Environmental engineering technologists and technicians help protect air, water, and soil by testing systems, inspecting equipment, and ensuring compliance with environmental standards. The work is technical, detail-oriented, and requires a bachelor's degree.
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You'll work on the practical side of environmental protection. Your day involves inspecting equipment and structures, collecting and documenting data, and evaluating information to make sure systems meet environmental standards. You communicate findings to supervisors and peers, work with computers to analyze results, and use your knowledge of engineering, chemistry, and mathematics to solve problems. You might test water quality, monitor air emissions, assess soil conditions, or help design systems that reduce pollution. The work keeps you engaged with both technology and real-world environmental challenges.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians earn a median of $59,920 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is modest. Employment is projected to grow 1 percent from 2024 to 2034, little or no change for all occupations, with about 1,100 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
You'll need a bachelor's degree to enter this field, which typically takes four years. Your coursework will cover engineering and technology, mathematics, chemistry, and mechanical systems. During your studies, you'll develop critical thinking and active learning skills through labs and projects. Look for programs that include hands-on experience with environmental testing equipment and compliance procedures. Internships or co-op positions during school can give you real-world exposure and help you build professional connections before you graduate.
Most people enter this career through a four-year bachelor's degree program. If you're deciding whether to start at a community college or go straight to a university program, Pathly can map the environmental engineering technologist and technician path that fits you to map out your options and talk through the timing and costs with your counselor.
You do not need a license to work as an environmental engineering technologist and technician, but professional certifications can strengthen your resume.
Common certifications
You're drawn to practical, hands-on work with systems and data. You like solving real problems, thinking critically about how things work, and making sure details are correct.
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Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).