Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Associate's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Environmental engineering technologists and technicians support environmental work using a blend of technical, scientific, and mechanical skills. With national employment of about 13,000 workers, this is a relatively focused field, offering an opportunity to specialize rather than compete in a very large, broad occupation. A typical entry path is through an associate’s degree, which can make this career accessible for students who want a technical role without a four-year degree. The national median salary of $58,890 reflects solid earning potential, with higher pay available in certain states and metro areas. The role draws on science, mathematics, critical and analytical thinking, and hands-on mechanical abilities, combined with computers and information technology. Strong speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills also matter, along with fine motor abilities and physical strength and stamina. For people who like combining technical problem-solving with practical, on-the-ground work, this occupation can offer a structured career path, and there are related options in several other technician and technologist fields.
Environmental engineering technologists and technicians earn a national median salary of $58,890, placing them in a solid earnings range for a technical career that typically requires an associate’s degree. Pay varies noticeably by location. Among the top states, Washington reports a median salary of $100,050, while Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York show medians between about $62,540 and $67,510. California’s median of $60,010 is close to the national level. At the metro level, pay can be even higher: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has a median salary of $105,250, and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA reports $85,780. Other major metros like New York-Newark-Jersey City and Boston-Cambridge-Newton offer median salaries in the low-to-mid $60,000s. These differences highlight that earnings potential can significantly increase by targeting specific metros and states with higher local medians, while still offering viable options in areas closer to the national level.
Environmental engineering technologists and technicians have national employment of about 13,000, with projected employment growth of 1.2%. This projected growth suggests a modest increase in positions over time rather than a rapidly expanding field. Annual openings are estimated at 1,000, indicating a steady but limited flow of opportunities each year. For job seekers, this means the market is neither extremely large nor extremely small, and careful targeting of locations and employers may matter. The 1.2% growth projection applies consistently across the highlighted top states and metro areas, suggesting a broadly similar outlook rather than sharp regional differences in projected growth. For individuals already working in related technical fields, this occupation may represent a focused niche with defined demand, supported by ongoing annual openings. For new entrants, understanding the relatively modest national employment level can help in planning, networking, and deciding whether to focus on specific regions with higher opportunity scores.
Location plays a major role in opportunities for environmental engineering technologists and technicians. Among states, California stands out with the highest employment at 2,060 and a median salary of $60,010, combined with an opportunity score of 67.38. Massachusetts, New York, Washington, and Maryland each offer smaller employment levels—ranging from 250 to 470—but higher median salaries in several cases, with Washington notably at $100,050. Their opportunity scores, from 52.88 to 65.87, show that different states balance salary, growth, and employment volume in different ways. Metro areas present even sharper contrasts. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA combines a very high median salary of $105,250 with an opportunity score of 77.42, while New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has a strong opportunity score of 77.27 and the largest metro employment at 500. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim offer mid-to-high $50,000 to $80,000 range median salaries and opportunity scores in the low-to-high 60s, giving prospective job seekers multiple regional strategies to consider.
The typical education requirement for environmental engineering technologists and technicians is an associate’s degree. This makes the field accessible for individuals who want a technical career path without completing a four-year program. The work relies on a blend of science and mathematics, supported by strong critical and analytical thinking. Mechanical skills and comfort with computers and information technology are central, reflecting the technical nature of the role. Fine motor abilities, physical strength, and stamina are also important, indicating that the work can include hands-on and physically active tasks. Communication skills matter as well: speaking and listening, along with writing and reading, support effective collaboration and documentation. Project management skills round out the profile, helping technologists and technicians organize tasks and coordinate work. Together, this combination of an associate’s degree and a diverse skill set allows entry into a specialized technical field, while also building competencies that can transfer to similar technician and technologist careers if desired.
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