System safety engineer vs safety coordinator

The differences between system safety engineers and safety coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a system safety engineer, becoming a safety coordinator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a system safety engineer has an average salary of $81,790, which is higher than the $61,604 average annual salary of a safety coordinator.

The top three skills for a system safety engineer include safety analysis, fault tree analysis and system design. The most important skills for a safety coordinator are OSHA, safety procedures, and safety program.

System safety engineer vs safety coordinator overview

	System Safety Engineer	Safety Coordinator
Yearly salary	$81,790	$61,604
Hourly rate	$39.32	$29.62
Growth rate	4%	6%
Number of jobs	33,353	22,112
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	42	45
Years of experience	2	6

What does a system safety engineer do?

A system safety engineer specializes in designing and developing safety protocols and policies to ensure smooth operations against unforeseen circumstances. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing research and analysis to identify and meet the company's needs, evaluating existing safety measures to find areas needing improvement, recommending and implementing solutions, and conducting regular maintenance checks to ensure a safe and productive work environment. Furthermore, as a system safety engineer, it is essential to implement and enforce the company's policies and regulations, recommending new ones as needed.

What does a safety coordinator do?

A safety coordinator is responsible for monitoring and evaluating daily operations and planning procedures to mitigate risks and improve safety regulations. Safety coordinators inspect building premises, individual workstations, as well as common areas to ensure that the arrangements are compliant with federal and state law safety protocols. They also conduct safety training and orientations to promote safety codes for each employee's practice. A safety coordinator also assesses the company's equipment and machinery to ensure its safety for everyone's use.

System safety engineer vs safety coordinator salary

System safety engineers and safety coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	System Safety Engineer	Safety Coordinator
Average salary	$81,790	$61,604
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $139,000	Between $40,000 And $94,000
Highest paying City	Foster City, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	NVIDIA	Koppers
Best paying industry	Technology	Energy

Differences between system safety engineer and safety coordinator education

There are a few differences between a system safety engineer and a safety coordinator in terms of educational background:

	System Safety Engineer	Safety Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Business
Most common college	Northeastern University	Stanford University

System safety engineer vs safety coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between system safety engineers' and safety coordinators' demographics:

	System Safety Engineer	Safety Coordinator
Average age	42	45
Gender ratio	Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5%	Male, 71.8% Female, 28.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 11.6% White, 68.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	4%	7%

Differences between system safety engineer and safety coordinator duties and responsibilities

System safety engineer example responsibilities.

Manage site s OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 3rd party contractors.
Manage the material safety data sheet database and secure all MSDS's within the facility.
Lead accident claims investigation to establish root cause of report safety issues in market and assist with litigation as needed.
Manage drawing database and engineering changes.
Create test plans, evaluate, test, and write reports to relevant IEC, CSA and UL standards.
Evaluate fuel cell power systems and components for safe operation and compliance to UL, CSA, CE and NEBS standards.

Safety coordinator example responsibilities.

Identify and minimize hazardous conditions, oversee accident prevention and remediation activities, and manage logistical operations of all HAZMAT carriers.
Authore corporate safety policies and programs ensuring compliance with OSHA and EPA regulatory requirements.
Develop EHS training/policies and facilitates require training including new hire safety training and orientation.
Train store/outlet personnel how to conduct operational loss prevention and OSHA safety audits and submit quarterly reports.
Collaborate with corporate EHS department on developing facility and procedure EHS protocols in accordance with OSHA standards and regulations.
Maintain worker training schedules and complete all require documentation train LOTO for classroom and machine specifics.

System safety engineer vs safety coordinator skills

Common system safety engineer skills

Safety Analysis, 11%
Fault Tree Analysis, 6%
System Design, 6%
Aerospace, 5%
DOD, 4%
Risk Assessments, 4%

Common safety coordinator skills

OSHA, 14%
Safety Procedures, 6%
Safety Program, 5%
Safety Audits, 4%
Safety Training, 4%
Corrective Action, 4%

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System Safety Engineer
System Safety Engineer vs Safety Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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