Also called: Environmental Technician, Field Sampling Technician
Collects soil, water, and air samples in the field and operates monitoring equipment.
You pull up to a gas station in a truck full of gear, measure groundwater depth in monitoring wells, pump out samples into chilled bottles, and log everything. Then it's on to the next site. Great entry point to environmental careers.
Environmental science and protection technicians.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. Associate degree in environmental technology or a science; 40-hour HAZWOPER safety training.
Ways in: 2-year college, Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Environmental Technology, Environmental Science.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Environmental science and protection technicians.
Medium risk for 10 years. Remote sensors and drones collect more samples automatically; fieldwork remains, but fewer techs per site.
Classes: Chemistry, Earth science, Biology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-4042.
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