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The differences between safety technicians and health & safety officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a safety technician, becoming a health & safety officer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a health & safety officer has an average salary of $56,507, which is higher than the $38,709 average annual salary of a safety technician.
The top three skills for a safety technician include OSHA, patients and customer service. The most important skills for a health & safety officer are OSHA, site safety, and em-385.
| Safety Technician | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $38,709 | $56,507 |
| Hourly rate | $18.61 | $27.17 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 38,218 | 115,573 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A safety technician is responsible for inspecting the office equipment and machinery, as well as the safety of facilities, avoiding potential hazards in the workplace. Safety technicians also review the company's policies and procedures, ensuring that the operational processes adhere to the internal guidelines and state regulations. They recommend safety training and programs for all employees on safety compliance and stable work conditions. A safety technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on writing incident reports and suggesting practices to maintain a safe working environment.
A Health and Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring the workplace's safety and security to provide smooth operations and implement safety practices within the premises. They inspect the facilities and equipment's condition and report any failures and defects for immediate resolution. They also facilitate safety training and programs for the employees to reiterate safety protocols and policies for strict compliance. A health and safety officer reviews incident reports, recommend safety and security resolutions and develop safety initiatives.
Safety technicians and health & safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Technician | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Average salary | $38,709 | $56,507 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $52,000 | Between $37,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bethlehem, PA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Micron Technology | 24M Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Construction |
There are a few differences between a safety technician and a health & safety officer in terms of educational background:
| Safety Technician | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between safety technicians' and health & safety officers' demographics:
| Safety Technician | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% 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, 14.7% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |