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The differences between environmental chemists and environmental technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an environmental chemist has an average salary of $56,956, which is higher than the $39,690 average annual salary of an environmental technician.
The top three skills for an environmental chemist include data validation, GC and ms. The most important skills for an environmental technician are patients, OSHA, and hazardous materials.
| Environmental Chemist | Environmental Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $56,956 | $39,690 |
| Hourly rate | $27.38 | $19.08 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 22,234 | 43,079 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Environmental chemists are chemistry experts who conduct research or experiments about the effects of chemicals on the environment and human activities. These chemists are required to monitor the source and extent of pollution and contamination, especially the compounds that can affect human health. They are involved in the analytical testing of new products developed in the lab while ensuring the safety of their workplace by issuing safety guidelines. Environmental chemists are also required to express ideas effectively to a non-scientific audience.
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.
Environmental chemists and environmental technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Chemist | Environmental Technician | |
| Average salary | $56,956 | $39,690 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $84,000 | Between $30,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | Danbury, CT |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Southern California Edison | City of Detroit |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Energy |
There are a few differences between an environmental chemist and an environmental technician in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Chemist | Environmental Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | University of California, Berkeley | Duke University |
Here are the differences between environmental chemists' and environmental technicians' demographics:
| Environmental Chemist | Environmental Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% | Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.1% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 Percentage | 5% | 8% |