Environmental Scientist and Specialist Careers
As an environmental scientist and specialist, you will be working with businesses and public organizations to protect the environment from the effects of various types of pollution. In addition, environmental scientists are often called in to help clean up various types of pollution, ranging from accidental spills to long-term toxic waste sites.
Environmental scientists work in a wide variety of positions, ranging from field positions to working with their employer to develop and implement long-term environmental protection policies. You may also assist various government agencies in developing and implementing environmental regulations.
Environmental Scientist and Specialist Career Snapshot
As an environmental scientist, you’ll be spending most of your time working in laboratories or offices, although you may also spend some time working in the field. You will usually work as a full-time employee, and it is possible to become a self-employed specialist and hire out your services to a wide range of clients.
Further details on a career as an environmental scientist and specialist are listed below (statistics from the May 2015 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):
is the average salary for environmental scientists and specialists.
increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.
have a Bachelor’s degree while 26% have a Master’s degree.
Environmental Scientist/Specialist Education
As an environmental scientist, you’ll be spending most of your time working in laboratories or offices, although you may also spend some time working in the field. You will usually work as a full-time employee, and it is possible to become a self-employed specialist and hire out your services to a wide range of clients.
Environmental Scientist/Specialist Job Duties
Your job will involve collecting, compiling and analyzing environmental data from a wide range of sources, while also determining what this data says about environmental conditions and trends. You will also be in charge of converting this data into reports and presentations that can be used to explain these conditions in a way that your superiors and the public can understand. Depending on your position, you may also use this information to develop policies that your employers can use to protect the environment on a long-term basis.
Environmental Scientist/Specialist Salaries
In May of 2015, the BLS.gov reported that environmental scientists and specialists enjoyed an annual median wage of $67,460, with the highest 10 percent earning over $118,000. If you are employed by the federal government, you’ll earn the highest median wage in this field, at $99,260, with private consulting services providing the next highest median wage, at 68,410. The lowest median salary level in this field is found in working for state government agencies, at $60,280, although wage levels can vary dramatically between states.
Environmental Scientist/Specialist Job Outlook
Between 2014 and 2024, employment levels for environmental scientists and specialists will increase by about 11 percent, which is faster than the average rate of growth for all American jobs. This growth is largely driven by the growing number of private environmental consulting firms that are assisting businesses in complying with local, state and federal environmental regulations. In addition, public concern with the environment has led a growing number of companies to focus on environmentally responsible policies, whether or not those policies are mandated by the government.
Environmental Scientist and Specialist Skills & Traits
| Environmental Scientist Skill Set: | Required Abilities: | Tools Used by Environmental Scientists: | Typical Work Activities: |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Active Listening • Critical Thinking • Reading Comprehension • Science • Speaking | • Oral Comprehension • Written Comprehension • Deductive Reasoning • Inductive Reasoning • Oral Expression | • Air samplers or collectors • Radiation detectors • Soil core sampling apparatus • Water analyzers • Water samplers | • Getting Information • Identifying Objects/Actions • Working with Computers • Communicating with Others • Documenting Information |
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