Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between safety directors 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 safety director and an industrial hygienist. Additionally, a safety director has an average salary of $85,687, which is higher than the $68,173 average annual salary of an industrial hygienist.
The top three skills for a safety director include OSHA, DOT and safety procedures. The most important skills for an industrial hygienist are OSHA, environmental health, and indoor air quality.
| Safety Director | Industrial Hygienist | |
| Yearly salary | $85,687 | $68,173 |
| Hourly rate | $41.20 | $32.78 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 19,507 | 23,048 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A safety director is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the business and its employees, enforcing strict safety standards, and facilitating safety drills and programs to avoid potential hazards within the office's premises. Safety directors inspect the building's premises, including the office's equipment and other systems, and perform immediate actions even for the smallest inconsistencies. They also create incident and audit reports to discuss with the management and implement or adjust regulations as needed.
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 directors and industrial hygienists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Safety Director | Industrial Hygienist | |
| Average salary | $85,687 | $68,173 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $131,000 | Between $45,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Louisiana |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Exxon Mobil |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Energy |
There are a few differences between a safety director and an industrial hygienist in terms of educational background:
| Safety Director | Industrial Hygienist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Public Health |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between safety directors' and industrial hygienists' demographics:
| Safety Director | Industrial Hygienist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.8% Female, 20.2% | Male, 74.0% Female, 26.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 9.7% White, 69.6% 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 Percentage | 4% | 4% |