Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
US occupation · SOC 19-4042
Job titles people report: Environmental Health Officer (EHO), Environmental Technician (Environmental Tech), Industrial Pretreatment Program Specialist (IPP Specialist), Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician), Public Health Sanitarian, Sanitarian, Sanitarian Specialist, Soil Lab Technician (Soil Laboratory Technician), Water Quality Analyst, Water Quality Specialist
Pay and outlook
- Median annual wage, May 2025
- $55,090
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Middle half earn
- $45,820 – $69,910
- 25th to 75th percentile
- People employed, May 2025
- 34,670
- Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)
- Projected change, 2025–35
- +6.9%
- At or above the all-jobs rate (3.5% to under 7%)
- Openings a year (projected)
- 5,300
- New jobs plus replacing people who leave
- Typical education to enter
- Associate's degree
- BLS
- All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
- Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
- Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.
What the work involves
Perform laboratory and field tests to monitor the environment and investigate sources of pollution, including those that affect health, under the direction of an environmental scientist, engineer, or other specialist. May collect samples of gases, soil, water, and other materials for testing.
Main tasks
- Collect samples of gases, soils, water, industrial wastewater, or asbestos products to conduct tests on pollutant levels or identify sources of pollution.
- Investigate hazardous conditions or spills or outbreaks of disease or food poisoning, collecting samples for analysis.
- Record test data and prepare reports, summaries, or charts that interpret test results.
- Prepare samples or photomicrographs for testing and analysis.
- Discuss test results and analyses with customers.
- Inspect workplaces to ensure the absence of health and safety hazards, such as high noise levels, radiation, or potential lighting hazards.
- Weigh, analyze, or measure collected sample particles, such as lead, coal dust, or rock, to determine concentration of pollutants.
- Calibrate microscopes or test instruments.
Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.
Getting in
- Typical education to enter (BLS)
- Associate's degree
- O*NET Job Zone 4
- Considerable preparation
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Interests it suits
The strongest of the six O*NET interest types for this occupation, highest first. The short glosses are ours.
- Realistic: hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
- Investigative: research, analysis and solving problems with ideas
- Conventional: organising information, records and procedures
Fields of study that lead here
From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 11 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.
Biology & Life Sciences
- Environmental Toxicology
Find colleges that fit you with our matcher: choose Biology & Life Sciences at the Major step.
Where many students take biology & life sciences
- University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla, CA · 20% of degrees · 34,948 undergraduates
- Arizona State University Campus ImmersionTempe, AZ · 10% of degrees · 64,674 undergraduates
- Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, TX · 10% of degrees · 59,615 undergraduates
- University of California-DavisDavis, CA · 18% of degrees · 32,253 undergraduates
- University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA · 17% of degrees · 33,475 undergraduates
- Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI · 13% of degrees · 40,922 undergraduates
Ordered by the field's share of degrees awarded times undergraduate enrolment (College Scorecard), among colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates. Online universities are included. It's a rough measure of how big the programme is. It says nothing about quality. The share counts every programme in the field, not only the ones linked to this career.
Physics & Chemistry
- Environmental Chemistry
Find colleges that fit you with our matcher: choose Physics & Chemistry at the Major step.
Where many students take physics & chemistry
- University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, CA · 3% of degrees · 33,068 undergraduates
- Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUniversity Park, PA · 2% of degrees · 42,284 undergraduates
- University of FloridaGainesville, FL · 3% of degrees · 35,629 undergraduates
- The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX · 2% of degrees · 42,855 undergraduates
- University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, WA · 3% of degrees · 31,942 undergraduates
- Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, TX · 2% of degrees · 59,615 undergraduates
Ordered by the field's share of degrees awarded times undergraduate enrolment (College Scorecard), among colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates. Online universities are included. It's a rough measure of how big the programme is. It says nothing about quality. The share counts every programme in the field, not only the ones linked to this career.
Environmental Studies
- Environmental Science
Find colleges that fit you with our matcher: choose Environmental Studies at the Major step.
Where many students take environmental studies
- Unity Environmental UniversityNew Gloucester, ME · 39% of degrees · 6,483 undergraduates
- Southern New Hampshire UniversityManchester, NH · 2% of degrees · 163,164 undergraduates
- Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR · 7% of degrees · 30,743 undergraduates
- University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, CA · 5% of degrees · 33,068 undergraduates
- University of VermontBurlington, VT · 13% of degrees · 11,743 undergraduates
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointStevens Point, WI · 19% of degrees · 7,306 undergraduates
Ordered by the field's share of degrees awarded times undergraduate enrolment (College Scorecard), among colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates. Online universities are included. It's a rough measure of how big the programme is. It says nothing about quality. The share counts every programme in the field, not only the ones linked to this career.
Other fields
Our college matcher doesn't offer these fields as a major, so we can't suggest colleges for them here.
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
- Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician
- Environmental/Environmental Engineering Technology/Technician
- Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Sustainability Studies
- Environmental Geosciences
- Geography and Environmental Studies
Science Technologies/Technicians
- Physical Science Technologies/Technicians, Other
- Science Technologies/Technicians, Other
Related careers
Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.
- Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
$59,920 median · +3.1% projected
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
$82,220 median · +6.1% projected
- Environmental Engineers
$107,110 median · +6.3% projected
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
$60,020 median · -5.7% projected
- Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians
$53,350 median · +3.6% projected
- Conservation Scientists
$73,010 median · +5.3% projected
Sources
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CollegeMatcher has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET 31.0 Database · CC BY 4.0
Changes: we show the core tasks in the O*NET database with the highest importance ratings (up to eight, in that order), the top three O*NET interest types by score, and shortened Job Zone names. Titles, descriptions and task text are unchanged.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Projections, typical entry education and training: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Fields of study: NCES and BLS CIP 2020–SOC 2018 Crosswalk. All public domain. OEWS · Employment Projections · CIP–SOC crosswalk