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The differences between industrial health engineers and safety engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an industrial health engineer and a safety engineer. Additionally, a safety engineer has an average salary of $74,228, 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 safety engineer are OSHA, safety standards, and safety program.
| Industrial Health Engineer | Safety Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $58,264 | $74,228 |
| Hourly rate | $28.01 | $35.69 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 94,958 | 16,617 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
The duties of a safety engineer depend on one's industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the implementation of the safety policies and regulations in a company by conducting regular inspections and maintenance checks, coordinating with department personnel to gather data, assessing risks, and arranging precautionary measures. A safety engineer must also address issues and concerns, responding to them in a timely and efficient manner. Furthermore, there are instances when they have to lead safety orientations and seminars to maintain a safe and productive environment for everyone.
Industrial health engineers and safety engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Industrial Health Engineer | Safety Engineer | |
| Average salary | $58,264 | $74,228 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $94,000 | Between $49,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | - | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an industrial health engineer and a safety engineer in terms of educational background:
| Industrial Health Engineer | Safety Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between industrial health engineers' and safety engineers' demographics:
| Industrial Health Engineer | Safety Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.3% Female, 23.7% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 9.7% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |