Career profile for Environmental Engineering Technician

What does an Environmental Engineering Technician do?

Environmental Engineering Technicians 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.

In addition, Environmental Engineering Technicians may assist in the development of environmental remediation devices.

What kind of tasks does an Environmental Engineering Technician perform regularly?

Environmental Engineering Technicians are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Maintain project logbook records or computer program files.
Perform environmental quality work in field or office settings.
Record laboratory or field data, including numerical data, test results, photographs, or summaries of visual observations.
Produce environmental assessment reports, tabulating data and preparing charts, graphs, or sketches.
Collect and analyze pollution samples, such as air or ground water.
Decontaminate or test field equipment used to clean or test pollutants from soil, air, or water.
Prepare and package environmental samples for shipping or testing.
Maintain process parameters and evaluate process anomalies.
Review technical documents to ensure completeness and conformance to requirements.
Receive, set up, test, or decontaminate equipment.
Prepare permit applications or review compliance with environmental permits.
Review work plans to schedule activities.

The above responsibilities are specific to Environmental Engineering Technicians. More generally, Environmental Engineering Technicians are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates		Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Documenting/Recording Information		Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards		Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials		Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Documenting/Recording Information

Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials

Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

What is an Environmental Engineering Technician salary?

The median salary for an Environmental Engineering Technician is $51,630, and the average salary is $56,570. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Environmental Engineering Technician salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Environmental Engineering Technicians earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Environmental Engineering Technicians earn less than $32,850 per year, 25% earn less than $39,330, 75% earn less than $67,100, and 90% earn less than $87,730.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Environmental Engineering Technicians is expected to change by 7.5%, and there should be roughly 1,800 open positions for Environmental Engineering Technicians every year.

Median annual salary: $51,630
Typical salary range: $32,850 - $87,730
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 7.5%

What personality traits are common among Environmental Engineering Technicians?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as an Environmental Engineering Technician are usually higher in their Realistic, Investigative, and Conventional interests.

Environmental Engineering Technicians typically have very strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Also, Environmental Engineering Technicians typically have strong Investigative interests. Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Lastly, Environmental Engineering Technicians typically have strong Conventional interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as an Environmental Engineering Technician tend to value Support, Working Conditions, and Achievement.

Most importantly, Environmental Engineering Technicians very strongly value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Second, Environmental Engineering Technicians moderately value Working Conditions. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Lastly, Environmental Engineering Technicians moderately value Achievement. Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Environmental Engineering Technicians must consistently demonstrate qualities such as cooperation, attention to detail, and integrity.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Environmental Engineering Technicians, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Initiative		Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Initiative

Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

What education and training do Environmental Engineering Technicians need?

Many Environmental Engineering Technicians will have a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Environmental Engineering Technicians usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Educational degrees among Environmental Engineering Technicians

4.1% did not complete high school or secondary school
24.3% completed high school or secondary school
30.7% completed some college coursework
20.1% earned a Associate's degree
17.2% earned a Bachelor's degree
2.9% earned a Master's degree
0.8% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Environmental Engineering Technicians

Environmental Engineering Technicians may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as engineering and technology, customer and personal service, or mathematics knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Environmental Engineering Technicians might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Engineering and Technology		Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Chemistry		Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Mechanical		Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Engineering and Technology

Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Chemistry

Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Important Abilities needed by Environmental Engineering Technicians

Environmental Engineering Technicians must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Environmental Engineering Technicians need abilities such as written comprehension, deductive reasoning, and inductive reasoning in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Environmental Engineering Technicians, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Written Comprehension		The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Deductive Reasoning		The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning		The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Deductive Reasoning

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Inductive Reasoning

The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Critical Skills needed by Environmental Engineering Technicians

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Environmental Engineering Technicians frequently use skills like reading comprehension, active listening, and critical thinking to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Environmental Engineering Technicians, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Reading Comprehension		Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Learning		Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Active Learning

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Environmental Engineering Technician

Environmental Engineering Technician

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