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The differences between human factors specialists and placement specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a human factors specialist and a placement specialist. Additionally, a human factors specialist has an average salary of $80,877, which is higher than the $45,676 average annual salary of a placement specialist.
The top three skills for a human factors specialist include user research, user interface and industrial design. The most important skills for a placement specialist are customer service, patients, and social work.
| Human Factors Specialist | Placement Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $80,877 | $45,676 |
| Hourly rate | $38.88 | $21.96 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 40,805 | 23,909 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A human factors specialist may also be known as an ergonomist. They work with organizations that train staff, as well as with aeronautical engineers and civil aviation regulators. They are responsible for conducting studies, carrying out evaluations and tests, and researching important information about a product or service. They must be skilled in the art of studying human behavior in different contexts and apply that skill to design objects and facilities that better human well-being and overall system performance.
Placement Specialists are professionals who work for an organization to conduct screening and interviewing job candidates for various organizational positions. These specialists must use various methods such as email, cold-calling, or instant messaging applications to solicit candidates for job openings. They are required to assist job candidates with filling out and submitting their new hire documentation, ensuring that all necessary paperwork is processed with the appropriate departments. Placement specialists must also educate candidates about the organization's compensation and benefits, as well as schedule orientation training.
Human factors specialists and placement specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Factors Specialist | Placement Specialist | |
| Average salary | $80,877 | $45,676 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $116,000 | Between $31,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Nabors Industries |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a human factors specialist and a placement specialist in terms of educational background:
| Human Factors Specialist | Placement Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between human factors specialists' and placement specialists' demographics:
| Human Factors Specialist | Placement Specialist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1% | Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 9.1% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 6.5% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |