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The differences between industrial hygiene technicians and safety technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an industrial hygiene technician, becoming a safety technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an industrial hygiene technician has an average salary of $51,966, which is higher than the $38,709 average annual salary of a safety technician.
The top three skills for an industrial hygiene technician include asbestos, OSHA and air quality. The most important skills for a safety technician are OSHA, patients, and customer service.
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $51,966 | $38,709 |
| Hourly rate | $24.98 | $18.61 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,439 | 38,218 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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 technician is responsible for inspecting the office equipment and machinery, as well as the safety of facilities, avoiding potential hazards in the workplace. Safety technicians also review the company's policies and procedures, ensuring that the operational processes adhere to the internal guidelines and state regulations. They recommend safety training and programs for all employees on safety compliance and stable work conditions. A safety technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on writing incident reports and suggesting practices to maintain a safe working environment.
Industrial hygiene technicians and safety technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Technician | |
| Average salary | $51,966 | $38,709 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $72,000 | Between $28,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Bethlehem, PA |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Micron Technology |
| Best paying industry | - | Construction |
There are a few differences between an industrial hygiene technician and a safety technician in terms of educational background:
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Public Health | Business |
| Most common college | Duke University | - |
Here are the differences between industrial hygiene technicians' and safety technicians' demographics:
| Industrial Hygiene Technician | Safety Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2% | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |