Career Paths in Safety: Regulator vs. Private Sector
Hello all,
I’m curious about the career trajectories of those in our field. If you had the opportunity to choose a different career path, would you prefer to work for OSHA as a regulator or stay in the private sector as a safety consultant or manager? For those who have experience in both, what influenced your decision to stay or switch? I’m interested in hearing your perspectives on the advantages and challenges of each path.
Looking forward to your insights!
Comments (5)
I've only been in private sector as a Safety Manager. The thought of working for OSHA is intriguing but I think as of now, I benefit more being where I am now. But I could see later in my career wanting to be in more of a regulator role.
I have been in manufacturing for over 50 years. My official titles and departments were Manufacturing (OPs) and HR/Personnel. In my companies in Manufacturing we were always tasked with the safety of the employees we worked for us. Back in the 70s and early 80s Personnel usually managed the Safety Programs. I became the “Safety Guy” as the newest guy moved into Personnel in 1980. Even with that I still did Personnel stuff too. I don’t ever seeing or hearing about a full time dedicated educated Safety professional until the mid to late 90s!
So I do not remember being a full time “Safety Guy” ever being a career option for me. Even though I always managed Safety Programs I considered myself a Manufacturing and or HR/Personnel Manager first! My formal education is all Business/Management/Labor Relations/HR (BA and MS).
Not OSHA, but I worked as a govt regulator for 10 plus years, the work was steady, pay was okay and the benefits were good. Recently switched over to the consulting side, least flexibility, more pay, okay benefits, better career progression.
I will say that my time as a regulator is what made me valuable as a consultant. I was taught the”correct” way of doing things and I learned all the little loop holes and fine print exemptions. Being a regulator also gave me a stronger standing in my field because I worked on multiple sites with different people, situations and special needs.
If you are looking to grow your knowledge and skill set quickly going regulatory for a few years maybe helpful. Be aware once you go to the consulting side, your priorities and goals change and you work for the customer.
While I haven't worked for OSHA, nor have i worked in the public sector, I have friends who do. I have only worked in private industry.
I will probably never leave private industry based on what I've learned. My friend work in the EHS field for government sectors and their work has a lot more red tape to sift through to get things done effectively/get safety initiatives done. Not sure what it looks like for actual regulators. However, their benefits, pension, and PTO are better than mine. That being said, my pay is almost double what they're being paid by working for the city/university, although I have a lot less PTO and my retirement is not as good as their pension. But, I also have more 'freedom' to get things done within my company.
Ultimately, it is up to what you enjoy/value doing. I'm a person who tends to act first and beg for forgiveness later (to the benefit of my workers!) so I would be going nuts working in public service.