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The differences between environmental programs specialists and environmental protection specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an environmental programs specialist and an environmental protection specialist. Additionally, an environmental protection specialist has an average salary of $59,771, which is higher than the $55,129 average annual salary of an environmental programs specialist.
The top three skills for an environmental programs specialist include environmental quality, environmental regulations and EPA. The most important skills for an environmental protection specialist are hazardous waste, CFR, and DOD.
| Environmental Programs Specialist | Environmental Protection Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $55,129 | $59,771 |
| Hourly rate | $26.50 | $28.74 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 18,178 | 26,135 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Environmental program specialists ensure that all environmental protocols and standards are followed in the work area. They work with janitorial services to ensure that cleanliness is maintained and wastes are correctly disposed of. If the standards have not been followed, they investigate and report it to the administration and assess the event's effect on the environment. They also conduct hands-on experiments to look for issues and provide remedies according to environmental standards.
The duties of an environmental protection specialist depend on their line of work or place of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around assessing and determining the level of pollution or damage in an area, gathering samples for scientific purposes, reviewing data and results, and providing recommendations to clients or government agencies. Furthermore, there are also instances where they have to summarize results and produce reports or presentations, coordinate with other specialists and scientists, and develop programs or projects to raise environmental awareness.
Environmental programs specialists and environmental protection specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Programs Specialist | Environmental Protection Specialist | |
| Average salary | $55,129 | $59,771 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $84,000 | Between $39,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Port Authority of New York and New Jersey | Booz Allen Hamilton |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between an environmental programs specialist and an environmental protection specialist in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Programs Specialist | Environmental Protection Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Biology | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Duke University |
Here are the differences between environmental programs specialists' and environmental protection specialists' demographics:
| Environmental Programs Specialist | Environmental Protection Specialist | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.2% Female, 47.8% | Male, 61.6% Female, 38.4% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 81.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |