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Safety coordinator vs industrial hygienist

The differences between safety coordinators and industrial hygienists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a safety coordinator, becoming an industrial hygienist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an industrial hygienist has an average salary of $68,173, which is higher than the $61,604 average annual salary of a safety coordinator.

The top three skills for a safety coordinator include OSHA, safety procedures and safety program. The most important skills for an industrial hygienist are OSHA, environmental health, and indoor air quality.

Safety coordinator vs industrial hygienist overview

Safety CoordinatorIndustrial Hygienist
Yearly salary$61,604$68,173
Hourly rate$29.62$32.78
Growth rate6%4%
Number of jobs22,11223,048
Job satisfaction3-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4542
Years of experience62

What does a safety coordinator do?

A safety coordinator is responsible for monitoring and evaluating daily operations and planning procedures to mitigate risks and improve safety regulations. Safety coordinators inspect building premises, individual workstations, as well as common areas to ensure that the arrangements are compliant with federal and state law safety protocols. They also conduct safety training and orientations to promote safety codes for each employee's practice. A safety coordinator also assesses the company's equipment and machinery to ensure its safety for everyone's use.

What does an industrial hygienist do?

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.

Safety coordinator vs industrial hygienist salary

Safety coordinators and industrial hygienists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Safety CoordinatorIndustrial Hygienist
Average salary$61,604$68,173
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $94,000Between $45,000 And $102,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYBerkeley, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaLouisiana
Best paying companyKoppersExxon Mobil
Best paying industryEnergyEnergy

Differences between safety coordinator and industrial hygienist education

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

Safety CoordinatorIndustrial Hygienist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorBusinessPublic Health
Most common collegeStanford UniversityDuke University

Safety coordinator vs industrial hygienist demographics

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

Safety CoordinatorIndustrial Hygienist
Average age4542
Gender ratioMale, 71.8% Female, 28.2%Male, 74.0% Female, 26.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%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 Percentage7%4%

Differences between safety coordinator and industrial hygienist duties and responsibilities

Safety coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Identify and minimize hazardous conditions, oversee accident prevention and remediation activities, and manage logistical operations of all HAZMAT carriers.
  • Authore corporate safety policies and programs ensuring compliance with OSHA and EPA regulatory requirements.
  • Develop EHS training/policies and facilitates require training including new hire safety training and orientation.
  • Train store/outlet personnel how to conduct operational loss prevention and OSHA safety audits and submit quarterly reports.
  • Collaborate with corporate EHS department on developing facility and procedure EHS protocols in accordance with OSHA standards and regulations.
  • Maintain worker training schedules and complete all require documentation train LOTO for classroom and machine specifics.
  • Show more

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

Safety coordinator vs industrial hygienist skills

Common safety coordinator skills
  • OSHA, 14%
  • Safety Procedures, 6%
  • Safety Program, 5%
  • Safety Audits, 4%
  • Safety Training, 4%
  • Corrective Action, 4%
Common industrial hygienist skills
  • OSHA, 10%
  • Environmental Health, 8%
  • Indoor Air Quality, 5%
  • Ventilation, 5%
  • Respirators, 4%
  • Corrective Action, 4%

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