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The differences between ehs specialists and environmental specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an ehs specialist and an environmental specialist. Additionally, an ehs specialist has an average salary of $58,112, which is higher than the $54,482 average annual salary of an environmental specialist.
The top three skills for an ehs specialist include OSHA, environmental health and risk assessments. The most important skills for an environmental specialist are hazardous waste, environmental compliance, and hazardous materials.
| EHS Specialist | Environmental Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $58,112 | $54,482 |
| Hourly rate | $27.94 | $26.19 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 7,580 | 18,074 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Usually working for large industries, an environment and health safety (EHS) specialist's role is to ensure the implementation of the safety policies and regulations in the workplace. Typically, they spearhead programs such as fire and earthquake drills, train new employees, identify areas of vulnerabilities in the system, and organize conferences and workshops. An EHS specialist must also maintain documentation of processes, produce progress reports, prepare presentations, and develop new policies when necessary. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with all departments, ensuring safety compliance in all areas.
Environmental specialists are experts in natural science who are responsible for monitoring the environmental impact of a population, identifying environmental problems, and recommending measures to solve these issues. These scientists perform various duties and responsibilities that include overseeing field examinations and reporting hazard materials and locations, evaluating environmental health concerns, and investigating preparing reports related to environmental issues. Environmental specialists are also responsible for consulting with agencies or clients about an issue or situation and working with other companies to reduce pollution and waste.
Ehs specialists and environmental specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| EHS Specialist | Environmental Specialist | |
| Average salary | $58,112 | $54,482 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $82,000 | Between $36,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Texas Instruments |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an ehs specialist and an environmental specialist in terms of educational background:
| EHS Specialist | Environmental Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between ehs specialists' and environmental specialists' demographics:
| EHS Specialist | Environmental Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 62.6% Female, 37.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 81.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 16% |