Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between safety specialists 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 specialist and a safety inspector. Additionally, a safety specialist has an average salary of $57,905, which is higher than the $48,765 average annual salary of a safety inspector.
The top three skills for a safety specialist include OSHA, develop corrective action and safety program. The most important skills for a safety inspector are OSHA, safety procedures, and safety inspections.
| Safety Specialist | Safety Inspector | |
| Yearly salary | $57,905 | $48,765 |
| Hourly rate | $27.84 | $23.44 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,355 | 30,193 |
| 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.
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 specialists and safety inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Specialist | Safety Inspector | |
| Average salary | $57,905 | $48,765 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $87,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Chevron | Volkert |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a safety specialist and a safety inspector in terms of educational background:
| Safety Specialist | Safety Inspector | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | - |
Here are the differences between safety specialists' and safety inspectors' demographics:
| Safety Specialist | Safety Inspector | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7% | Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9% |
| 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, 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% |