Environmental Science & Protection Technicians, Including Health
Environmental Health Officer (EHO), Environmental Technician (Environmental Tech), Sanitarian, Soil Lab Technician (Soil Laboratory Technician)
What they do:
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.
On the job, you would:
- Collect samples of gases, soils, water, industrial wastewater, or asbestos products to conduct tests on pollutant levels or identify sources of pollution.
- Investigate hazardous conditions or spills or outbreaks of disease or food poisoning, collecting samples for analysis.
- Record test data and prepare reports, summaries, or charts that interpret test results.
Knowledge
Business
- customer service
Arts and Humanities
- English language
Math and Science
- chemistry
- biology
Safety and Government
- law and government
Skills
Basic Skills
- reading work related information
- listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
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
- communicate by speaking
- listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
- use rules to solve problems
- make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
Math
- add, subtract, multiply, or divide
- choose the right type of math to solve a problem
Visual Understanding
- see hidden patterns
Personality
People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
- Integrity
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Adaptability/Flexibility
- Cooperation
- Persistence
Technology
You might use software like this on the job:
Geographic information system
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- ESRI ArcView
Video creation and editing software
- YouTube
Analytical or scientific software
- HEC-RAS
- Visual OTTHYMO
Education
Education: (rated 4 of 5)
bachelor's degree or
associate's degree
usually needed
associate's degree
usually needed
Job Outlook
Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about environmental science and protection technicians, including health.