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The differences between senior safety specialists and safety directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a senior safety specialist, becoming a safety director takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a safety director has an average salary of $85,687, which is higher than the $70,067 average annual salary of a senior safety specialist.
The top three skills for a senior safety specialist include OSHA, corrective action and EHS. The most important skills for a safety director are OSHA, DOT, and safety procedures.
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Director | |
| Yearly salary | $70,067 | $85,687 |
| Hourly rate | $33.69 | $41.20 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 15,706 | 19,507 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A senior safety specialist is in charge of designing and developing safety measures and protocols in a company. Their responsibilities revolve around understanding every procedure and operations, identifying and assessing risks, examining existing safety policies to determine areas needing improvement, and implementing the company's safety policies and regulations. They may also investigate incidents and devise strategies to prevent them from happening again. Furthermore, as a senior safety specialist, it is essential to serve as a mentor to other safety officers, assisting them in creating programs to maintain a safe and productive work environment.
A safety director is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the business and its employees, enforcing strict safety standards, and facilitating safety drills and programs to avoid potential hazards within the office's premises. Safety directors inspect the building's premises, including the office's equipment and other systems, and perform immediate actions even for the smallest inconsistencies. They also create incident and audit reports to discuss with the management and implement or adjust regulations as needed.
Senior safety specialists and safety directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Director | |
| Average salary | $70,067 | $85,687 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $108,000 | Between $55,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Arkema | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | - | Construction |
There are a few differences between a senior safety specialist and a safety director in terms of educational background:
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Occupational Safety And Health | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior safety specialists' and safety directors' demographics:
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Director | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% | Male, 79.8% Female, 20.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 9.7% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 4% |