Environmental geologist vs environmental technician

The differences between environmental geologists and environmental technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an environmental geologist, becoming an environmental technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an environmental geologist has an average salary of $64,927, which is higher than the $39,690 average annual salary of an environmental technician.

The top three skills for an environmental geologist include surface water, OSHA and remediation projects. The most important skills for an environmental technician are patients, OSHA, and hazardous materials.

Environmental geologist vs environmental technician overview

	Environmental Geologist	Environmental Technician
Yearly salary	$64,927	$39,690
Hourly rate	$31.21	$19.08
Growth rate	5%	9%
Number of jobs	16,395	43,079
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 84%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	39	38
Years of experience	6	2

What does an environmental geologist do?

An Environmental Geologist helps prevent the contamination of soil and groundwater. They study the physical characteristics and composition of the Earth and its natural resources.

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.

Environmental geologist vs environmental technician salary

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

	Environmental Geologist	Environmental Technician
Average salary	$64,927	$39,690
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $84,000	Between $30,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	-	Danbury, CT
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	City of Detroit
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between environmental geologist and environmental technician education

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

	Environmental Geologist	Environmental Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 84%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Geology	Environmental Science
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Duke University

Environmental geologist vs environmental technician demographics

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

	Environmental Geologist	Environmental Technician
Average age	39	38
Gender ratio	Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0%	Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 81.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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	16%	8%

Differences between environmental geologist and environmental technician duties and responsibilities

Environmental geologist example responsibilities.

Lead LDEQ-required underground storage tank (UST) assessments and remediation.
Perform or manage contracted asbestos evaluations including: site assessment reports and management /abatement plan specification preparation.
Coordinate and oversee drilling operations, and log and sample borings to ASTM standards.
Provide technical consultation in handling environmental hazards using GIS technologies as a risk assessment and decision making tool.
Develop GIS base new methods in the use of aerial photos and field data for rock mass classification and geomorphic features.
Assist with Geotechnical investigations including percolation testing and compaction testing using the nuke gauge.

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.

Environmental geologist vs environmental technician skills

Common environmental geologist skills

Surface Water, 11%
OSHA, 10%
Remediation Projects, 7%
Oil Gas, 6%
Technical Reports, 5%
Regulatory Agencies, 4%

Common environmental technician skills

Patients, 12%
OSHA, 7%
Hazardous Materials, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
Patient Rooms, 5%
HAZWOPER, 4%

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Environmental Geologist
Environmental Geologist vs Environmental Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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