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The differences between industrial hygiene technicians and safety officers 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 officer. Additionally, an industrial hygiene technician has an average salary of $51,966, which is higher than the $46,336 average annual salary of a safety officer.
The top three skills for an industrial hygiene technician include asbestos, OSHA and air quality. The most important skills for a safety officer are OSHA, patients, and patrol.
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $51,966 | $46,336 |
| Hourly rate | $24.98 | $22.28 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,439 | 68,487 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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 officer specializes in maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for employees in a building or establishment. Aside from adhering to the safety standards and regulations within a company, a safety officer also has to craft and improve policies that prioritize the physical and mental health of workers. Furthermore, it is essential to implement safety programs by educating workers on various precautionary measures, performing regular inspections of equipment and machines, and ensuring the proper disposal of any hazardous waste materials.
Industrial hygiene technicians and safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Officer | |
| Average salary | $51,966 | $46,336 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $72,000 | Between $29,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Amgen |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between an industrial hygiene technician and a safety officer in terms of educational background:
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Public Health | Business |
| Most common college | Duke University | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between industrial hygiene technicians' and safety officers' demographics:
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Officer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2% | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% |
| 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, 9.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |