Occupation

Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Human Advantage 68%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Moderate Risk
3.8 / 10

Some tasks in this role may be augmented by AI, but human oversight and interpersonal skills remain important.

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. May assist in the development of environmental remediation devices.

Also Known As: Air Analysis Engineering Technician, Air Analysis Technician, Air Analyst, Air Moving Technician, Air Pollution Specialist, Air Quality Instrument Specialist, Air Technician, Aquatic Technician (Aquatic Tech) +23 more

Video

Core Tasks

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

Supplemental Tasks (14)

  1. Assist in the cleanup of hazardous material spills.
  2. Inspect facilities to monitor compliance with regulations governing substances, such as asbestos, lead, or wastewater.
  3. Develop work plans, including writing specifications or establishing material, manpower, or facilities needs.
  4. Perform statistical analysis and correction of air or water pollution data submitted by industry or other agencies.
  5. Arrange for the disposal of lead, asbestos, or other hazardous materials.
  6. Evaluate and select technologies to clean up polluted sites, restore polluted air, water, or soil, or rehabilitate degraded ecosystems.
  7. Assess the ability of environments to naturally remove or reduce conventional or emerging contaminants from air, water, or soil.
  8. Work with customers to assess the environmental impact of proposed construction or to develop pollution prevention programs.
  9. Provide technical engineering support in the planning of projects, such as wastewater treatment plants, to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and policies.
  10. Model biological, chemical, or physical treatment processes to remove or degrade pollutants.
  11. Oversee support staff.
  12. Create models to demonstrate or predict the process by which pollutants move through or impact an environment.
  13. Improve chemical processes to reduce toxic emissions.
  14. Obtain product information, identify vendors or suppliers, or order materials or equipment to maintain inventory.

Education & Training

Job Zone 4 Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Education: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Experience: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
On-the-Job Training: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

Bachelor's Degree
67%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
11%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
8%
Some College Courses
7%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.
5%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
1%
Master's Degree
1%

Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
  • Bentley MicroStation
  • C++
  • ESRI ArcGIS software
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
  • Python
  • SAS
  • The MathWorks MATLAB

Software (73)

  • ANSYS simulation software
  • Adobe PageMaker
  • Air dispersion modeling software
  • Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
  • Continuous emission management software
  • DHI Water and Environment MIKE SHE
  • Database software
  • Ecological risk assessment software
  • Email software
  • Environmental health and safety documentation software
  • Formula translation/translator FORTRAN
  • Fugitive emission leak detection software
  • GAEA Technologies WinSieve
  • Gas dispersion model software
  • Gel documentation software
  • Geographic information system GIS software
  • Geographic information system GIS systems
  • Geomechanical design analysis GDA software
  • Greenhouse gas management software
  • HEC-RAS
  • Hazardous materials management HMS software
  • Hydrologic simulation program fortan HSPF software
  • Insightful S-PLUS
  • Internet browser software
  • LINDO Systems optimization modeling software
  • Laboratory information management system LIMS
  • Maplesoft Maple
  • Material safety data sheet MSDS software
  • Mathsoft Mathcad
  • Microscopic image capturing software
  • Microsoft Office SharePoint Server MOSS
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • Neural network modeling software
  • PerkinElmer Turbochrom
  • Photogrammetric software
  • Presentation software
  • Regulatory compliance management software
  • RockWare MODFLOW
  • Rockwell Automation Arena
  • Scientific Software Group MIGRATE
  • Simulation software
  • Simultaneous location and mapping SLAM
  • Site remediation management software
  • SofTech CADRA
  • Soil mapping software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Statistical software
  • Stochastic modeling software
  • Stormwater runoff modeling software
  • Structure query language SQL
  • Thermal indoor climate simulation software
  • Visual MODFLOW Pro
  • WAM software
  • Waste management software
  • Water flow modeling software
  • Wind flow modeling software
  • Wolfram Research Mathematica
  • Word processing software
  • XP Software XPSWMM

Tools & Equipment (175)

  • 13C nuclear magnetic resonance NMR spectrometers
  • Aeration pumps
  • Aerobic laboratory scale reactors
  • Air monitoring equipment
  • Air velocity meters
  • Airborne particulate samplers
  • Anaerobic laboratory glove bags
  • Anaerobic laboratory scale reactors
  • Analytical balances
  • Anemometers
  • Argon lasers
  • Atomic absorption AA spectrometers
  • Atomic force microscopes
  • Autoclaves
  • Autotitration systems
  • Bailers
  • Balances
  • Beakers
  • Benchtop nephelometers
  • Benchtop refrigerated centrifuges
  • Binocular light compound microscopes
  • Biological oxidizers
  • Biosafety cabinets
  • Blenders
  • California bearing ratio CBR testing devices
  • Calorimeters
  • Camera-equipped microscopes
  • Carbon analyzers
  • Chemical fume hoods
  • Conductivity meters
  • Dataloggers
  • Desktop computers
  • Dessicator chambers
  • Dichotomous particulate matter samplers
  • Differential mobility analyzers
  • Digester apparatus
  • Digital cameras
  • Dissolved oxygen meters
  • Drop volume tensiometers
  • Dynamic contact angle apparatus
  • Electrophoresis equipment
  • Electrophoresis tanks
  • Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ELISA plate readers
  • Epifluorescence microscopes
  • Erlenmeyer flasks
  • Fecal coliform constant temperature shaker baths
  • Fermenters
  • Filter press simulators
  • Filtering funnels
  • Flame ionization detectors FID
  • Flatbed scanners
  • Flow injection analyzers
  • Flow meters
  • Fluorimeters
  • Fraction collectors
  • Freeze dryers
  • Freezers
  • French presses
  • Funnels
  • Furnaces
  • Gas chromatographs GC
  • Gas mass spectroscopes
  • Gel documentation systems
  • Glassware adapters
  • Glassware condensers
  • Global positioning system GPS receivers
  • Graduated cylinders
  • Groundwater pumps
  • Groundwater sampling equipment
  • Hazardous material protective clothing
  • Heated environmental chambers
  • Heating mantles
  • High pressure liquid chromatograph HPLC with ultraviolet/visible UV/Vis absorbance detectors
  • High-pressure/temperature reactors
  • High-speed centrifuges
  • Hot plate stirrers
  • Incubator shakers
  • Incubators
  • Interferometeric refractormeters
  • Inverted microscopes
  • Ion chromatographs
  • Ion selective electrode ISE meters
  • Laboratory centrifugal pumps
  • Laboratory ovens
  • Laboratory scales
  • Laboratory shakers
  • Laboratory vacuum pumps
  • Laminar flow hoods
  • Laser printers
  • Liquid handling robots
  • Liquid mass spectroscopes
  • Liquid scintillation equipment
  • Low pressure liquid chromatographs with fraction collectors
  • Low pressure reverse osmosis water treatment systems
  • Magnetic stirrers
  • Mainframe computers
  • Mechanical convection ovens
  • Mercury analysis equipment
  • Meters
  • Microcentrifuges
  • Micropipettes
  • Microscope slides
  • Microtox toxicity systems
  • Mixer mills
  • Muffle furnaces
  • Multistage agar impactors
  • Notebook computers
  • Optical compound microscopes
  • Ozone bubble contactors
  • Ozone concentration percentage meters
  • Ozone generators
  • Pan balances
  • Particle counters
  • Particle size analyzers
  • Particulate filters
  • Peristaltic pumps
  • Personal computers
  • Phase contrast microscopes
  • Photometer
  • Plasma spectrometers
  • Polymerase chain reaction PCR equipment
  • Potentiostats
  • Proton nuclear magnetic resonance NMR spectrometers
  • Reciprocating pumps
  • Refrigerated centrifuges
  • Respirators
  • Respirometers
  • Rotavapors
  • Scanning microscopes
  • Scanning probe microscopes SPM
  • Scintillation counters
  • Simultaneous static and dynamic light scattering systems
  • Single particle spectroscopes
  • Soil carbon-nitrogen CN analyzers
  • Soil expansion testers
  • Soil particle size testers
  • Soil permeability testers
  • Soil samplers
  • Soil vapor sampling equipment
  • Specific ion probes
  • Spectrofluorimeters
  • Spectrophotometers
  • Sterilizer chambers
  • Streaming current detectors
  • Supercritical fluid extractors
  • Surface area analyzers
  • Test tubes
  • Thermal conductivity detectors
  • Thermocouples
  • Titrators
  • Titrimeters
  • Total internal reflection fluorescence TIRF microscopes
  • Total organic carbon TOC analyzers
  • Total organic halide analyzers
  • Toxicity analyzers
  • Tracer gas detectors
  • Tractor mounted drill rigs
  • Transmission electron microscopes TEM
  • Turbidimeters
  • Two-vortex mixers
  • Ultra pure water systems
  • Ultrafiltration cells
  • Ultrasonic cleaners
  • Ultraviolet UV spectrometers
  • Universal fractionators
  • Video microscopes
  • Visible spectrometers
  • Water baths
  • Water distillation units
  • Water level recorders
  • Water quality monitors
  • Water samplers
  • Water sampling pumps
  • Zeta meters
  • pH meters

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Ecological Research & Development Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 4
Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians You are here

Safety & Quality Assurance Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 4
Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians You are here

Water Systems Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 4
Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians You are here

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