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Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health

Also called: Environmental Health Officer (EHO), Environmental Technician (Environmental Tech), Sanitarian, Soil Lab Technician (Soil Laboratory Technician)

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.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$55,090
Openings a year BLS, 2025–355,300
Typical education to start BLSAssociate's degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 High
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +6.9%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 15 of its 25 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 6.9% 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, 3.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other life, physical, and social science technicians”
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 58% 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.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 41% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$35k$67knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$45,000$38,710 to $52,180410
Alaska$55,220$49,260 to $75,790440
Arizona$57,800$48,010 to $71,210590
Arkansas$48,390$45,060 to $57,630160
California$61,220$46,990 to $83,5806,010
Colorado$60,930$52,730 to $74,240740
Connecticut$66,120$56,160 to $84,520not published
Delaware$45,720$40,720 to $49,540150
Florida$48,840$44,280 to $60,7102,090
Georgia$48,050$43,780 to $57,2001,110
Hawaii$57,010$48,530 to $60,240260
Idaho$55,420$41,320 to $74,860200
Illinois$59,930$49,200 to $78,520980
Indiana$49,020$39,430 to $63,150780
Iowa$52,020$39,140 to $64,310470
Kansas$47,880$44,970 to $57,770340
Kentucky$46,840$39,440 to $61,560560
Louisiananot publishednot published300
Maine$51,820$44,800 to $61,990150
Maryland$55,090$41,280 to $73,690580
Massachusetts$59,330$48,260 to $64,720330
Michigan$51,290$46,950 to $62,480600
Minnesota$65,320$51,730 to $91,000450
Mississippi$35,010$28,880 to $58,630250
Missouri$50,340$46,970 to $62,430380
Montana$60,550$48,980 to $76,33070
Nebraska$66,240$49,600 to $80,350140
Nevada$60,370$44,690 to $77,740390
New Hampshire$54,080$44,990 to $63,84080
New Jersey$52,190$44,220 to $68,240830
New Mexico$62,330$49,290 to $79,310500
New York$62,400$47,100 to $79,6601,960
North Carolina$51,630$44,460 to $62,8801,100
North Dakota$61,430$46,510 to $72,740140
Ohio$56,070$49,050 to $65,870770
Oklahoma$48,090$39,760 to $63,690360
Oregon$58,950$46,240 to $74,820440
Pennsylvania$60,650$50,060 to $76,1001,180
Puerto Rico$34,370$28,210 to $39,420150
Rhode Island$64,830$51,100 to $82,60090
South Carolina$48,700$40,430 to $73,130500
South Dakota$44,180$32,470 to $48,48060
Tennessee$56,960$47,190 to $62,140320
Texas$50,710$46,680 to $62,8403,350
Utah$58,240$48,710 to $66,310270
Vermont$55,090$51,730 to $69,74050
Virginia$49,430$43,600 to $62,0601,450
Washington$67,160$55,580 to $106,490850
West Virginia$52,590$43,110 to $61,250750
Wisconsin$55,290$42,950 to $72,650380
Wyoming$49,440$47,480 to $61,820150

Nationally: $55,090. 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 15 of its 25 tasks

7 · AI alone could halve the time 8 · AI + software built on it could 10 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
AI alone Record test data and prepare reports, summaries, or charts that interpret test results. under 0.01%
Not much Collect samples of gases, soils, water, industrial wastewater, or asbestos products to conduct tests on pollutant levels or identify sources of pollution. Not published
AI + software Develop or implement programs for monitoring of environmental pollution or radiation. Not published
AI + software Discuss test results and analyses with customers. under 0.01%
Not much Prepare samples or photomicrographs for testing and analysis. Not published
AI alone 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. under 0.01%
See all 25 tasks
AI + software Maintain files, such as hazardous waste databases, chemical usage data, personnel exposure information, or diagrams showing equipment locations. Not published
Not much Inspect workplaces to ensure the absence of health and safety hazards, such as high noise levels, radiation, or potential lighting hazards. Not published
Not much Calibrate microscopes or test instruments. Not published
AI + software Perform statistical analysis of environmental data. under 0.01%
AI + software Make recommendations to control or eliminate unsafe conditions at workplaces or public facilities. Not published
Not much Investigate hazardous conditions or spills or outbreaks of disease or food poisoning, collecting samples for analysis. Not published
Not much Set up equipment or stations to monitor and collect pollutants from sites, such as smoke stacks, manufacturing plants, or mechanical equipment. Not published
Not much Weigh, analyze, or measure collected sample particles, such as lead, coal dust, or rock, to determine concentration of pollutants. Not published
AI alone Develop testing procedures. Not published
AI + software Calculate amount of pollutant in samples or compute air pollution or gas flow in industrial processes, using chemical and mathematical formulas. Not published
AI + software Monitor emission control devices to ensure they are operating properly and comply with state and federal regulations. Not published
AI alone Initiate procedures to close down or fine establishments violating environmental or health regulations. Not published
AI alone Analyze potential environmental impacts of production process changes, and recommend steps to mitigate negative impacts. Not published
AI alone Distribute permits, closure plans, or cleanup plans. Not published
AI + software Develop or implement site recycling or hazardous waste stream programs. Not published
Not much Inspect sanitary conditions at public facilities. Not published
Not much Direct activities of workers in laboratory. Not published
AI alone Determine amounts and kinds of chemicals to use in destroying harmful organisms or removing impurities from purification systems. Not published
Not much Examine and analyze material for presence and concentration of contaminants, such as asbestos, using variety of microscopes. 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. 4 of the 25 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 25 tasks fall under 26 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.

Tasks AI could speed up15 of 25 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most2 of 26 activities
  • #20 Present research or technical information
  • #37 Determine operational methods or procedures
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
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
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Inspect facilities or equipment 2.73#174 0.73#181
Analyze environmental or geospatial data 2.20#193 0.49#208
Direct scientific or technical activities 1.24#227 1.58#137
Develop plans for managing or preserving natural resources 0.40#278 0.20#241
Present research or technical information 100#20 339#6
Determine operational methods or procedures 45#37 22#46
Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications 20#56 107#17
Show all 26 activities
Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance 20#57 4.31#101
Set up equipment 20#58 4.69#95
Analyze biological or chemical substances or related data 15#68 3.48#107
Advise others on business or operational matters 11#86 34#35
Maintain safety or security 9.38#93 16#51
Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits 9.38#94 1.90#132
Advise others on legal or regulatory matters 8.33#101 22#45
Investigate organizational or operational problems 7.23#108 2.15#125
Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment 6.04#113 1.15#158
Develop research plans or methodologies 4.23#139 1.03#168
Investigate the environmental impact of industrial or development activities 1.35#221 0.38#222
Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment 0.84#245 0.32#232
Collect samples of products or materials 0.70#256 0.13#262
Supervise personnel activities 0.56#266 0.05#283
Prepare specimens or materials for testing 0.51#269 0.13#265
Direct security or safety activities or operations 0.34#282 1.30#149
Assess compliance with environmental standards or regulations 0.26#291 0.20#242
Collect environmental or biological samples 0.24#292 0.02#307
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Develop plans for managing or preserving natural resources” holds 2 tasks rated AI + software, yet people asked AI for help with it in 0.40 of every 10,000 conversations, #278 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • A document or report28%
  • An explanation or answer14%
  • A script or snippet11%
  • An analysis or summary6%
  • A chart or visualization6%

How they worked with Claude

54% handed the task off46% worked on it together

52% 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 science and protection technicians, including health 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.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Environmental science and protection technicians, including health: +6.9%Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including HealthAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Environmental science and protection technicians, including health: +6.9%Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health

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 11,724 moves out

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
  2. 2 Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Very high +6.1% 2%
  3. 3 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians 2%
  4. 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 2%
  5. 5 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers High +4.1% 2%

Where people moved in from

of 11,347 moves in

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
  2. 2 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
  3. 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
  4. 4 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians 2%
  5. 5 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers High +4.1% 2%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

O*NET survey of workers in this occupation

  • 5% high school
  • 5% postsecondary certificate
  • 23% associate's
  • 68% bachelor's

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 22 people answered.

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 3% less than high school
  • 16% high school
  • 22% some college
  • 11% associate's
  • 31% bachelor's
  • 11% master's
  • 1% professional degree
  • 7% doctorate

Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other life, physical, and social science technicians” · 3,263 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 life, physical, and social science technicians”

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
11 programs, such as Environmental Science, Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician and Environmental/Environmental Engineering Technology/Technician.
See all
  • Environmental Science
  • Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician
  • Environmental/Environmental Engineering Technology/Technician
  • Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician
  • Environmental Toxicology
  • Sustainability Studies
  • Environmental Geosciences
  • Geography and Environmental Studies
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Physical Science Technologies/Technicians, Other
  • Science Technologies/Technicians, Other

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

77.7% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
a license20.3%19.1%
a certification17.3%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
  • Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (LABORATORY ASSISTANT). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health” there.

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

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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