Career profile · 19-4042
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
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.
What the work can involve
- 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.
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
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
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
- Customer and Personal Service
- Chemistry
- English Language
- Biology
- Law and Government
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
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Getting Information
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Scheduling Work and Activities
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.
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 | 36.4%08/2023 · sample 22 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Once a month or more but not every week | 31.8%08/2023 · sample 22 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 36.4%08/2023 · sample 22 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Once a year or more but not every month | 45.5%08/2023 · sample 22 |
| Spend Time Sitting | About half the time | 36.4%08/2023 · sample 22 |
| Spend Time Standing | About half the time | 54.5%08/2023 · sample 22 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Less than half the time | 52.4%08/2023 · sample 21 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 45.5%08/2023 · sample 22 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Once a week or more but not every day | 40.9%08/2023 · sample 22 |
| Work Schedules | Irregular (changes with weather conditions, production demands, or contract duration) | 63.6%08/2023 · sample 22 |
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: FishXing, Flood modeling software, HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Softdesk
- Data base user interface and query software: Database software, Microsoft Access
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat
- Electronic mail software: Email software, Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software, ESRI ArcInfo, ESRI ArcPad, ESRI ArcView
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Graphics software
- Internet browser software: Web browser software
- Map creation software: Geomechanical design analysis GDA software, Trimble GPS Pathfinder Office
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
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 science and protection technicians, including health
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 50 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $45,000 | $21.64 | 410 |
| Alaska | $55,220 | $26.55 | 440 |
| Arizona | $57,800 | $27.79 | 590 |
| Arkansas | $48,390 | $23.26 | 160 |
| California | $61,220 | $29.43 | 6,010 |
| Colorado | $60,930 | $29.30 | 740 |
| Connecticut | $66,120 | $31.79 | Not published |
| Delaware | $45,720 | $21.98 | 150 |
| Florida | $48,840 | $23.48 | 2,090 |
| Georgia | $48,050 | $23.10 | 1,110 |
| Hawaii | $57,010 | $27.41 | 260 |
| Idaho | $55,420 | $26.65 | 200 |
| Illinois | $59,930 | $28.81 | 980 |
| Indiana | $49,020 | $23.57 | 780 |
| Iowa | $52,020 | $25.01 | 470 |
| Kansas | $47,880 | $23.02 | 340 |
| Kentucky | $46,840 | $22.52 | 560 |
| Louisiana | Not published | Not published | 300 |
| Maine | $51,820 | $24.91 | 150 |
| Maryland | $55,090 | $26.49 | 580 |
| Massachusetts | $59,330 | $28.52 | 330 |
| Michigan | $51,290 | $24.66 | 600 |
| Minnesota | $65,320 | $31.41 | 450 |
| Mississippi | $35,010 | $16.83 | 250 |
| Missouri | $50,340 | $24.20 | 380 |
| Montana | $60,550 | $29.11 | 70 |
| Nebraska | $66,240 | $31.85 | 140 |
| Nevada | $60,370 | $29.03 | 390 |
| New Hampshire | $54,080 | $26.00 | 80 |
| New Jersey | $52,190 | $25.09 | 830 |
| New Mexico | $62,330 | $29.97 | 500 |
| New York | $62,400 | $30.00 | 1,960 |
| North Carolina | $51,630 | $24.82 | 1,100 |
| North Dakota | $61,430 | $29.53 | 140 |
| Ohio | $56,070 | $26.96 | 770 |
| Oklahoma | $48,090 | $23.12 | 360 |
| Oregon | $58,950 | $28.34 | 440 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,650 | $29.16 | 1,180 |
| Rhode Island | $64,830 | $31.17 | 90 |
| South Carolina | $48,700 | $23.41 | 500 |
| South Dakota | $44,180 | $21.24 | 60 |
| Tennessee | $56,960 | $27.39 | 320 |
| Texas | $50,710 | $24.38 | 3,350 |
| Utah | $58,240 | $28.00 | 270 |
| Vermont | $55,090 | $26.49 | 50 |
| Virginia | $49,430 | $23.77 | 1,450 |
| Washington | $67,160 | $32.29 | 850 |
| West Virginia | $52,590 | $25.28 | 750 |
| Wisconsin | $55,290 | $26.58 | 380 |
| Wyoming | $49,440 | $23.77 | 150 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 194 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 Engineering Technologists and Technicians→
- 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: 19-4042.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.