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Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure

What they do

Apply theory and principles of environmental engineering to modify, test, and operate equipment and devices used in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental problems, including waste treatment and site remediation, under the direction of engineering staff or scientists. May assist in the development of environmental remediation devices.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $59,920 Median per year · $28.81/hr Most earn $39,910–$96,660

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Record laboratory or field data, including numerical data, test results, photographs, or summaries of visual observations.
  • Decontaminate or test field equipment used to clean or test pollutants from soil, air, or water.
  • Evaluate and select technologies to clean up polluted sites, restore polluted air, water, or soil, or rehabilitate degraded ecosystems.
  • Maintain project logbook records or computer program files.
  • Prepare permit applications or review compliance with environmental permits.
  • Maintain process parameters and evaluate process anomalies.

Job outlook

United States
3% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 1,100 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Engineering services32.6%
  • Management, scientific, and technical consulting services15.7%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals9.6%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals7.7%
  • Remediation and other waste management services7.5%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

You can often get into this career with a bachelor's degree, and most people spend about 1 to 2 years in a related entry-level job first. It's a good fit if you like hands-on lab or field work and want to help clean up pollution.

  1. Bachelor's degree in environmental science, environmental engineering, or a related science

    4 years

    You learn the basics of chemistry, water and soil science, and how pollution is measured and controlled, which is the foundation for hands-on technical work.

  2. Environmental Science and Protection Technician

    1-2 years

    You collect samples, run tests, and help monitor sites under the direction of senior staff, building the hands-on experience employers look for.

  3. Environmental Engineering Technologist and Technician

    Ongoing

    You apply environmental engineering principles to operate and test treatment equipment and help with waste treatment and site remediation work under engineers or scientists.

Where it can lead

  1. Environmental Scientist

    2-4 years of experience first

    You take on more independent investigation, data analysis, and reporting, and you often guide technicians rather than only doing the testing yourself.

  2. Environmental Engineer

    Several years in technical work of experience first

    You design treatment systems and remediation plans; moving up usually means more engineering coursework or training and gaining professional licensing.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take chemistry, biology, and mathStrong science and math skills are the base for everything you'll learn in an environmental degree.
  • Join a science or environmental clubClubs give you practice with experiments, teamwork, and projects you can talk about later.
  • Enter a science fair or engineering competitionA project about water quality, recycling, or pollution gives you real problem-solving experience and something to show colleges.
  • Volunteer for a local river, park, or beach cleanupIt shows you what environmental work looks like in the real world and builds your interest and your resume.
  • Get a starter job or volunteer role at a garden center, farm, or recycling centerWorking with equipment, samples, or site maintenance builds hands-on skills and reliability.

In college

  • Major in environmental science or environmental engineeringA degree in one of these fields is the most common route into environmental technical work and gives you the core knowledge employers expect.
  • Take lab, chemistry, and statistics coursesHands-on lab skills and data analysis are what you'll use most in sampling, testing, and reporting.
  • Pursue a summer internship with an environmental firm, lab, or utilityField and lab experience while you're still a student makes you a stronger candidate for entry-level jobs.
  • Work a campus job in a research or sustainability labLab or facilities work gives you practical experience with equipment and lets you build relationships with professors who can write references.
  • Join an environmental or engineering student organizationThese groups offer networking, competitions, and a way to meet people working in the field.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for summer or part-time work with environmental labs, water utilities, or consulting firms to get hands-on experience before you graduate.
  • Get comfortable with lab safety, sampling methods, and basic data tools like spreadsheets, since these show up in most technician job ads.
  • Talk to people already working as environmental technicians to learn what their days look like and what skills they wish they'd built earlier.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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