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Plant safety engineer vs industrial hygienist

The differences between plant 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 a plant safety engineer and an industrial hygienist. Additionally, a plant safety engineer has an average salary of $86,305, which is higher than the $68,173 average annual salary of an industrial hygienist.

The top three skills for a plant safety engineer include OSHA, safety policies and safety inspections. The most important skills for an industrial hygienist are OSHA, environmental health, and indoor air quality.

Plant safety engineer vs industrial hygienist overview

Plant Safety EngineerIndustrial Hygienist
Yearly salary$86,305$68,173
Hourly rate$41.49$32.78
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs23,55823,048
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

Plant safety engineer vs industrial hygienist salary

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

Plant Safety EngineerIndustrial Hygienist
Average salary$86,305$68,173
Salary rangeBetween $53,000 And $139,000Between $45,000 And $102,000
Highest paying City-Berkeley, CA
Highest paying state-Louisiana
Best paying company-Exxon Mobil
Best paying industry-Energy

Differences between plant safety engineer and industrial hygienist education

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

Plant Safety EngineerIndustrial Hygienist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringPublic Health
Most common collegeUniversity of ConnecticutDuke University

Plant safety engineer vs industrial hygienist demographics

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

Plant Safety EngineerIndustrial Hygienist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 93.5% Female, 6.5%Male, 74.0% Female, 26.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 9.6% White, 69.2% 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 plant safety engineer and industrial hygienist duties and responsibilities

Plant safety engineer example responsibilities.

  • Lead cross functional team on FMEA analysis, root cause analysis to improve the existing process.
  • Facilitate OSHA training for all power plant employees and outside contractors.
  • Participate on ZCLP PSM audit teams that conduct compliance audits in Texas, Mississippi and Kentucky manufacturing sites.
  • Develop and coordinate departmental ergonomics project that contribute to equipment design changes, business system modifications and revise employee work habits.
  • Confine space training and monitoring, HazMat plans and decontamination procedures when require.

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

Plant safety engineer vs industrial hygienist skills

Common plant safety engineer skills
  • OSHA, 27%
  • Safety Policies, 15%
  • Safety Inspections, 10%
  • PPE, 8%
  • Safety Engineering, 6%
  • Safety Program, 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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