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Job outlook for environmental laboratory technicians in the United States
Are environmental laboratory technician jobs in demand?
Environmental laboratory technician job and salary trends over time
Environmental laboratory technician jobs over time
Environmental laboratory technician job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 311 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 309 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 317 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 297 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 299 | 0.00% |
Average environmental laboratory technician salary over time
Environmental laboratory technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $40,682 | $19.56 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | $40,505 | $19.47 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | $39,254 | $18.87 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $38,676 | $18.59 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $37,571 | $18.06 | +2.7% |
Environmental laboratory technician jobs by state
Most common states for environmental laboratory technicians
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 184 | 24% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 180 | 24% |
| 3 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 188 | 22% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 271 | 20% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,295 | 19% |
| 6 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 613 | 19% |
| 7 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 129 | 19% |
| 8 | Vermont | 623,657 | 119 | 19% |
| 9 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 243 | 18% |
| 10 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 966 | 17% |
| 11 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 280 | 15% |
| 12 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 159 | 15% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,647 | 13% |
| 14 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,141 | 13% |
| 15 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 985 | 13% |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 762 | 13% |
| 17 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 407 | 13% |
| 18 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 989 | 12% |
| 19 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 735 | 12% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 70 | 12% |
Environmental Laboratory Technician job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of environmental laboratory technician experts
Pennsylvania State University
Eastern Kentucky University
Missouri University of Science and Technology
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
University of New Mexico
Palm Beach State College
University of Arizona
Southeastern Louisiana University
The University of New Hampshire's Central Science
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Environmental Laboratory Technician job market given the pandemic?
Patrick Drohan Ph.D.: The market will rebound in a way similar to the 1920s following the Spanish Flu pandemic. Coupled with the administration shifts, students in science fields especially will be well-placed for quick hires. There is also an age cohort now moving in retirement that occupied a pretty large percentage of positions and those jobs are opening up to entry-level hires. We are starting to see some of that now.
What skills stand out on Environmental Laboratory Technician resumes?
Patrick Drohan Ph.D.: The academic skills are very important, experience in academic clubs like soil judging or weed judging (your niche), but more important is a diversity of experience with working in labs while in school, having summer jobs tied to your career, etc. - working at Dairy Queen in your home town may not be the best idea anymore if you are trying to out-compete others for entry-level work, and frankly, there is plenty of work out there if you are willing to move.
What Environmental Laboratory Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Tanea Reed Ph.D.: I would recommend gaining additional laboratory and/or research experience to enhance their skill set with new techniques. Individuals could do this by reaching out to principal investigators of research laboratories who are conducting research that they have an interest in. They can also start to build their network by reaching out to professional organizations such as the American Chemical Society and their university's alumni association. These relationships can possibly lead to future opportunities.
Dr. Rainer Glaser
Professor and ChairMissouri University of Science and Technology
Chemistry Department
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Environmental Laboratory Technicians to find work opportunities?
Dr. Rainer Glaser: There are a few classic hubs of "big commodities chemistry" and "big pharma", for example. Interestingly, the chemistry enterprise constantly spawns new specializations and keeps getting more de-centralized with excellent employment opportunities in every state.
Christopher Bae Ph.D.
Professor, Department ChairUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa
Department of Anthropology
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Environmental Laboratory Technicians?
Christopher Bae Ph.D.: Yes and no. Obviously, hiring in anthropology, like most academic fields, has become more difficult now because of the economic impact of COVID-19 worldwide. However, anthropology graduates are still managing to find job placement in postdoctoral research fellowships, cultural resource management firms, and non-governmental organizations. The applied areas of anthropology are where positions can still be found fairly regularly. Moving forward, however, I anticipate a rebound, like in most fields, of hires more broadly in anthropology.
What experience really stands out on Environmental Laboratory Technician resumes?
Christopher Bae Ph.D.: Field and laboratory experience, particularly involvement with projects that lead to eventual publications. Internships and field schools are great ways to get one's feet wet, so to speak.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Environmental Laboratory Technician job market given the pandemic?
Benjamin Ford: The pandemic has laid bare many of the inequities in American societies. Suddenly many more citizens are 'woke'. As a discipline that has always excelled at critically analyzing human systems, Anthropology is well positioned to help Americans work in this new landscape. This will translate into more jobs for people with anthropological training. For example, the hospital systems will benefit from employing global health practitioners who have a broad view of healthcare and who are well versed in how to navigate health disparities. The infrastructure projects that will likely begin as the nation gets back on its feet will also need trained archaeologists to complete the cultural resource management requirements.
