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The differences between environmental health specialists and industrial hygienists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an environmental health specialist, becoming an industrial hygienist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an industrial hygienist has an average salary of $68,173, which is higher than the $54,789 average annual salary of an environmental health specialist.
The top three skills for an environmental health specialist include environmental health, EHS and OSHA. The most important skills for an industrial hygienist are OSHA, environmental health, and indoor air quality.
| Environmental Health Specialist | Industrial Hygienist | |
| Yearly salary | $54,789 | $68,173 |
| Hourly rate | $26.34 | $32.78 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 69,497 | 23,048 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
An Environmental Health Specialist is responsible for determining the existence of possible health hazards and taking measures to prevent or corect them. They monitor health and safety conditions in resedential, industrial, commercial, and recreational settings.
An Industrial Hygienist plans and conducts health programs to educate employees about cleanliness, safety, and sanitation in the workplace. They investigate adequacy of ventilation, exhaust equipment, lighting, and other conditions that can affect employees' health, comfort, or efficiency.
Environmental health specialists and industrial hygienists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Health Specialist | Industrial Hygienist | |
| Average salary | $54,789 | $68,173 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $77,000 | Between $45,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Louisiana |
| Best paying company | ICU Medical | Exxon Mobil |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between an environmental health specialist and an industrial hygienist in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Health Specialist | Industrial Hygienist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Public Health | Public Health |
| Most common college | University of California, Berkeley | Duke University |
Here are the differences between environmental health specialists' and industrial hygienists' demographics:
| Environmental Health Specialist | Industrial Hygienist | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.8% Female, 37.2% | Male, 74.0% Female, 26.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 9.8% White, 69.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 4% |