What Is an Industrial Hygienist and What Do They Do?

Key takeaways

Industrial hygienists assess workplace and environmental hazards to build strategies for managing or eliminating risks to workers’ health and safety.

• Industrial hygienists may also work toward anticipating and planning for threats.

• Many industrial hygienists have master's degrees or doctorates in industrial hygiene or a related field.

• You can enhance your career prospects as an industrial hygienist by earning the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) credential.

Gain insights into the job responsibilities, skill set, and earning potential of an industrial hygienist. Afterward, consider enrolling in Johns Hopkins Medical Office Manager Professional Certificate to learn how to implement quality and safety programs to ensure high-quality health care delivery and promote a culture of safety.

What is an industrial hygienist?

As an occupational hygienist, you'll use science to assess environmental and workplace hazards and develop and implement strategies to control or eliminate worker risks. Some industrial hygienists work more on anticipating and planning for threats, and some work more on reparatory interventions and management of risks to improve workplace processes, protocols, and protection. Some of the primary duties you'll do in this job role are:

• Conducting exposure assessments to determine if workers are at risk

• Recommending ways to control or eliminate exposure to hazardous materials

• Designing and implementing industrial hygiene programs

• Training workers to protect themselves from exposure to hazards

• Researching the health effects of exposure to hazardous materials

Workplace hazards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines workplace hazards as physical, chemical, biological, or ergonomic [1].

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a direct work process assessment by a qualified and licensed worker is the most effective way to identify workplace hazards[1]. Potential hazards are present in nearly every work environment, and you need to identify and address potential hazards to protect your employees. Some common workplace hazards include:

• Slips, trips, and falls

• Electrical hazards

• Working with hazardous chemicals and biological hazards 

• Exposure to dust, fumes, and other airborne particles

• Noise exposure

• Ergonomic hazards and musculoskeletal disorders

• Inadequate ventilation

• Poor lighting

• Psychological hazards

By understanding the risks associated with each type of hazard, you can take steps to protect yourself and your coworkers from harm. An industrial hygienist's work involves an ongoing risk assessment and mitigation process.

How to become an industrial hygienist

As an industrial hygienist, you'll need a strong understanding of science to understand and evaluate data. You'll communicate effectively with other scientists, engineers, and stakeholders to develop solutions to health and safety problems. You’ll need the skills to identify and assess hazardous materials, establish safety protocols, monitor work environments, and investigate incidents. Here are some more competencies that may help you succeed:

• Communication skills

• Organization skills

• Critical thinking skills

• Interpersonal skills

• Active listening skills

• Detail-oriented

• Able to work independently

• Time management skills

• Research skills

• Testing skills

• An ethical approach to work

• Presentation skills

• Data analysis skills

• Investigative skills

• Problem-solving skills

Read more: How to Develop Your Problem-Solving Skills

Industrial hygiene degrees

To get a job as an industrial hygienist, you'll typically need a bachelor's degree in industrial hygiene or a related field, such as engineering, biology, chemistry, or physics. Without a college degree, you'll typically only qualify for entry-level occupational health roles, such as assistant and technician positions. Many industrial hygienists have master's degrees or doctorates in industrial hygiene or a related field.

Earn the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) certification

In addition, many industrial hygienists earn the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) credential, offered by the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC), which was previously the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH).

CIH is the global standard for industrial hygiene certification.

Industrial hygienist salary

The median total pay for industrial hygienist jobs is $113,000 annually [2]. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation. Job growth for industrial hygienists is expected to be much faster than the average for other careers in the coming years, with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a growth rate of 12 percent between 2024 and 2034 [3].

The following are some of the job titles you may encounter when searching for industrial hygienist jobs, along with their median total annual pay:

• Health and safety specialist: $79,000 [4]

• Occupational health and safety officer: $133,000 [5]

• Ergonomics specialist: $100,000 [6]

• Hazardous materials inspector: $84,000 [7]

• Industrial safety engineer: $134,000 [8]

• Industrial hygiene manager: $96,000 [9]

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of October 2025. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Where are industrial hygienist jobs?

Industrial hygienists typically find jobs in industries where potential health hazards are prevalent. As an industrial hygienist, you might work in a setting involving manufacturing, chemical processing, or construction, or you may work in research. Here are some of the places industrial hygienists typically work:

• Colleges and universities

• Consulting firms

• Federal, state, county, and municipal government

• Hospitals and medical centers

• Industrial settings, such as oil and gas, manufacturers, agriculture, transport and logistics

• Insurance companies

• Laboratories

• Public utility companies

• Research institutions

Career progression for an industrial hygienist

With around two years of experience, junior industrial hygienists can earn a promotion to senior or supervising industrial hygienists. Each step at higher levels in the profession can take about eight years. Some industrial hygienists pursue advanced degrees, which can enhance their employability for mid or senior-level roles or lead to careers in teaching or research.

Another increasingly popular alternative to a salaried industrial hygienist role is for you to move into consulting. In addition to the financial reward of excellent consulting rates, consultancy can give you more freedom to plan your work hours and vacation time.

Explore our free resources for industrial hygienists

Join Career Chat, Coursera’s LinkedIn newsletter, for weekly updates on in-demand skills, tools, and certifications. Check out these other helpful resources:

• Watch on YouTube: Introduction to Security & Safety Challenges in a Globalized World by Universiteit Leiden

• Get expert tips: Reimagining Work and Learning with AI: Expert Insights from Dr. Jules White

• Learn practical skills: AI Problem-Solving Tactics: Expert Insights from Vanderbilt’s Dr. Jules White

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