Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Also called: Environmental Engineering Assistant, Environmental Engineering Technician (Environmental Engineering Tech), Environmental Field Technician (Environmental Field Tech), Environmental Technician (Environmental Tech)Apply theory and principles of environmental engineering to modify, test, and operate equipment and devices used in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental problems, including waste treatment and site remediation, under the direction of engineering staff or scientists. May assist in the development of environmental remediation devices.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 14 of its 23 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 3.1% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 72% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $60,170 | $50,360 to $76,760 | 230 |
| Alaska | $77,860 | $72,800 to $83,980 | 40 |
| Arizona | $65,420 | $51,400 to $82,290 | 190 |
| Arkansas | $45,290 | $40,290 to $52,210 | 200 |
| California | $60,010 | $49,400 to $81,230 | 2,060 |
| Colorado | $60,740 | $48,500 to $74,920 | not published |
| Connecticut | not published | not published | 80 |
| Delaware | not published | not published | 80 |
| Florida | $51,970 | $42,110 to $60,730 | 420 |
| Georgia | $60,500 | $47,890 to $88,610 | 670 |
| Guam | $58,770 | $55,690 to $61,790 | not published |
| Hawaii | $51,810 | $51,810 to $69,760 | 50 |
| Idaho | $62,240 | $49,620 to $100,310 | 80 |
| Illinois | $51,540 | $45,250 to $65,900 | 80 |
| Indiana | $53,110 | $47,080 to $65,610 | 130 |
| Iowa | $58,690 | $56,360 to $69,150 | 80 |
| Kansas | $59,420 | $53,520 to $90,230 | not published |
| Kentucky | $61,470 | $46,660 to $72,230 | 200 |
| Louisiana | $60,840 | $39,150 to $78,970 | 100 |
| Maine | $64,660 | $61,250 to $65,150 | not published |
| Maryland | $67,510 | $59,500 to $98,810 | 250 |
| Massachusetts | $66,860 | $53,810 to $81,940 | 320 |
| Michigan | $50,800 | $47,580 to $69,990 | 220 |
| Minnesota | $60,110 | $50,510 to $76,230 | 50 |
| Mississippi | $36,680 | $36,680 to $51,790 | 100 |
| Missouri | not published | not published | 180 |
| Montana | $58,870 | $51,680 to $71,830 | 80 |
| Nebraska | $54,690 | $38,670 to $76,150 | 40 |
| Nevada | $75,330 | $62,760 to $100,730 | 70 |
| New Hampshire | $39,880 | $39,880 to $49,940 | not published |
| New Jersey | $60,740 | $56,880 to $79,350 | 400 |
| New Mexico | $61,170 | $50,470 to $80,170 | 130 |
| New York | $62,540 | $52,190 to $74,220 | 470 |
| North Carolina | $53,660 | $47,210 to $65,850 | 120 |
| Ohio | $51,830 | $45,600 to $64,790 | 630 |
| Oklahoma | $61,900 | $54,540 to $68,740 | 370 |
| Oregon | $80,770 | $76,500 to $99,620 | 140 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,920 | $51,250 to $77,800 | 250 |
| Puerto Rico | $44,120 | $39,350 to $72,210 | 160 |
| South Carolina | $63,200 | $56,190 to $82,280 | 220 |
| South Dakota | $53,960 | $46,280 to $62,760 | 40 |
| Tennessee | $80,100 | $62,420 to $95,800 | 450 |
| Texas | $57,150 | $38,000 to $63,750 | 1,240 |
| Utah | $60,410 | $49,760 to $74,360 | 120 |
| Virginia | $52,330 | $47,170 to $62,550 | not published |
| Washington | $100,050 | $66,670 to $109,220 | 270 |
| West Virginia | $47,650 | $47,400 to $62,790 | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $49,190 | $45,390 to $62,290 | 310 |
| Wyoming | not published | not published | 60 |
Nationally: $59,920. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 14 of its 23 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Perform environmental quality work in field or office settings. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare and package environmental samples for shipping or testing. | Not published |
| Not much | Decontaminate or test field equipment used to clean or test pollutants from soil, air, or water. | Not published |
| Not much | Assist in the cleanup of hazardous material spills. | Not published |
| Not much | Collect and analyze pollution samples, such as air or ground water. | Not published |
| Not much | Receive, set up, test, or decontaminate equipment. | Not published |
See all 23 tasks
| Not much | Inspect facilities to monitor compliance with regulations governing substances, such as asbestos, lead, or wastewater. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record laboratory or field data, including numerical data, test results, photographs, or summaries of visual observations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain project logbook records or computer program files. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Review technical documents to ensure completeness and conformance to requirements. | 0.21% |
| AI alone | Review work plans to schedule activities. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Oversee support staff. | Not published |
| AI alone | Obtain product information, identify vendors or suppliers, or order materials or equipment to maintain inventory. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain process parameters and evaluate process anomalies. | Not published |
