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Industrial health engineer vs mechanical engineer

The differences between industrial health engineers and mechanical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an industrial health engineer, becoming a mechanical engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a mechanical engineer has an average salary of $75,352, which is higher than the $58,264 average annual salary of an industrial health engineer.

The top three skills for an industrial health engineer include EHS, safety analysis and ALARA. The most important skills for a mechanical engineer are CAD, solidworks, and mechanical systems.

Industrial health engineer vs mechanical engineer overview

Industrial Health EngineerMechanical Engineer
Yearly salary$58,264$75,352
Hourly rate$28.01$36.23
Growth rate4%2%
Number of jobs94,958105,618
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age4241
Years of experience26

What does an industrial health engineer do?

To avoid or remedy hazardous environmental conditions in the workplace, industrial safety and health engineers design, execute, and organize safety systems using engineering principles and technology. They ensure that employees and people who come into their organization are kept safe from injuries resulting from accidents in the workplace. They inspect the buildings, machinery, and safety equipment to detect and correct possible risks. Part of this role involves developing safety and health programs that will help prevent and minimize damage to both health and property.

What does a mechanical engineer do?

Mechanical Engineers oversee the development of various mechanical devices in different industries. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around crafting, improving, or designing technologies by utilizing extensive expertise in the subject; they identify and detect errors, provide in-depth analysis, and resolve issues. They are often in designated offices, but they can also work on-site and travel if necessary. Furthermore, Mechanical Engineers usually function in a group or team setting, often supervised by personnel in higher positions.

Industrial health engineer vs mechanical engineer salary

Industrial health engineers and mechanical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Industrial Health EngineerMechanical Engineer
Average salary$58,264$75,352
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $94,000Between $58,000 And $97,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-Washington
Best paying company-Meta
Best paying industry-Energy

Differences between industrial health engineer and mechanical engineer education

There are a few differences between an industrial health engineer and a mechanical engineer in terms of educational background:

Industrial Health EngineerMechanical Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorBusinessMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborMichigan Technological University

Industrial health engineer vs mechanical engineer demographics

Here are the differences between industrial health engineers' and mechanical engineers' demographics:

Industrial Health EngineerMechanical Engineer
Average age4241
Gender ratioMale, 76.3% Female, 23.7%Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 10.5% White, 73.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.6% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage4%5%

Differences between industrial health engineer and mechanical engineer duties and responsibilities

Industrial health engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage environmental compliance programs including all water, air, waste issues, EPA and OSHA environmental issues.
  • Manage hazardous and special waste programs and profiles including audits/inspections, vendor compliance, documentation and recordkeeping.
  • Provide IH oversight during work activities, evaluate and monitor excavation activities, and assist management team on issue resolution.
  • Check imported materials and maintain their circulation in manufacturing by ERP system.

Mechanical engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage machine shop and Sr. Machinist/Toolmaker.
  • Lead the implementation of Syteline MRP software.
  • Manage component work orders and failure test scheduling to parts as per DFMEA with design team.
  • Use of PLM software tools such as WindChill to manage data, revisions, iterations and approvals.
  • Lead a brainstorming session for review with supplier & management and follow through the successful implementation of a corrective action.
  • Attain SolidWorks CSWP certification and maintaining proficiency within CREO & AutoCad
  • Show more

Industrial health engineer vs mechanical engineer skills

Common industrial health engineer skills
  • EHS, 77%
  • Safety Analysis, 17%
  • ALARA, 6%
Common mechanical engineer skills
  • CAD, 10%
  • Solidworks, 9%
  • Mechanical Systems, 6%
  • Mechanical Design, 5%
  • HVAC, 5%
  • Plumbing, 4%

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