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The differences between safety specialists and safety officers 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 officer. Additionally, a safety specialist has an average salary of $57,905, which is higher than the $46,336 average annual salary of a safety officer.
The top three skills for a safety specialist include OSHA, develop corrective action and safety program. The most important skills for a safety officer are OSHA, patients, and patrol.
| Safety Specialist | Safety Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $57,905 | $46,336 |
| Hourly rate | $27.84 | $22.28 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,355 | 68,487 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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 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.
Safety specialists and safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Specialist | Safety Officer | |
| Average salary | $57,905 | $46,336 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $87,000 | Between $29,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | Chevron | Amgen |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a safety specialist and a safety officer in terms of educational background:
| Safety Specialist | Safety Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between safety specialists' and safety officers' demographics:
| Safety Specialist | Safety Officer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7% | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% |
| 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, 9.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |