Environmental Science and Protection Technicians: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more

Environmental science and protection technicians monitor the environment and investigate sources of pollution and contamination, including those affecting public health.

What do Environmental Science and Protection Technicians do?

Environmental science and protection technicians typically do the following:

• Inspect establishments, including public places and businesses, to ensure that there are no environmental, health, or safety hazards
• Set up and maintain equipment used to monitor pollution levels, such as remote sensors that measure emissions from smokestacks
• Collect samples of air, soil, water, and other materials for laboratory analysis
• Clearly label, track, and ensure the integrity of samples being transported to the laboratory
• Use equipment, such as microscopes, to evaluate and analyze samples for the presence of pollutants or other contaminants
• Prepare charts and reports that summarize test results
• Discuss test results and analyses with clients
• Verify compliance with regulations that help prevent pollution

Many environmental science and protection technicians work under the supervision of environmental scientists and specialists, who direct the technicians work and evaluate their results. In addition, technicians often work on teams with scientists, engineers, and technicians in other fields to solve complex problems related to environmental degradation and public health. For example, they may work on teams with geoscientists and hydrologists to manage the cleanup of contaminated soils and ground water around an abandoned bomb-manufacturing site.

Most environmental science and protection technicians work for consulting firms, state or local governments, or testing laboratories.

In consulting firms, environmental science and protection technicians help clients monitor and manage the environment and comply with regulations. For example, they help businesses develop cleanup plans for contaminated sites, and they recommend ways to reduce, control, or eliminate pollution. Also, environmental science and protection technicians conduct feasibility studies for, and monitor the environmental impact of, new construction projects.

In state and local governments, environmental science and protection technicians inspect businesses and public places, and investigate complaints related to air quality, water quality, and food safety. They may be involved with the enforcement of environmental regulations. They also may help protect the environment and peoples health by performing environmental impact studies of new construction. Or they may evaluate the environmental health of sites that may contaminate the environment, such as abandoned industrial sites.

In testing laboratories, environmental science and protection technicians collect and track samples, and perform tests that are often similar to those carried out by chemical technicians, biological technicians, or microbiologists. However, in contrast to the work done by these science workers, that done by environmental science and protection technicians focuses on topics that are directly related to the environment and how it affects human health.

Environmental science and protection technicians typically specialize either in laboratory testing or in fieldwork and sample collection. However, it is common for laboratory technicians to occasionally collect samples from the field and for fieldworkers to do some work in a laboratory.