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The differences between safety specialists and safety assistants 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 specialist and a safety assistant. Additionally, a safety specialist has an average salary of $57,905, which is higher than the $38,077 average annual salary of a safety assistant.
The top three skills for a safety specialist include OSHA, develop corrective action and safety program. The most important skills for a safety assistant are patients, patient care, and patient safety.
| Safety Specialist | Safety Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $57,905 | $38,077 |
| Hourly rate | $27.84 | $18.31 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,355 | 13,994 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Safety specialists examine various types of work procedures and environments. They observe if workplaces stick to the regulations on health, safety, and the environment. Also, they create programs to prevent injury or disease to workers and harm to the environment. Their duties include identifying hazards at the workplace and collecting samples of potentially toxic materials for examination. Another task they do is conduct training on emergency preparedness. Additionally, they explore and identify the causes of an accident to determine their preventative measures.
Safety assistants help safety managers create and execute safety protocols. Typical duties include examining work areas, locating hazardous elements as well as keeping up with safety manuals and guidelines. Also, they interview injured employees, maintain first aid centers, and probe work safety incidents. Additionally, they direct regular audits with safety mentors to make certain that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) policies and procedures are followed. Primary job qualifications include knowledge in safety protocols, detail-oriented, organizational skills, teamwork, and time management. Another important requirement in this field is training in occupational hazards.
Safety specialists and safety assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Specialist | Safety Assistant | |
| Average salary | $57,905 | $38,077 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $87,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Fairbanks, AK |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Chevron | Capco |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a safety specialist and a safety assistant in terms of educational background:
| Safety Specialist | Safety Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between safety specialists' and safety assistants' demographics:
| Safety Specialist | Safety Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7% | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |