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The differences between safety specialists 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 specialist, 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 $57,905 average annual salary of a safety specialist.
The top three skills for a safety specialist include OSHA, develop corrective action and safety program. The most important skills for a safety director are OSHA, DOT, and safety procedures.
| Safety Specialist | Safety Director | |
| Yearly salary | $57,905 | $85,687 |
| Hourly rate | $27.84 | $41.20 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 16,355 | 19,507 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
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 specialists and safety directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Specialist | Safety Director | |
| Average salary | $57,905 | $85,687 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $87,000 | Between $55,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Chevron | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | - | Construction |
There are a few differences between a safety specialist and a safety director in terms of educational background:
| Safety Specialist | Safety Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between safety specialists' and safety directors' demographics:
| Safety Specialist | Safety Director | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7% | Male, 79.8% Female, 20.2% |
| 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, 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% |