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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Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Environmental science and protection technicians, including health, work at the intersection of science, problem-solving, and practical fieldwork. With national employment of 40,000 and projected growth of 4.0%, this is a moderate-sized technical career with ongoing demand. The national median salary of $49,490 places this path in a solid mid-range earnings tier for technicians who typically enter with an associate’s degree. The role draws on science, mathematics, and computers and information technology, paired with strong writing, reading, and communication skills. Critical and analytical thinking, project management, and mechanical abilities also contribute to success, along with customer service and fine motor skills. Opportunities exist nationwide, with especially strong options in states such as California, New York, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Washington, and in metros such as San Jose, New York City, and San Francisco. Related paths include environmental engineering technologists and technicians, broader life, physical, and social science technicians, conservation scientists, traffic technicians, and civil engineering technologists and technicians.
Environmental science and protection technicians, including health, earn a national median annual salary of $49,490. This reflects the earnings potential for workers in the middle of the national pay distribution for this field. Salaries vary meaningfully by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, median pay ranges from $59,330 in Massachusetts to $67,160 in Washington, with California, New York, and Colorado also above the national median. At the metro level, pay can be even higher. The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, metro has a median salary of $80,840, and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, reports $68,900. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, metro shows $62,650, while Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, are in the mid-$50,000s. These differences highlight how local markets can significantly influence earning potential for this occupation.
This occupation has national employment of 40,000 environmental science and protection technicians, including health, indicating a sizable workforce. Projected employment growth of 4.0% suggests the field is expected to expand over time. In addition, there are 6,000 annual openings, which combine new positions with opportunities created by people changing roles or leaving the workforce. Together, these figures point to a consistent flow of job opportunities for new entrants and experienced technicians. States and metro areas listed with opportunity scores all share the same 4.0% growth projection, indicating similar expected growth rates across those highlighted regions. For job seekers, this means the career offers both ongoing replacement openings and growth-related positions. People considering related options might also explore environmental engineering technologists and technicians, life, physical, and social science technicians (all other), conservation scientists, traffic technicians, or civil engineering technologists and technicians as alternative or complementary paths.
Location plays a significant role in opportunities for environmental science and protection technicians, including health. Among states, California stands out with the highest employment (6,010) and a median salary of $61,220, along with an opportunity score of 67.38. New York combines a median salary of $62,400 with employment of 1,960 and an opportunity score of 65.78. Massachusetts offers $59,330 in median pay with lower employment (330) but a similarly strong opportunity score of 65.87. Colorado and Washington also rank highly, with Washington showing the highest state-level median salary listed at $67,160. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, have the top opportunity scores (77.42 and 77.27). San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, pairs a high opportunity score with the highest metro median salary of $80,840. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, offer mid-$50,000s salaries and solid opportunity scores, illustrating diverse regional options.
The typical education for environmental science and protection technicians, including health, is an associate’s degree. This makes the field accessible to students and career changers who want a science-related role without committing to a longer four-year program. Because the work relies on a mix of technical and analytical tasks, a broad skill set is valuable. Key areas include science and mathematics, which provide the foundation for understanding data and environmental concepts. Computers and information technology skills support modern technical work, while strong writing and reading are important for documentation and communication. Critical and analytical thinking, project management, and speaking and listening skills help technicians work through problems and coordinate with others. Mechanical abilities, customer service, and fine motor skills round out the profile, reflecting both hands-on and people-focused aspects of the role. Together, an associate’s degree and these skills create a practical pathway into this technical career.
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