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Hazardous Materials Technology

What Hazardous Materials Technology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Hazardous Materials Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Science — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Hazardous Materials Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Hazardous Materials Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.8 / 7
Working with Computers	3.8 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.6 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.5 / 7
Processing Information	3.5 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.4 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Hazardous Materials Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
RockWare MODFLOW	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
C++	Object or component oriented development software	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	—
Simultaneous location and mapping SLAM	Analytical or scientific software	—
Photogrammetric software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Stochastic modeling software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Insightful S-PLUS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Hazardous materials management HMS software	Compliance software	—
Wind flow modeling software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Gel documentation software	Document management software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Hazardous Materials Technology graduates include:

• Engineer Technician
• Environmental Field Laborer
• Air Analyst
• Environmental Engineering Technologist
• Soil Technician
• Soil Field Technician
• Environmental Field Technician
• Intake Technician (Intake Tech)
• Environmental Engineering Assistant
• Air Analysis Technician
• Programs Technician
• Environmental Remediation Engineering Technician
• Pollution Control Engineering Technician
• Air Pollution Specialist
• Environmental Engineering Technician

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	67.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	10.8%
Postsecondary certificate	8.2%
Some college courses	6.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.5%
Master’s degree	0.9%

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

How Much Do Hazardous Materials Technology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Hazardous Materials Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,389
4 years	$70,808
5 years	$79,621

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $79,621 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Hazardous Materials Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Hazardous Materials Technology graduates earn a median of $70,808 four years after completion — roughly 86% 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
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	3,938
Occupational Safety and Health Technology/Technician	3,147
Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician	905
Quality Control Technology/Technician	422
Industrial Safety Technology/Technician	258
Environmental/Environmental Engineering Technology/Technician	241
Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician	130
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians, Other	111
Process Safety 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.