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The differences between safety specialists and safety managers 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 manager takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a safety manager has an average salary of $74,754, 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 manager are OSHA, safety program, and safety procedures.
| Safety Specialist | Safety Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $57,905 | $74,754 |
| Hourly rate | $27.84 | $35.94 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 16,355 | 16,155 |
| 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 manager is someone who ensures that a company is compliant and adhering to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines. Safety managers are responsible for planning and implementing OHS policies and programs. They regularly prepare educational seminars and educate employees on various safety-related topics. They conduct enforcement of preventative measures as well as risk assessment. Also, they prepare reports on accidents and violations and determine what caused them. Safety managers must have excellent attention to detail to find the hazards, discover ways to improve conditions, and execute safety programs.
Safety specialists and safety managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Specialist | Safety Manager | |
| Average salary | $57,905 | $74,754 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $87,000 | Between $48,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Chevron | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a safety specialist and a safety manager in terms of educational background:
| Safety Specialist | Safety Manager | |
| 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 managers' demographics:
| Safety Specialist | Safety Manager | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| 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, 4.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 9.6% White, 69.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 4% |