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The differences between safety specialists and safety representatives 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 representative. Additionally, a safety specialist has an average salary of $57,905, which is higher than the $50,717 average annual salary of a safety representative.
The top three skills for a safety specialist include OSHA, develop corrective action and safety program. The most important skills for a safety representative are OSHA, safety procedures, and corrective action.
| Safety Specialist | Safety Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $57,905 | $50,717 |
| Hourly rate | $27.84 | $24.38 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,355 | 15,531 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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 representative is responsible for reiterating safety protocols and regulations in the workplace to prevent potential hazards and operational delays. Safety representatives facilitate training and programs for the employees and inform them of any communications related to their safety and wellbeing. They also submit incident reports to the safety manager and provide recommendations to minimize risks and practice emergency drills. A safety representative must have excellent communication and organizational skills to create a safe environment for operations.
Safety specialists and safety representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Specialist | Safety Representative | |
| Average salary | $57,905 | $50,717 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $87,000 | Between $32,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | Chevron | ConocoPhillips |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a safety specialist and a safety representative in terms of educational background:
| Safety Specialist | Safety Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between safety specialists' and safety representatives' demographics:
| Safety Specialist | Safety Representative | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7% | Male, 77.5% Female, 22.5% |
| 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, 10.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |