Environmental Technology

Types of Degrees Environmental Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many environmental engineering technology/environmental technology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	141
Bachelor’s Degree	109
Basic Certificate	24
Undergraduate Certificate	12

What Environmental Technology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to environmental engineering tech were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Environmental Engineering Tech Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in environmental engineering tech should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for Environmental Engineering Tech Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to environmental engineering tech:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Environmental Engineering Tech Majors

A major in environmental engineering tech will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Environmental Technology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with environmental engineering tech:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Environmental Engineering Technicians	12.4%	$50,560

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Environmental Technology?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 72% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of environmental engineering tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	6
Black or African American	14
Hispanic or Latino	20
White	86
International Students	3
Other Races/Ethnicities	12

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Environmental Engineering Tech. About 2.1% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Environmental Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to environmental engineering tech is $54,800. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Environmental Technology

Some careers associated with environmental engineering tech require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to environmental engineering tech have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	10.8%
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)	8.2%
Some College Courses	6.6%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.5%
Bachelor’s Degree	67.3%
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.	4.7%
Master’s Degree	0.9%

Online Environmental Technology Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	16	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	47	2
Bachelor’s Degree	1	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	6	1
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Environmental Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a environmental engineering tech grad is $54,800 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 37% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $298,000 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Environmental Technology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to environmental engineering tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology	7,993
Water Quality & Wastewater Treatment Management & Recycling Technology	800
Other Environmental Control Technologies	128
Hazardous Materials Management & Waste Technology	126

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.