Mid-Level

Environmental Engineering Technologist

Environmental Engineering Technologists apply environmental engineering methods across design, sampling, and reporting — calculation support, drawing production, field investigations, regulatory documentation. The work tends to live between technician fieldwork and engineer-level analysis.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
R
I
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Realistichands-on, practical
Investigativeanalytical, curious
Based on Holland Code framework
Job markets for Environmental Engineering Technologists
Employment concentration · ~51 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Environmental Engineering Technologist

Your day tends to mix design support, field investigations, and regulatory work — running calculations under engineer direction, supporting CAD drawing production, conducting site investigations, drafting permit sections, and contributing to environmental reports. You're often working in environmental consulting firms, public agencies, or industrial environmental groups, and the program area (water, air, waste, remediation) sets the depth.

What tends to be harder than people expect is the regulatory complexity layered on engineering work. EPA programs, state agencies, and local rules all interact, and stamping responsibility stays with PE-track engineers. Career mobility depends on whether you pursue a PE-eligible degree or specialize within technologist work, and field season pace drives spikes in many regions.

People who tend to thrive here are technically rigorous, comfortable in field and office both, detail-driven, and patient with regulatory complexity. If you want full design authority and stamping responsibility, the engineer track offers that. If you like applied environmental work with strong technical breadth, the role offers durable demand across consulting, industry, and public sector.

SupportHigh
Working ConditionsModerate
AchievementModerate
IndependenceModerate
RelationshipsModerate
RecognitionLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Environmental Engineering Technologists (SOC 17-3025.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$40K–$92K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
13K
U.S. Employment
+1.2%
10yr Growth
1K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$77K$74K$71K$68K$65K201920202021202220232024$65K$77K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionActive LearningSpeakingScienceMonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem SolvingTime Management
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
17-3025.00

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.