What is a safety trainer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
Wesley Tinker

Educating employees about workplace safety is crucial in any type of work setting. Safety trainers are the ones that teach workers about the basics of workplace safety, including how to identify potential hazards in the workplace and what to do to avoid them. Their role is vital in ensuring that every employee is informed about the company's safety policies and procedures, which significantly helps reduce the risk of workplace injuries and deaths.

The role of a safety trainer generally revolves around creating training material, holding training sessions with workers, making regular reminders of safety protocols, and implementing emergency drills.

The minimum requirement for a safety trainer position is a high school diploma or GED, but many employers prefer applicants with an associate's or bachelor's degree in a relevant field. More than that, a safety trainer must complete an OSHA standards course and training course in their respective industry.

When it comes to soft skills, an effective safety trainer must be a great instructor, able to communicate well, and have a keen eye for detail when it comes to safety violations and potential dangers in the workplace.

What general advice would you give to a Safety Trainer?

W

Wesley Tinker

Assistant Professor of Safety, University of Central Missouri

- The day-to-day duties of a Safety Professional depend on the industry they currently work in but also the level of tenure they have in the organization. There is a long list of duties but the following allow for a broad sweep across an average day. The schedule of a typical workday could start with a toolbox talk which allows for a brief 'heads-up' to a vast array of safety-related topics or issues that workers have the possibility of seeing on-site. Field audits would be another crucial duty to examine the site for new safety-related issues and to monitor controls set on previously identified hazards. Conducting pieces of training for new workers and/or updates on safety-related issues on their site. Accident investigations are one of the random unexpected duties a Safety Professional might conduct, which is important in the prevention of future injuries and illnesses. Providing good customer service toward the workers and management but also the organization's vendors is critical for nearly all aspects of that company. Customer service is closely connected to the culture of the company as the majority of industry leaders provide a 'Safety First' environment. Overall, the Safety Professional provides many attributes to the day-to-day functions of many organizations. These attributes directly impact that company's stance in the overall global marketplace.
ScoreSafety TrainerUS Average
Salary
3.5

Avg. Salary $45,097

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.9

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.24%

Asian 5.82%

Black or African American 9.34%

Hispanic or Latino 15.02%

Unknown 6.23%

White 62.35%

Gender

female 25.28%

male 74.72%

Age - 45
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45
Stress Level
7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.3

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
3.6

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

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Safety Trainer career paths

Key steps to become a safety trainer

  1. Explore safety trainer education requirements

    Most common safety trainer degrees

    Bachelor's

    49.3 %

    Associate

    21.1 %

    High School Diploma

    13.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific safety trainer skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    OSHA12.96%
    CDL9.94%
    Safety Training7.74%
    Fall Protection4.98%
    Safety Procedures4.90%
  3. Complete relevant safety trainer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New safety trainers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a safety trainer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real safety trainer resumes.
  4. Research safety trainer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage and facilitate extensive Safety/Security and HAZMAT training for all personnel.
    • Certify CPR instructor, H2s awareness instructor and fit tester.
    • Provide training in OSHA require and other pertinent safety topics and various aspects of lean operations to local and regional industries.
    • Create and improve upon existing PowerPoint presentations.
  5. Prepare your safety trainer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your safety trainer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a safety trainer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Safety Trainer Resume templates

    Build a professional Safety Trainer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Safety Trainer resume.
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  6. Apply for safety trainer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a safety trainer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Safety Trainer Job

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Average safety trainer salary

The average Safety Trainer salary in the United States is $45,097 per year or $22 per hour. Safety trainer salaries range between $31,000 and $64,000 per year.

Average Safety Trainer Salary
$45,097 Yearly
$21.68 hourly

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How do safety trainers rate their job?

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Safety Trainer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2023
Pros

You have the satisfaction of keeping the employees safe and you know that higher management gives you support. If you go through an OSHA inspection you are confident that you've done your due diligence.

Cons

It takes time to implement and see the safety culture grow.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

Saving lives

Cons

Contractors who don't implement Safety rules. Make sure all Employees understand all safety standards


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

Working with leadership and taking part in creating a safer work environment through physical changes in the plant as well as a heavy focus on behavioral based safety. I enjoy training others and being tasked with difficult questions that require research and a follow up. I'm slowly becoming an expert in specific policies and standards set by our company, government agencies, and other industry standards.

Cons

I've got limited official background in OSH and find it difficult to navigate the corporate environment to find answers at times. Knowing who to include in what meetings and information sharing sessions has been somewhat of a challenge as well.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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