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The differences between industrial hygienists and safety officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an industrial hygienist, becoming a safety officer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an industrial hygienist has an average salary of $68,173, which is higher than the $46,336 average annual salary of a safety officer.
The top three skills for an industrial hygienist include OSHA, environmental health and indoor air quality. The most important skills for a safety officer are OSHA, patients, and patrol.
| Industrial Hygienist | Safety Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $68,173 | $46,336 |
| Hourly rate | $32.78 | $22.28 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 23,048 | 68,487 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
An Industrial Hygienist plans and conducts health programs to educate employees about cleanliness, safety, and sanitation in the workplace. They investigate adequacy of ventilation, exhaust equipment, lighting, and other conditions that can affect employees' health, comfort, or efficiency.
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 hygienists and safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Industrial Hygienist | Safety Officer | |
| Average salary | $68,173 | $46,336 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $102,000 | Between $29,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Louisiana | New York |
| Best paying company | Exxon Mobil | Amgen |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Government |
There are a few differences between an industrial hygienist and a safety officer in terms of educational background:
| Industrial Hygienist | Safety Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | 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 hygienists' and safety officers' demographics:
| Industrial Hygienist | Safety Officer | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.0% Female, 26.0% | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 9.8% White, 69.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 4% | 7% |