Work Environment

Environmental engineering technologists and technicians held about 17,300 jobs in 2020. The largest employers of environmental engineering technologists and technicians were as follows:

• Engineering services - 25%
• Management, scientific, and technical consulting services - 16%
• Government - 16%
• Waste management and remediation services - 12%
• Manufacturing - 9%

Environmental engineering technologists and technicians work under the direction of environmental engineers and as part of a team with other technicians. Environmental engineering technologists and technicians may work indoors, often in laboratories. They also work outdoors, sometimes in remote locations.

Because environmental engineering technologists and technicians help with environmental cleanup, they may be exposed to hazards from equipment, chemicals, or toxic materials. For this reason, they must follow proper safety procedures, such as wearing hazmat suits and respirators as needed. When they work in wet areas, environmental engineering technologists and technicians wear rubber boots to keep their legs and feet dry.

Work Schedules

Most environmental engineering technologists and technicians work full time and typically have regular hours. However, they may work irregular hours in order to monitor operations or contain a major environmental threat.

Job Outlook

Employment of environmental engineering technologists and technicians is projected to grow 8 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 1,800 openings for environmental engineering technologists and technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Employment in this occupation is typically tied to projects created by environmental engineers. State and local governments are expected to focus their efforts and resources on efficient water use, storm water management, and wastewater treatment over the next decade. The demand for more environmental technologists and technicians by consulting firms will arise as governments and larger firms look to reduce costs.

Earnings

The median annual wage for environmental engineering technologists and technicians was $48,390 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $35,870, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $84,740.

In May 2021, the median annual wages for environmental engineering technologists and technicians in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

• Manufacturing - $61,260
• Government - $60,520
• Engineering services - $57,800
• Management, scientific, and technical consulting services - $47,690
• Waste management and remediation services - $37,700

Most environmental engineering technologists and technicians work full time and typically have regular hours. However, they must sometimes work irregular hours in order to monitor operations or contain a major environmental threat.