Out where the data actually comes from, you do the hands-on environmental fieldwork — collecting samples, monitoring sites, and gathering the measurements assessments and cleanups depend on. Boots-on-the-ground environmental work.
The work is physical and outdoor: sampling soil, water, and air, installing and reading monitoring equipment, logging field data, and supporting investigations or remediation. You're often traveling to sites in all conditions, part of a small crew. The data is only as good as the fieldwork, and a sloppy sample can compromise an entire study.
Conditions can be tough — heat, cold, mud, and the occasional hazardous site come with the territory. Travel and irregular hours tie to project schedules, the work can be entry-level and physically demanding, and safety protocols around contamination matter constantly. It's often a foot in the door toward environmental science or engineering careers.
It tends to suit people who are physically fit, detail-careful, and happy working outdoors. If you want a desk, predictable hours, or quick advancement, the fieldwork may wear. But if you like hands-on work that feeds real environmental decisions, and don't mind the elements, it's a solid, active start.
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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.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Engineering roles →Out where the data actually comes from, you do the hands-on environmental fieldwork — collecting samples, monitoring sites, and gathering the measurements assessments and cleanups depend on. Boots-on-the-ground environmental work.
Median pay for an Environmental Field Team Member is about $59K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $40K to $92K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Learning, and Speaking.
Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 1.2% through 2034, with roughly 12,500 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Field Technician, Environmental Lab Tech (Environmental Laboratory Technician), and Facility Environmental Technician (Facility Environmental Tech).
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