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The differences between senior safety specialists and safety engineers 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 engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a safety engineer has an average salary of $74,228, 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 engineer are OSHA, safety standards, and safety program.
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,067 | $74,228 |
| Hourly rate | $33.69 | $35.69 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 15,706 | 16,617 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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.
The duties of a safety engineer depend on one's industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the implementation of the safety policies and regulations in a company by conducting regular inspections and maintenance checks, coordinating with department personnel to gather data, assessing risks, and arranging precautionary measures. A safety engineer must also address issues and concerns, responding to them in a timely and efficient manner. Furthermore, there are instances when they have to lead safety orientations and seminars to maintain a safe and productive environment for everyone.
Senior safety specialists and safety engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,067 | $74,228 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $108,000 | Between $49,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Arkema | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior safety specialist and a safety engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Occupational Safety And Health | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between senior safety specialists' and safety engineers' demographics:
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| 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, 11.9% Asian, 9.7% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 4% |