| AI alone | Produce environmental assessment reports, tabulating data and preparing charts, graphs, or sketches. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Develop work plans, including writing specifications or establishing material, manpower, or facilities needs. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | 0.02% |
| Not much | Arrange for the disposal of lead, asbestos, or other hazardous materials. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide technical engineering support in the planning of projects, such as wastewater treatment plants, to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and policies. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Prepare permit applications or review compliance with environmental permits. | Not published |
| AI + software | Improve chemical processes to reduce toxic emissions. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
| AI + software | Assess the ability of environments to naturally remove or reduce conventional or emerging contaminants from air, water, or soil. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
| AI alone | Work with customers to assess the environmental impact of proposed construction or to develop pollution prevention programs. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
| AI + software | Evaluate and select technologies to clean up polluted sites, restore polluted air, water, or soil, or rehabilitate degraded ecosystems. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 6 of the 23 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 23 tasks fall under 24 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #15 Evaluate the characteristics, usefulness, or performance of products or technologies
- #20 Present research or technical information
- #27 Research technology designs or applications
- and 3 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigate the environmental impact of industrial or development activities | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems | |||
| Dispose of waste or debris | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards | |||
| Evaluate the characteristics, usefulness, or performance of products or technologies | |||
| Present research or technical information | |||
| Research technology designs or applications | |||
| Advise others on products or services |
Show all 24 activities
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Advise others on the design or use of technologies | |||
| Plan work activities | |||
| Analyze performance of systems or equipment | |||
| Evaluate designs, specifications, or other technical data | |||
| Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits | |||
| Document technical designs, procedures, or activities | |||
| Investigate organizational or operational problems | |||
| Schedule operational activities | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Monitor environmental conditions | |||
| Inspect facilities or equipment | |||
| Collect samples of products or materials | |||
| Package objects | |||
| Supervise personnel activities |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report29%
- An analysis or summary28%
- A plan or strategy5%
- An explanation or answer5%
- Code fixes or debugging4%
How they worked with Claude
63% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for environmental engineering technologists and technicians specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 827 moves out
- 1 Drafters, All Other Very high -7.3% 12%
- 2 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary High -0.3% 9%
- 3 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 7%
- 4 Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 5 Computer User Support Specialists Very high -3.5% 5%
Where people moved in from
of 659 moves in
- 1 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 14%
- 2 Computer User Support Specialists Very high -3.5% 6%
- 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 11% high school
- 8% postsecondary certificate
- 7% some college
- 1% associate's
- 67% bachelor's
- 5% post-bachelor's certificate
- 1% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 23 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% less than high school
- 25% high school
- 30% some college
- 18% associate's
- 18% bachelor's
- 4% master's
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters” · 4,846 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters”
5 programs, such as Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician, Environmental/Environmental Engineering Technology/Technician and Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician.
See all
- Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician
- Environmental/Environmental Engineering Technology/Technician
- Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician
- Hazardous Materials Information Systems Technology/Technician
- Environmental Toxicology
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
55.1% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 8.3% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 10.7% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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