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The differences between industrial hygiene technicians and safety inspectors 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 inspector. Additionally, an industrial hygiene technician has an average salary of $51,966, which is higher than the $48,765 average annual salary of a safety inspector.
The top three skills for an industrial hygiene technician include asbestos, OSHA and air quality. The most important skills for a safety inspector are OSHA, safety procedures, and safety inspections.
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Inspector | |
| Yearly salary | $51,966 | $48,765 |
| Hourly rate | $24.98 | $23.44 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,439 | 30,193 |
| 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.
A safety inspector is in charge of performing inspections to ensure that workplaces comply with the company or government's safety standards and regulations. Their responsibilities include inspecting tools and equipment, reviewing documents and specifications, assessing the workforce performances and conditions, observing facilities, and ensuring that employees have protective gear and safety measure knowledge. Moreover, a safety inspector utilizes the findings of their observation to recommend methods that will help workplaces maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone. They may also investigate workplace incidents to keep them from happening again.
Industrial hygiene technicians and safety inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Inspector | |
| Average salary | $51,966 | $48,765 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $72,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Volkert |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between an industrial hygiene technician and a safety inspector in terms of educational background:
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Inspector | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Public Health | Business |
| Most common college | Duke University | - |
Here are the differences between industrial hygiene technicians' and safety inspectors' demographics:
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Inspector | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2% | Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9% |
| 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, 10.1% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |