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Environmental Scientists & Specialists, Including Health

Also called: Environmental Programs Specialist, Environmental Protection Specialist, Environmental Scientist, Environmental Specialist

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What they do:
Conduct research or perform investigation for the purpose of identifying, abating, or eliminating sources of pollutants or hazards that affect either the environment or public health. Using knowledge of various scientific disciplines, may collect, synthesize, study, report, and recommend action based on data derived from measurements or observations of air, food, soil, water, and other sources.
On the job, you would:
  • Provide scientific or technical guidance, support, coordination, or oversight to governmental agencies, environmental programs, industry, or the public.
  • Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements.
  • Collect, synthesize, analyze, manage, and report environmental data, such as pollution emission measurements, atmospheric monitoring measurements, meteorological or mineralogical information, or soil or water samples.

Knowledge

Arts and Humanities
  • English language
Math and Science
  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
  • biology
Safety and Government
  • law and government
Business
  • administrative services

Skills

Basic Skills
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • reading work related information
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Abilities

Verbal
  • listen and understand what people say
  • read and understand what is written
Ideas and Logic
  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • notice when problems happen
Math
  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide
  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Attention to Detail
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Cooperation
  • Initiative

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Analytical or scientific software
  • Laboratory information management system LIMS
  • Wolfel IMMI
Presentation software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology In Demand
Data base user interface and query software
  • Microsoft Access Hot Technology
  • Structured query language SQL Hot Technology

Education

Education: (rated 4 of 5)
bachelor's degree or
master's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Average Outlook
New job opportunities are likely in the future.
Salary
$76,530
$46,200
$129,070
Check out my state Local Salary Info Find Jobs

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See more details at O*NET OnLine about environmental scientists and specialists, including health.