Career
Environmental engineering technologists and technicians
Help engineers prevent and clean up pollution.
$59,920
Median pay
+3.1%
Job growth, 2025–35
1,100
Openings a year
Associate's degree
Typical education
2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then ideas & analysis?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Prepare and package environmental samples for shipping or testing.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Active Learning.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
2 years of education after high school (associate's degree), for a median of $59,920 a year and 1,100 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0506
- Environmental/Environmental Engineering Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0507
- Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0508
- Hazardous Materials Information Systems Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0704
- Environmental ToxicologyCIP 26.1006
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health$55,090 · +6.9%
- Environmental Engineers$107,110 · +6.3%
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$82,220 · +6.1%
- Environmental Compliance Inspectors
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$60,020 · -5.7%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.