Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior safety specialists and safety supervisors 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 supervisor takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior safety specialist has an average salary of $70,067, which is higher than the $65,392 average annual salary of a safety supervisor.
The top three skills for a senior safety specialist include OSHA, corrective action and EHS. The most important skills for a safety supervisor are OSHA, safety procedures, and safety program.
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $70,067 | $65,392 |
| Hourly rate | $33.69 | $31.44 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 15,706 | 16,481 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| 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 supervisor is responsible for monitoring the overall operations of a production, ensuring the safety and security of everyone, and enforcing strict regulations and protocols. Safety supervisors organize safety orientations and training for the workers, as well as reiterating disciplinary measures and policies and procedures during meetings. They inspect the workplace, including the maintenance of tools and equipment, immediately calling for repair for any defective items found. A safety supervisor also assists with the investigation of workplace hazards to prevent such complications in the future.
Senior safety specialists and safety supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $70,067 | $65,392 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $108,000 | Between $43,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Arkema | Cargill |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a senior safety specialist and a safety supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| 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 supervisors' demographics:
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Supervisor | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% |
| 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% |