Safety technicians also review the company's policies and procedures, ensuring that the operational processes adhere to the internal guidelines and state regulations. They recommend safety training and programs for all employees on safety compliance and stable work conditions. A safety technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on writing incident reports and suggesting practices to maintain a safe working environment.
Safety officers and safety technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Officer | Safety Technician | |
| Average salary | $46,336 | $38,709 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $73,000 | Between $28,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Bethlehem, PA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Amgen | Micron Technology |
| Best paying industry | Government | Construction |
There are a few differences between a safety officer and a safety technician in terms of educational background:
| Safety Officer | Safety Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | - |
Here are the differences between safety officers' and safety technicians' demographics:
| Safety Officer | Safety Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |