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The differences between industrial hygiene technicians and safety representatives 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 representative. Additionally, an industrial hygiene technician has an average salary of $51,966, which is higher than the $50,717 average annual salary of a safety representative.
The top three skills for an industrial hygiene technician include asbestos, OSHA and air quality. The most important skills for a safety representative are OSHA, safety procedures, and corrective action.
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $51,966 | $50,717 |
| Hourly rate | $24.98 | $24.38 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,439 | 15,531 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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 representative is responsible for reiterating safety protocols and regulations in the workplace to prevent potential hazards and operational delays. Safety representatives facilitate training and programs for the employees and inform them of any communications related to their safety and wellbeing. They also submit incident reports to the safety manager and provide recommendations to minimize risks and practice emergency drills. A safety representative must have excellent communication and organizational skills to create a safe environment for operations.
Industrial hygiene technicians and safety representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Representative | |
| Average salary | $51,966 | $50,717 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $72,000 | Between $32,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | ConocoPhillips |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between an industrial hygiene technician and a safety representative in terms of educational background:
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Public Health | Business |
| Most common college | Duke University | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between industrial hygiene technicians' and safety representatives' demographics:
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Representative | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2% | Male, 77.5% Female, 22.5% |
| 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, 10.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |