Best Careers: Environmental Science Technician

The rundown:

As an environmental technician, you'll probably spend much of your time outside testing for pollution and monitoring resources. Very often it's your job to support an environmental scientist, either by collecting samples of water or soil to test for contamination or by determining the source of the contamination. You may work on the repair or improvement of sanitation systems, to track compliance with evolving environmental regulations, or to help in the management of hazardous materials.

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The outlook:

Environmental science and protection technicians held about 35,000 jobs in 2008, mostly with state and local governments but also with private firms. You can expect job opportunities to grow much faster than average, thanks to a growing interest in pollution control, and public and private efforts to clean up contamination sites. Employment should grow by 10,100 jobs, or 29 percent, by 2018, according to the Labor Department.

Money:

Median annual earnings were $40,790 in 2009, the Labor Department reported. The highest paid 10 percent made more than $65,000, while the lowest paid 10 percent made less than $27,000. Techs received some of the highest wages from waste management companies and power companies.

Upward mobility:

There's a fairly traditional trajectory for environmental technicians. You start out working under the guidance and tutelage of a scientist or supervisor, and over time, you could become a supervisor.

Activity level:

Pretty high. While some of your research is done in a lab, much of it requires working outside, in the field.

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Stress level:

Variable. Most of your testing and sampling is routine, but you sometimes work with hazardous materials.

Education and preparation:

An associate's degree or certificate in applied science is ideal for landing an entry-level position as an environmental tech. Some techs might receive on-the-job training in addition to a high school diploma, but most earn an associate degree in science technology.

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Real advice from real people about landing a job as an environmental science technician:

Measuring emissions requires a background in math and science, as well as solid computer and data-analysis skills. You will need to keep track of and communicate how well companies meet environmental regulations. "Meeting both compliance and production is a great challenge. I serve as a beat cop in the mill as far as the enforcement of regulations. I have to work with people to come up with solutions that achieve compliance with environmental regulations." — Lawrence Phillips, an environmental control manager for Finch Paper

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