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System safety engineer vs safety supervisor

The differences between system safety engineers and safety supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a system safety engineer and a safety supervisor. Additionally, a system safety engineer has an average salary of $81,790, which is higher than the $65,392 average annual salary of a safety supervisor.

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 supervisor are OSHA, safety procedures, and safety program.

System safety engineer vs safety supervisor overview

System Safety EngineerSafety Supervisor
Yearly salary$81,790$65,392
Hourly rate$39.32$31.44
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs33,35316,481
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

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 supervisor do?

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.

System safety engineer vs safety supervisor salary

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

System Safety EngineerSafety Supervisor
Average salary$81,790$65,392
Salary rangeBetween $48,000 And $139,000Between $43,000 And $98,000
Highest paying CityFoster City, CABoston, MA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaMassachusetts
Best paying companyNVIDIACargill
Best paying industryTechnologyEnergy

Differences between system safety engineer and safety supervisor education

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

System Safety EngineerSafety Supervisor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringBusiness
Most common collegeNortheastern UniversityStanford University

System safety engineer vs safety supervisor demographics

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

System Safety EngineerSafety Supervisor
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 80.5% Female, 19.5%Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 9.7% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between system safety engineer and safety supervisor 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.
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Safety supervisor example responsibilities.

  • Manage financial oversight and budget management including financial modeling and analysis, new products, travel, tools, and scheduling.
  • Evaluate and maintain site compliance with all OSHA, EPA, local state, federal, and corporate guidelines.
  • Conduct TPM and SMED projects on complex automate equipment.
  • Teach and instruct first aid, CPR, a, safety awareness and babysitting.
  • Operate machinery - asphalt, laid pipe, operate a sweeper broom, and rollers.
  • Ensure compliance to OSHA, NFPA, ANSI, and other local, state and federal regulatory agencies.
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System safety engineer vs safety supervisor 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 supervisor skills
  • OSHA, 12%
  • Safety Procedures, 8%
  • Safety Program, 4%
  • Safety Training, 4%
  • Safety Audits, 4%
  • Patrol, 4%

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