Environmental Science & Protection Technicians, Including Health

data analysis environment environmental impact investigative test result sample of gases public facility source of pollution

Environmental Technician (Environmental Tech), Laboratory Technician, Public Health Sanitarian, Sanitarian

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:
  • Discuss test results and analyses with customers.
  • Record test data and prepare reports, summaries, or charts that interpret test results.
  • Develop or implement programs for monitoring of environmental pollution or radiation.

Knowledge

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Math and Science

  • biology
  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics

Safety and Government

  • law and government
  • public safety and security

Business

  • customer service

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

  • notice when problems happen
  • use rules to solve problems

Math

  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide
  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem

Visual Understanding

  • quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Initiative
  • Adaptability/Flexibility

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Geographic information system

  • ESRI ArcGIS software Hot Technology
  • 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

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Average
New job opportunities are likely in the future.
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