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The differences between senior safety specialists and safety technicians 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 technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior safety specialist has an average salary of $70,067, which is higher than the $38,709 average annual salary of a safety technician.
The top three skills for a senior safety specialist include OSHA, corrective action and EHS. The most important skills for a safety technician are OSHA, patients, and customer service.
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $70,067 | $38,709 |
| Hourly rate | $33.69 | $18.61 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 15,706 | 38,218 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| 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 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.
Senior safety specialists and safety technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Technician | |
| Average salary | $70,067 | $38,709 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $108,000 | Between $28,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Bethlehem, PA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Arkema | Micron Technology |
| Best paying industry | - | Construction |
There are a few differences between a senior safety specialist and a safety technician in terms of educational background:
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Occupational Safety And Health | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | - |
Here are the differences between senior safety specialists' and safety technicians' demographics:
| Senior Safety Specialist | Safety Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |