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>Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
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.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $29K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $35K
Median Salary: $46K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $60K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $80K
Demand
Core Tasks
Discuss test results and analyses with customers.
Record test data and prepare reports, summaries, or charts that interpret test results.
Develop or implement programs for monitoring of environmental pollution or radiation.
Investigate hazardous conditions or spills or outbreaks of disease or food poisoning, collecting samples for analysis.
Calibrate microscopes or test instruments.
Provide information or technical or program assistance to government representatives, employers, or the general public on the issues of public health, environmental protection, or workplace safety.
Direct activities of workers in laboratory.
Collect samples of gases, soils, water, industrial wastewater, or asbestos products to conduct tests on pollutant levels or identify sources of pollution.
Monitor emission control devices to ensure they are operating properly and comply with state and federal regulations.
Inspect sanitary conditions at public facilities.
Examine and analyze material for presence and concentration of contaminants, such as asbestos, using variety of microscopes.
Inspect workplaces to ensure the absence of health and safety hazards, such as high noise levels, radiation, or potential lighting hazards.
Develop or implement site recycling or hazardous waste stream programs.
Initiate procedures to close down or fine establishments violating environmental or health regulations.
Weigh, analyze, or measure collected sample particles, such as lead, coal dust, or rock, to determine concentration of pollutants.
Analyze potential environmental impacts of production process changes, and recommend steps to mitigate negative impacts.
Determine amounts and kinds of chemicals to use in destroying harmful organisms or removing impurities from purification systems.
Make recommendations to control or eliminate unsafe conditions at workplaces or public facilities.
Perform statistical analysis of environmental data.
Prepare samples or photomicrographs for testing and analysis.
Set up equipment or stations to monitor and collect pollutants from sites, such as smoke stacks, manufacturing plants, or mechanical equipment.
Distribute permits, closure plans, or cleanup plans.
Maintain files, such as hazardous waste databases, chemical usage data, personnel exposure information, or diagrams showing equipment locations.
Develop testing procedures.
Calculate amount of pollutant in samples or compute air pollution or gas flow in industrial processes, using chemical and mathematical formulas.
Conduct standardized tests to ensure materials or supplies used throughout power supply systems meet processing and safety specifications.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
English Language
82%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Biology
79%
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Law and Government
75%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Mathematics
73%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Chemistry
72%
Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Customer and Personal Service
72%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Engineering and Technology
69%
Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Computers and Electronics
68%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Communications and Media
66%
Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Geography
66%
Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
80%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
78%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
78%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking
75%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Science
73%
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Writing
73%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Complex Problem Solving
68%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making
65%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring
65%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness
65%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension
80%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral Expression
78%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity
78%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Deductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Written Expression
75%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Inductive Reasoning
73%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Near Vision
73%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Clarity
73%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Information Ordering
70%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Top 10 Work Activities
Documenting/Recording Information
89%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Getting Information
89%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
84%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Interacting With Computers
84%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
83%
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
79%
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
79%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
78%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
77%
Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
77%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Detailed Work Activities
Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.
Record research or operational data.
Collect environmental data or samples.
Advise others on matters of public policy.
Calibrate scientific or technical equipment.
Advise others on business or operational matters.
Inspect areas for compliance with sanitation standards.
Prepare biological samples for testing or analysis.
Determine methods to minimize environmental impact of activities.
Confer with clients to exchange information.
Analyze environmental data.
Set up laboratory or field equipment.
Prepare documentation for permits or licenses.
Analyze geological samples.
Analyze chemical compounds or substances.
Test quality of materials or finished products.
Develop environmental sustainability plans or projects.
Direct natural resources management or conservation programs.
Research environmental impact of industrial or development activities.
Inspect equipment to ensure proper functioning.
Assess compliance with environmental laws.
Supervise scientific or technical personnel.
Develop environmental research methods.
Work Context
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)?
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in non-controlled environmental conditions (e.g., warehouse without heat)?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Frequency of Decision Making
How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Education
Majors
Major
Interests
Investigative
86%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Realistic
77%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional
53%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Enterprising
34%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Artistic
19%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Social
19%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Top 10 Work Styles
Integrity
95%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Dependability
88%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail
87%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Analytical Thinking
84%
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Initiative
80%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Adaptability/Flexibility
77%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Cooperation
77%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Self Control
77%
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Achievement/Effort
76%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Persistence
73%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Work Values
Achievement
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Support
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Relationships
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Recognition
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Independence
53%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions
50%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
