---

Environmental Technology

Types of Degrees Environmental Technology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Environmental Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	6
Associate’s Degree	70
Bachelor’s Degree	106
Master’s Degree	59

What Environmental Technology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Environmental Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Environmental Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.6 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.6 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.6 / 7
Processing Information	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Environmental Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Statistical software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
HEC-RAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Geomechanical design analysis GDA software	Map creation software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Environmental Technology graduates include:

• Air Analyst
• Field Technician
• Compliance Technician (Compliance Tech)
• Sanitarian Specialist
• Surface Water Technician (Surface Water Tech)
• Environmental Monitoring Technician (Environmental Monitoring Tech)
• Natural Resources Technician (Natural Resources Tech)
• Solid Waste Technician (Solid Waste Tech)
• Certified Indoor Environmentalist
• Leaking Underground Storage Tank Remover (LUST Remover)
• Industrial Pretreatment Program Specialist (IPP Specialist)
• Radon Inspector
• Hazardous Materials Analyst (Hazmat Analyst)
• Environmental Sampling Technician (Environmental Sampling Tech)
• Waste Specialist

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	67.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	12.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	7.5%
Postsecondary certificate	6.3%
Some college courses	3.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.2%
Master’s degree	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Environmental Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 44.4% women and 55.6% men among Environmental Technology graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	107	44.4%
Men	134	55.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	155	64.3%
Asian	9	3.7%
Hispanic or Latino	21	8.7%
Black or African American	11	4.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.4%
Two or More Races	12	5.0%
Race Unknown	7	2.9%
International Students	25	10.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Environmental Technology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Environmental 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 Technology Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Environmental 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	1	1
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 Technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Environmental 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
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	10,798
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician	9,397
Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician	905
Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician	130
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians, Other	125
Energy Management and Systems Technology/Technician	—
Solar Energy Technology/Technician	—
Hazardous Materials Information Systems Technology/Technician	—

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.