Also called: Environmental Specialist, Environmental Consultant
Investigates pollution in soil, water, and air, and recommends how to fix it.
You might spend the morning at an old dry cleaner collecting soil samples while a drill rig works, then write a report on whether the site is safe to build housing. Some days are muddy fieldwork, others are data and writing.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in environmental science, biology, chemistry, or geology.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry, Geology.
Growing faster than average (about 6% over 10 years). 2025-35 projection.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI drafts reports and analyzes data, squeezing desk work; field investigations and expert judgment stay human.
Classes: Chemistry, Biology, Statistics, Earth science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2041.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.