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The differences between industrial hygiene technicians and ehs specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an industrial hygiene technician and an ehs specialist. Additionally, an ehs specialist has an average salary of $58,112, which is higher than the $51,966 average annual salary of an industrial hygiene technician.
The top three skills for an industrial hygiene technician include asbestos, OSHA and air quality. The most important skills for an ehs specialist are OSHA, environmental health, and risk assessments.
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | EHS Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $51,966 | $58,112 |
| Hourly rate | $24.98 | $27.94 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,439 | 7,580 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Industrial hygienists identify health risks in the workplace and build methods for mitigating them. They measure the impact of these risks on workers. These health risks may include air quality, noise emissions, and ionic radiation. This position requires experience in the application of scientific methods, the ability to collect and analyze data, and the ability to use the results of that analysis to give guidance to employees. They work closely with management, both reporting and making recommendations to improve the quality of the industrial environment.
Usually working for large industries, an environment and health safety (EHS) specialist's role is to ensure the implementation of the safety policies and regulations in the workplace. Typically, they spearhead programs such as fire and earthquake drills, train new employees, identify areas of vulnerabilities in the system, and organize conferences and workshops. An EHS specialist must also maintain documentation of processes, produce progress reports, prepare presentations, and develop new policies when necessary. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with all departments, ensuring safety compliance in all areas.
Industrial hygiene technicians and ehs specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | EHS Specialist | |
| Average salary | $51,966 | $58,112 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $72,000 | Between $41,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an industrial hygiene technician and an ehs specialist in terms of educational background:
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | EHS Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Public Health | Business |
| Most common college | Duke University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between industrial hygiene technicians' and ehs specialists' demographics:
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | EHS Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2% | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |