Career profile · 17-3025
Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
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.
What the work can involve
- Prepare and package environmental samples for shipping or testing.
- Assist in the cleanup of hazardous material spills.
- Perform environmental quality work in field or office settings.
- Receive, set up, test, or decontaminate equipment.
- Inspect facilities to monitor compliance with regulations governing substances, such as asbestos, lead, or wastewater.
- Maintain project logbook records or computer program files.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This O*NET group commonly calls for substantial preparation, often including a bachelor’s degree or considerable relevant experience. An introductory vocational course alone may not provide an entry route.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Chemistry
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Getting Information
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
- Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician81 institutions →
- Environmental/Environmental Engineering Technology/Technician53 institutions →
- Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician32 institutions →
- Hazardous Materials Information Systems Technology/Technician2 institutions →
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 60.1%07/2014 · sample 34 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Once a year or more but not every month | 36.4%07/2014 · sample 34 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 52.2%07/2014 · sample 34 |
| Spend Time Sitting | More than half the time | 46.1%07/2014 · sample 34 |
| Spend Time Standing | Less than half the time | 64.6%07/2014 · sample 34 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Less than half the time | 39.1%07/2014 · sample 34 |
| Time Pressure | Once a month or more but not every week | 56.8%07/2014 · sample 34 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 32.2%07/2014 · sample 34 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 70.6%07/2014 · sample 34 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Analytical or scientific software: ANSYS simulation software, Air dispersion modeling software, DHI Water and Environment MIKE SHE, Ecological risk assessment software
- Categorization or classification software: GAEA Technologies WinSieve
- Compliance software: Continuous emission management software, Environmental health and safety documentation software, Greenhouse gas management software, Hazardous materials management HMS software
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D, Bentley MicroStation, Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
- Data base user interface and query software: Database software, Microsoft Access, Structure query language SQL
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe PageMaker
- Development environment software: Formula translation/translator FORTRAN, National Instruments LabVIEW
- Document management software: Gel documentation software, Microsoft SharePoint Server
- Electronic mail software: Email software, Microsoft Outlook
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software, Geographic information system GIS software, Geographic information system GIS systems
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Photogrammetric software
- Industrial control software: Fugitive emission leak detection software
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for environmental engineering technologists and technicians
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Associate's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- None
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 47 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $60,170 | $28.93 | 230 |
| Alaska | $77,860 | $37.43 | 40 |
| Arizona | $65,420 | $31.45 | 190 |
| Arkansas | $45,290 | $21.78 | 200 |
| California | $60,010 | $28.85 | 2,060 |
| Colorado | $60,740 | $29.20 | Not published |
| Connecticut | Not published | Not published | 80 |
| Delaware | Not published | Not published | 80 |
| Florida | $51,970 | $24.99 | 420 |
| Georgia | $60,500 | $29.09 | 670 |
| Hawaii | $51,810 | $24.91 | 50 |
| Idaho | $62,240 | $29.92 | 80 |
| Illinois | $51,540 | $24.78 | 80 |
| Indiana | $53,110 | $25.54 | 130 |
| Iowa | $58,690 | $28.22 | 80 |
| Kansas | $59,420 | $28.57 | Not published |
| Kentucky | $61,470 | $29.55 | 200 |
| Louisiana | $60,840 | $29.25 | 100 |
| Maine | $64,660 | $31.09 | Not published |
| Maryland | $67,510 | $32.46 | 250 |
| Massachusetts | $66,860 | $32.14 | 320 |
| Michigan | $50,800 | $24.42 | 220 |
| Minnesota | $60,110 | $28.90 | 50 |
| Mississippi | $36,680 | $17.63 | 100 |
| Missouri | Not published | Not published | 180 |
| Montana | $58,870 | $28.31 | 80 |
| Nebraska | $54,690 | $26.29 | 40 |
| Nevada | $75,330 | $36.22 | 70 |
| New Hampshire | $39,880 | $19.17 | Not published |
| New Jersey | $60,740 | $29.20 | 400 |
| New Mexico | $61,170 | $29.41 | 130 |
| New York | $62,540 | $30.07 | 470 |
| North Carolina | $53,660 | $25.80 | 120 |
| Ohio | $51,830 | $24.92 | 630 |
| Oklahoma | $61,900 | $29.76 | 370 |
| Oregon | $80,770 | $38.83 | 140 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,920 | $28.81 | 250 |
| South Carolina | $63,200 | $30.39 | 220 |
| South Dakota | $53,960 | $25.94 | 40 |
| Tennessee | $80,100 | $38.51 | 450 |
| Texas | $57,150 | $27.48 | 1,240 |
| Utah | $60,410 | $29.04 | 120 |
| Virginia | $52,330 | $25.16 | Not published |
| Washington | $100,050 | $48.10 | 270 |
| West Virginia | $47,650 | $22.91 | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $49,190 | $23.65 | 310 |
| Wyoming | Not published | Not published | 60 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 78 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health→
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers→
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
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 CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 17-3025.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.