What Environmental Laboratory Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Benjamin Ford: Students taking a gap year should think about where they want to end up, both geographically and in terms of a career, and position themselves accordingly. That might mean moving to where they eventually want to live, taking a job to pay the bills, and volunteering with an organization to build local contacts. They should also work to develop the skills that will make them necessary in their intended career. The world became much more digital in the last nine months. We will likely return to many of our pre-pandemic physical practices, but aspects of our remote-everything existence will likely stick with us. Developing skills to be successful in a digital environment will be important.
What type of skills will young Environmental Laboratory Technicians need?
Dr. Bruce Huckell Ph.D.: While the kinds of skills necessary for success aren't likely to change, how people learn those skills may shift to some extent from academic institutions to employers, again due to the pandemic.
What type of skills will young Environmental Laboratory Technicians need?
Dr. Alexandra Gorgevska Ph.D.: Graduates [of all ages] will continue to need hands-on skills, the ability to work both in the group and individual settings, and, most importantly, be curious and teachable. Soft skills have taken on greater importance over the years, so we provide ongoing events for outreach, scientific communication, interview preparation, etc., to help provide students with ways to improve and grow their soft skills.
We are seeing scientific communications transitioning from in-person to remote settings, and our students are excelling at rising to the challenges. South Florida has a diverse life science career field, and our students continue to be well prepared to enter the job market and succeed in their career paths.
What experience really stands out on Environmental Laboratory Technician resumes?
Dr. Alexandra Gorgevska Ph.D.: The Palm Beach State College Biotechnology Program is a very hands-on intensive training program that ensures our graduates are well versed in fundamental life science laboratory techniques and sterile/aseptic techniques and instrumentation skills. As part of our program, students can earn two College Credit Certificates along with an A.S. degree that includes an industry internship experience.
We are very fortunate to have an excellent relationship with our business partners who are familiar with our facilities, worked with us for many years, and are aware of the vast instrumentation and hands-on training our students receive. They continue to provide career opportunities for our students and interns.
What type of skills will young Environmental Laboratory Technicians need?
John Wilbur Ph.D.: In the short-term, testing skills like PCR and ELISA seems essential, but I think the enduring skills or working with a team, writing, and other communication skills are most important.
Mohammad Saadeh Ph.D.
Department HeadSoutheastern Louisiana University
Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Environmental Laboratory Technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Mohammad Saadeh Ph.D.: IoT and automation.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Environmental Laboratory Technicians in the next 5 years?
Mohammad Saadeh Ph.D.: There will be an increase; however, employers will be looking for a unique set of qualities/abilities. Some of the trends have been: technical writing, sales, communication, besides the technical skills, which must be current with the evolution in communication methods that we are experiencing.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Environmental Laboratory Technicians?
Glen P. Miller: Yes, there will be many enduring impacts. Office spaces and buildings will be devalued somewhat, while remote work and virtual meetings have become and will remain important. In chemistry and tangential fields, there will always be a need for in-person work in specialized laboratories, but the manner in which we communicate results internally and externally has changed. There will be less emphasis on in-person communication and a greater emphasis on remote and electronic communication, including email and video reports/presentations. Business travel will drop while skills that enable effective electronic communication will play an even larger role than they already do. Writing skills, including but not limited to technical writing, will become an increasingly valued characteristic of top employees. An ability to speak in a clear, articulate manner will also be prized. None of this, however, supersedes the need for graduates with a robust background in chemistry and a strong work ethic to match.
Gerald Bergtrom Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences (Emeritus) & Teaching & Learning ConsultantUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Biological Sciences Department
What Environmental Laboratory Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Gerald Bergtrom Ph.D.: The answers here depend on why the gap year is needed. If the need is to have an income, this would need to be balanced against other desirable needs and wishes.
- Thinking about a whole gap year, the student should make a long-term commitment to skills improvement and fill in gaps in a resume or job application.
-If the new graduate can afford it, spend some time traveling, to be exposed to different cultures and languages. If the student lives in an area with a growing LatinX population, learning some Spanish would be useful.
-If it looks like the gap year will not include activities related to the job they hope to get at the end of the year, then take at least one STEM course in their area of interest so as not to lose their edge. This could be an online course (for example, a MOOC). Do it for credit if necessary, to prove (to themselves and others) that they still love and want to succeed in science.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Environmental Laboratory Technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Gerald Bergtrom Ph.D.: -In any STEM field, predicting, recognizing, and fighting climate change looms large. In the life sciences, detecting the effects of environmental change at the species, individual, cellular, and molecular level will be increasingly necessary.
-Medical science will need to respond to new challenges arising out of climate change and the aging population. Supported (as always) by basic sciences, medical science will focus on big-picture biology, represented by the ever-growing number of "...omics". These include genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics... and the enabling technologies that let us look at a lot of genes, gene products, and biochemical reactions at the same time. Finally, the ever-improving gene-editing technologies can lead to the treatment of disease, leading to a greater understanding of the disease and biological process in general.