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Industrial safety engineer vs industrial hygienist

The differences between industrial safety engineers and industrial hygienists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an industrial safety engineer and an industrial hygienist. Additionally, an industrial safety engineer has an average salary of $80,974, which is higher than the $68,173 average annual salary of an industrial hygienist.

The top three skills for an industrial safety engineer include OSHA, fall protection and safety program. The most important skills for an industrial hygienist are OSHA, environmental health, and indoor air quality.

Industrial safety engineer vs industrial hygienist overview

Industrial Safety EngineerIndustrial Hygienist
Yearly salary$80,974$68,173
Hourly rate$38.93$32.78
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs24,07423,048
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

Industrial safety engineer vs industrial hygienist salary

Industrial safety engineers and industrial hygienists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Industrial Safety EngineerIndustrial Hygienist
Average salary$80,974$68,173
Salary rangeBetween $53,000 And $122,000Between $45,000 And $102,000
Highest paying CityPico Rivera, CABerkeley, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaLouisiana
Best paying companyTeslaExxon Mobil
Best paying industryEnergyEnergy

Differences between industrial safety engineer and industrial hygienist education

There are a few differences between an industrial safety engineer and an industrial hygienist in terms of educational background:

Industrial Safety EngineerIndustrial Hygienist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorIndustrial EngineeringPublic Health
Most common collegeGeorgia Institute of TechnologyDuke University

Industrial safety engineer vs industrial hygienist demographics

Here are the differences between industrial safety engineers' and industrial hygienists' demographics:

Industrial Safety EngineerIndustrial Hygienist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 84.6% Female, 15.4%Male, 74.0% Female, 26.0%
Race ratioBlack 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, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 9.8% White, 69.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between industrial safety engineer and industrial hygienist duties and responsibilities

Industrial safety engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage hazardous and special waste programs and profiles including audits/inspections, vendor compliance, documentation and recordkeeping.
  • Handle permitting and emissions reporting for EPA.
  • Implement industrial safety programs and requirements for machinery in the field, plant and quarry according to OSHA standards.
  • Write and implement programs as needed relate to EHS from rodent control to construction safety management and evaluation of contractors.
  • Develop and coordinate departmental ergonomics project that contribute to equipment design changes, business system modifications and revise employee work habits.
  • Coordinate and participate in identifying and evaluating HSE hazards/risks and recommend measures to reduce them.

Industrial hygienist example 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.
  • Show more

Industrial safety engineer vs industrial hygienist skills

Common industrial safety engineer skills
  • OSHA, 20%
  • Fall Protection, 9%
  • Safety Program, 8%
  • Hoisting, 6%
  • Safety Analysis, 5%
  • Safety Procedures, 5%
Common industrial hygienist skills
  • OSHA, 10%
  • Environmental Health, 8%
  • Indoor Air Quality, 5%
  • Ventilation, 5%
  • Respirators, 4%
  • Corrective Action, 4%

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