How to hire an industrial hygienist

How to hire an industrial hygienist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step industrial hygienist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an industrial hygienist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new industrial hygienist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an industrial hygienist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your industrial hygienist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an industrial hygienist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   An industrial hygienist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, industrial hygienists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of industrial hygienists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Industrial Hygienist	Description	Hourly rate
   Industrial Hygienist	Health and safety engineers develop procedures and design systems to prevent people from getting sick or injured and to keep property from being damaged. They combine knowledge of systems engineering and of health and safety to make sure that chemicals, machinery, software, furniture, and other consumer products will not cause harm to people or damage to buildings.	$21-49
   Project Safety Manager	Project Safety Managers are responsible for ensuring the project workplace environment adheres to health and safety standards. Their duties include coordinating safety meetings, conducting audits, performing site inspections, implementing corrective action, and coordinating compliance training sessions... Show more	$34-67
   Program Safety Manager	A program safety manager is someone who manages and provides oversight of an organization's safety program. Program safety managers plan, enforce, and conduct preventive care, safety, and compliance training programs... Show more	$26-55

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • OSHA
   • Environmental Health
   • Indoor Air Quality
   • Ventilation
   • Respirators
   • Corrective Action
   • Safety Program
   • Occupational Safety
   • Occupational Health Hazards
   • Exposure Assessments
   • IH
   • EPA
   • Control Measures
   • Technical Reports

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage hazardous and special waste programs and profiles including audits/inspections, vendor compliance, documentation and recordkeeping.
   • Perform laboratory analysis of radiological product in support of company QA/QC protocol.
   • Conduct IAQ investigations for office buildings.
   • Perform internal audits for safety and ISO.
   • Escort MSHA compliance inspectors in the mine and help answer questions.
   • Conduct IAQ studies resulting in successful remediation by diagnosing HVAC deficiencies and developing moisture control strategies.

   More industrial hygienist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your industrial hygienist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An industrial hygienist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, industrial hygienists' average salary in georgia is 40% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level industrial hygienists earn 56% less than senior-level industrial hygienists.
   • Certifications. An industrial hygienist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an industrial hygienist's salary.

   Average industrial hygienist salary

   $68,173yearly

   $32.78 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level industrial hygienist salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average industrial hygienist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$90,552	$44
   2	District of Columbia	$87,281	$42
   3	Ohio	$85,833	$41
   4	Virginia	$82,317	$40
   5	Michigan	$81,617	$39
   6	Maryland	$81,155	$39
   7	Alabama	$79,679	$38
   8	New York	$78,092	$38
   9	Oregon	$76,780	$37
   10	New Mexico	$75,595	$36
   11	Minnesota	$75,191	$36
   12	Texas	$73,860	$36
   13	Colorado	$72,980	$35
   14	Pennsylvania	$69,907	$34
   15	Washington	$68,312	$33
   16	Illinois	$66,959	$32
   17	Arizona	$66,762	$32
   18	Delaware	$64,402	$31
   19	Maine	$62,593	$30
   20	North Carolina	$60,954	$29

   Average industrial hygienist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Exxon Mobil	$126,717	$60.92
   2	Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory	$120,654	$58.01
   3	Sandia National Labs	$119,561	$57.48
   4	Koch Industries	$115,469	$55.51	1
   5	Battelle	$110,933	$53.33
   6	HP	$109,135	$52.47
   7	General Motors	$105,476	$50.71	5
   8	Intertek	$104,673	$50.32
   9	Tesla	$103,024	$49.53	6
   10	Eastman	$101,050	$48.58
   11	Celanese	$100,171	$48.16	3
   12	Jacobs Engineering Group	$98,537	$47.37
   13	Fluor Corporation	$95,338	$45.84	10
   14	Northrop Grumman	$93,738	$45.07	23
   15	Air Products	$93,666	$45.03
   16	TÜV SÜD America	$93,539	$44.97	1
   17	Lockheed Martin	$93,446	$44.93	99
   18	DuPont	$90,689	$43.60	1
   19	Xcel Energy	$89,707	$43.13	7
   20	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$87,339	$41.99

4. Writing an industrial hygienist job description

   An industrial hygienist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an industrial hygienist job description:

   Industrial hygienist job description example

   PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF) is one of the largest independent refiners in North America, operating, through its subsidiaries, oil refineries and related facilities. We are a growing organization seeking a talented Industrial Hygienist to join our team as a pivotal member here at PBF Energy. This role is located at Torrance Refining Company in Torrance, CA.
   
   The Industrial Hygienist develops, administers and delivers IH systems and services to business operations. Industrial Hygienists provide delivery of industrial hygiene services and provide direction to contractors and technicians performing HSE services on behalf of the Industrial Hygienist.
   RESPONSIBILITES
   Performs Industrial hygiene (IH) activities as identified in the annual IH work plans, including but not limited to identification, assessment and control of health risks within business activities and assets.Develops annual IH Plans for associated businesses Provides professional IH support and oversight of IH programs and practices at associated business locations and activities, including Torrance Refinery and Torrance Logistics.Serves as the Radiation Safety Officer for TORC; includes the maintenance of the site's nuclear materials licenses, oversight of periodic inspections, storage, purchase and disposal of nuclear materials, as well as advising the business as to appropriate application of nuclear materials Observes and follows accepted IH professional practices in all phases of service delivery; examples of IH practices may be found in the Industrial Hygiene Operations Manual (IHOM), maintained by the IH Best Practice Network.Implements new compliance and improvement initiatives with the approval of ManagementParticipates in network efforts Prepares and submits budget information Supports PSMS and is the administrator of PSMS 5.2Provides technical and functional guidance to business partners Participates in emerging issues analysis and resolution Participates in emergency response in assigned roles Serves at the primary SME for IH (PBF appointed role) Participates as the PBF representative on the AFPM National IH Subcommittee (PBF appointed role) Conducts exposure monitoring and sample management, per IHOM practices Reviews and approves new personal protective equipment Maintains IH associated records and documentation Maintains IH Equipment
   
   QUALIFICATIONS
   Master's degree in industrial Hygiene or an analogous education curriculum Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) Supporting experience and/or education in chemistry or chemical engineering Extensive experience in managing HSE systems and programs in petrochemical environments
   
   PBF Energy will only consider the candidates that meet the above requirement(s). Candidates should include their salary requirements in order to be seriously considered for this position.
   
   Thanks to all candidates for being interested in careers offered at PBF Energy. Only the candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Placement agencies or third-party recruiters need not respond.
   
   PBF Energy is an equal opportunity employer. This position is subject to federally mandated drug/alcohol testing.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right industrial hygienist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your industrial hygienist job on Zippia to find and recruit industrial hygienist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with industrial hygienist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new industrial hygienist

   Once you've selected the best industrial hygienist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new industrial hygienist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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