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The differences between industrial hygiene technicians and safety assistants 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 a safety assistant. Additionally, an industrial hygiene technician has an average salary of $51,966, which is higher than the $38,077 average annual salary of a safety assistant.
The top three skills for an industrial hygiene technician include asbestos, OSHA and air quality. The most important skills for a safety assistant are patients, patient care, and patient safety.
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $51,966 | $38,077 |
| Hourly rate | $24.98 | $18.31 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,439 | 13,994 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| 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.
Safety assistants help safety managers create and execute safety protocols. Typical duties include examining work areas, locating hazardous elements as well as keeping up with safety manuals and guidelines. Also, they interview injured employees, maintain first aid centers, and probe work safety incidents. Additionally, they direct regular audits with safety mentors to make certain that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) policies and procedures are followed. Primary job qualifications include knowledge in safety protocols, detail-oriented, organizational skills, teamwork, and time management. Another important requirement in this field is training in occupational hazards.
Industrial hygiene technicians and safety assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Assistant | |
| Average salary | $51,966 | $38,077 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $72,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Fairbanks, AK |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Capco |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an industrial hygiene technician and a safety assistant in terms of educational background:
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Public Health | Business |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between industrial hygiene technicians' and safety assistants' demographics:
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2% | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% |
| 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, 9.2% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |