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Environmental Control Technology

Types of Degrees Environmental Control Technology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Environmental Control Technology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	4,287
Associate’s Degree	1,095
Bachelor’s Degree	138
Master’s Degree	5,145

What Environmental Control Technology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Environmental Control Technology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Environmental Control Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Environmental Control Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Environmental Control Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Environmental Control Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Environmental Control Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Processing Information	3.8 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Environmental Control Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Geographic information system GIS systems	Geographic information system	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Environmental Control Technology graduates include:

• Air Analyst
• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Water Quality Technician (Water Quality Tech)
• Water Treatment Specialist
• Laser Specialist
• Field Technician
• Hazardous Waste Technician (Hazardous Waste Tech)
• Engineering Technician
• Waterworks Employee
• Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator (WWTP Operator)
• Water Control Dispatcher
• SCADA Operator (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Operator)
• Biosolids Management Technician (Biosolids Management Tech)
• Water Reclamation Systems Operator
• Water Treatment Technician (Water Treatment Tech)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Environmental Control Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	31.8%
Bachelor’s degree	23.2%
Postsecondary certificate	17.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	13.8%
Some college courses	6.9%
Less than a high school diploma	4.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.4%
Master’s degree	1.0%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Environmental Control Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 94.5% of Environmental Control Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	598	5.5%
Men	10,200	94.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Environmental Control Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,213	29.8%
Asian	250	2.3%
Hispanic or Latino	5,108	47.3%
Black or African American	1,549	14.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	57	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	35	0.3%
Two or More Races	263	2.4%
Race Unknown	246	2.3%
International Students	77	0.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Environmental Control Technology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Environmental Control Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$36,113
4 years	$40,833
5 years	$45,594

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $45,594 — roughly 26% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Environmental Control Technology Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Environmental Control Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	10	5
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Environmental Control Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Environmental Control Technology graduates earn a median of $40,833 four years after completion — roughly 7% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Engineering Technologies	91,975
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians	11,920
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians	11,391
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians	9,702
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	9,196
Engineering-Related Fields	8,633
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians	5,996
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician	5,089
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	3,938
ENGINEERING/ENGINEERING-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS	3,883
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians	3,275
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other	2,247

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.