Also called: Hazmat Technician, Asbestos Abatement Worker, Remediation Technician
Removes asbestos, lead, toxic chemicals, and contaminated soil while wearing protective suits.
Dressed in a Tyvek suit and respirator, you seal off a room with plastic, carefully remove asbestos insulation, and bag it for disposal. On other jobs you dig up contaminated soil or clean up after a meth lab or flood.
Nuclear site decommissioning work pays more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 0 years after high school. High school plus federally required training (HAZWOPER, asbestos, or lead certification).
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). Estimate.
Low risk for 10 years. Robots help on a few tough jobs, but suiting up to remove asbestos, lead and toxic waste stays human.
Age 18+. One way to start: Take a 40-hour HAZWOPER or 4-day asbestos worker course, then apply to abatement and remediation contractors First: HAZWOPER 40-hour or state asbestos/lead worker certificate (about 1 week)
Classes: Chemistry, Construction CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 47-4041.
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.