In our latest Reader Panel survey we asked our readers to give us some insight into job salaries and responsibilities of today’s health and safety professionals. Although this is not a comprehensive salary survey, it provides some interesting information about health and safety as a profession.

Most of the Reader Panel respondents have health and safety as their full-time responsibility in their workplace. However, some of the 16.3 per cent that said health and safety is not their full-time job, it still takes up the most part of their day-to-day duties.

“As a manager, health and safety is an important part of my role but I have many other responsibilities as well,” says one respondent.

We asked our Reader Panel respondents to give us an indication of their current salary and the responses are wide range — from between $30,000 and $40,000 a year to an annual salary of more than $100,000.

Twenty per cent of respondents receive more than $100,000 in salary every year. Another 20 per cent say they receive between $60,000 and $69,000.

The lowest salary cited is between the $30,000 and $39,000 range. Over 85 per cent are receiving at least $50,000 a year.

“With a recent raise it still appears to currently be on the low end of the scale in my region,” says one respondent.

Another respondent notes they are “still underpaid for the value I add.”

“It was over $100K but to survive the job cut, I had to take a pay cut,” comments another respondent.
Some also expressed satisfaction. “I am working towards my CRSP so would expect that this is a good salary without it.”

Compensation comments
We asked readers about the various tasks involved in their day-to-day duty as health and safety practitioners. Developing new procedures and training top the list of responsibilities.

Designing heath and safety programs, developing safety tasks, “putting out fires”, day trips to visit job sites, overnight travel, and managing workers’ compensation claims are also among the work duties performed by more than 50 per cent of the respondents.

Some readers have cited other responsibilities such as auditing, drinking water regulations and hazardous waste management, emergency preparedness, risk management, investigating worksite incidents, disability management and return-to-work programs.

When asked whether they feel they are receiving fair and competitive compensation from their employer, the Reader Panel respondents are split. Just a little over 50 per cent expressed satisfaction on their current compensation, while 46 per cent feel they are not well-compensated.

“Not for the responsibilities that we get as enforcement agencies where we have to wear multiple hats,” says one respondent.