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Archaeological technician vs environmental technician

The differences between archaeological technicians and environmental technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an archaeological technician and an environmental technician. Additionally, an environmental technician has an average salary of $39,690, which is higher than the $35,787 average annual salary of an archaeological technician.

The top three skills for an archaeological technician include GPS, GIS and excavations. The most important skills for an environmental technician are patients, OSHA, and hazardous materials.

Archaeological technician vs environmental technician overview

Archaeological TechnicianEnvironmental Technician
Yearly salary$35,787$39,690
Hourly rate$17.21$19.08
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs7,63843,079
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age3838
Years of experience22

What does an archaeological technician do?

The archaeological technician is someone who operates all the necessary equipment in an archeological dig. The archeological technician will provide all of the equipment and tools needed for excavation and maintain it to reduce its wear and tear. Tools commonly carried by an archeological technician are digging tools, metal detectors, GPS equipment, and other miscellaneous articles needed for excavation. The archeological technician must have a solid background in archeology or a degree of the same nature in the humanities and social sciences.

What does an environmental technician do?

An environmental technician is responsible for identifying, evaluating, preventing, and controlling contamination of the environment. They study how it affects human health with the supervision of environmental engineers and environmental scientists. Environmental technicians work by monitoring the environment and look for possible sources of pollution and contamination that can possibly affect public health. They make sure that environmental violations are prevented. In addition, an environmental technician also investigates any complaint that is related to water quality, air quality, and food safety.

Archaeological technician vs environmental technician salary

Archaeological technicians and environmental technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Archaeological TechnicianEnvironmental Technician
Average salary$35,787$39,690
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $44,000Between $30,000 And $51,000
Highest paying CityPortland, ORDanbury, CT
Highest paying stateMassachusettsConnecticut
Best paying companyTRC CompaniesCity of Detroit
Best paying industryGovernmentEnergy

Differences between archaeological technician and environmental technician education

There are a few differences between an archaeological technician and an environmental technician in terms of educational background:

Archaeological TechnicianEnvironmental Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorAnthropologyEnvironmental Science
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityDuke University

Archaeological technician vs environmental technician demographics

Here are the differences between archaeological technicians' and environmental technicians' demographics:

Archaeological TechnicianEnvironmental Technician
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 51.7% Female, 48.3%Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 9.5% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between archaeological technician and environmental technician duties and responsibilities

Archaeological technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage daily RCRA inspections and mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment preventive/corrective maintenance procedures.
  • Enter field data into standard archaeological forms and create archaeological site maps using a GPS unit and ArcGIS software.
  • Utilize GIS analysis to assist with locating and mitigating archaeological sites.
  • Clear atv trails and place cattle guards for atv use.
  • Work with compass, GPS, aerial photos, and topographical maps to survey a corridor for the client.
  • Perform trouble-shooting of excavations as required.
  • Show more

Environmental technician example responsibilities.

  • Lead a crew of twelve techs in various archaeological excavations.
  • Manage designated areas to ensure proper cleanliness and safety.
  • Manage daily RCRA inspections and mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment preventive/corrective maintenance procedures.
  • Provide contractor oversight, including monitoring of technical performance of sub-contractors managing remedial cleanup projects involving hazardous waste.
  • Assist with environmental projects such as groundwater monitoring, and spatial analysis using ArcGIS.
  • Perform physical labor associate with cleanup activities, sample collection, waste removal and other remediation service.
  • Show more

Archaeological technician vs environmental technician skills

Common archaeological technician skills
  • GPS, 25%
  • GIS, 9%
  • Excavations, 7%
  • Resource Management, 6%
  • Data Collection, 6%
  • Data Entry, 5%
Common environmental technician skills
  • Patients, 12%
  • OSHA, 7%
  • Hazardous Materials, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Patient Rooms, 5%
  • HAZWOPER, 4%

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