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Industrial hygiene engineer vs safety engineer

The differences between industrial hygiene 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 hygiene engineer and a safety engineer. Additionally, an industrial hygiene engineer has an average salary of $88,051, which is higher than the $74,228 average annual salary of a safety engineer.

The top three skills for an industrial hygiene engineer include EHS, asbestos and ventilation. The most important skills for a safety engineer are OSHA, safety standards, and safety program.

Industrial hygiene engineer vs safety engineer overview

Industrial Hygiene EngineerSafety Engineer
Yearly salary$88,051$74,228
Hourly rate$42.33$35.69
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs10,33516,617
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

Industrial hygiene engineer vs safety engineer salary

Industrial hygiene engineers and safety engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Industrial Hygiene EngineerSafety Engineer
Average salary$88,051$74,228
Salary rangeBetween $47,000 And $162,000Between $49,000 And $110,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-North Dakota
Best paying company-Apple
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between industrial hygiene engineer and safety engineer education

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

Industrial Hygiene EngineerSafety Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorPublic HealthMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeSan Diego State UniversityUniversity of Connecticut

Industrial hygiene engineer vs safety engineer demographics

Here are the differences between industrial hygiene engineers' and safety engineers' demographics:

Industrial Hygiene EngineerSafety Engineer
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 66.7% Female, 33.3%Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4%
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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 9.7% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between industrial hygiene engineer and safety engineer duties and responsibilities

Industrial hygiene engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage asbestos abatement projects according to federal and state regulations.
  • Design and installation of various ventilation systems including force air and HEPA ventilation systems.
  • review of MSDS and chemical product evaluation.
  • Develop and coordinate departmental ergonomics project that contribute to equipment design changes, business system modifications and revise employee work habits.
  • Provide oversight of contractor selection/approval process

Safety engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage hazardous and special waste programs and profiles including audits/inspections, vendor compliance, documentation and recordkeeping.
  • Develop SWPPP and SPCC programs.
  • Design new Lockout/Tag-out (LOTO) system for production floor and facilities.
  • Direct subcontractors in safely deploying spill response equipment to enforce EPA / TDEQ regulations.
  • Provide safety support for construction projects -Conduct audits for LOTO, environmental, IH surveys, safe work practices etc.
  • Create site-specific EHS orientations for contractors.
  • Show more

Industrial hygiene engineer vs safety engineer skills

Common industrial hygiene engineer skills
  • EHS, 22%
  • Asbestos, 15%
  • Ventilation, 14%
  • Hearing Conservation, 14%
  • OSHA, 14%
  • Occupational Health, 6%
Common safety engineer skills
  • OSHA, 10%
  • Safety Standards, 6%
  • Safety Program, 5%
  • Safety Regulations, 4%
  • ISO, 4%
  • Corrective Action, 4%

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