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Job outlook for environmental programs specialists in the United States
Environmental programs specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected environmental programs specialist job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 3,800 new jobs for environmental programs specialists are projected over the next decade.
Environmental programs specialist salaries have increased 6% for environmental programs specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 25,277 environmental programs specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 18,178 active environmental programs specialist job openings in the US.
The average environmental programs specialist salary is $55,129.
Are environmental programs specialist jobs in demand?
Environmental programs specialist job and salary trends over time
Environmental programs specialist jobs over time
Environmental programs specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 25,277 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 27,815 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 27,710 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 26,457 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 26,930 | 0.01% |
Average environmental programs specialist salary over time
Environmental programs specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $55,129 | $26.50 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $53,721 | $25.83 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | $53,548 | $25.74 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $52,246 | $25.12 | +0.7% |
| 2021 | $51,877 | $24.94 | +2.1% |
Environmental programs specialist jobs by state
Most common states for environmental programs specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 140 | 20% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 110 | 15% |
| 3 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 87 | 12% |
| 4 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 356 | 11% |
| 5 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 60 | 10% |
| 6 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 168 | 9% |
| 7 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 114 | 9% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 82 | 9% |
| 9 | Vermont | 623,657 | 56 | 9% |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 564 | 8% |
| 11 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 633 | 7% |
| 12 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 485 | 7% |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 396 | 7% |
| 14 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 255 | 7% |
| 15 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 123 | 7% |
| 16 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 120 | 7% |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 99 | 7% |
| 18 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 98 | 7% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 73 | 7% |
| 20 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 60 | 7% |
Most common cities for environmental programs specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Collins | 1 | 1% | $55,921 |
| 2 | Overland Park | 1 | 1% | $51,101 |
Environmental Programs Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of environmental programs specialist experts
Bellarmine University
Florida International University
North Carolina State University
Kent State University
Gonzaga University
Gannon University
American Institute of Professional Geologists
University of North Alabama
Lafayette College
Kennesaw State University
West Virginia Wesleyan College
University of Minnesota
Concordia University
Barnard College
Bard College
The University of Memphis
University of Puerto Rico-RP
Illinois State University
Louisiana State University
What general advice would you give to an Environmental Programs Specialist?
Martha Carlson Mazur PhD: Be a contributing member of the communities you occupy. Forming authentic relationships builds the network that will lead to opportunities for advancement.
What Environmental Programs Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Martha Carlson Mazur PhD: The art of paying attention is the top emerging skill that students need to acquire before entering the workforce in Environmental Science. We have so many distractions vying for our attention in today’s high-tech world that we need to be mindful of where we choose to direct our thoughts to optimize our productivity. Likewise, paying attention to changes in the environment is of utmost importance in the work that we do, and paying attention to our own needs will keep us going in the hard but rewarding work of changing the world.
What will help Environmental Programs Specialists increase their earning potential?
Martha Carlson Mazur PhD: Be clear to yourself on what you value and how you want to use your unique skills and knowledge to change your piece of the world. Then, connect with people to find shared values and build relationships to enact your vision while being open to opportunities you might not have considered.
What general advice would you give to an Environmental Programs Specialist?
Dr. Krishnaswamy Jayachandran: Suggestion to pursue advanced graduate education to keep up with the specialized areas such as GIS, Remote Sensing, Environmental Law, Sustainable Resources Management. Make use of the internship opportunities or volunteer opportunities will be helpful to maximize your monetary benefits such as salaries. Networking with professionals in this field and keeping track of salary trends in the area will be helpful to maximize earnings. Develop leadership skills, communication skills, be proactive in career advancement and professional developmental activities will increase your earning potential.
Frederick Cubbage
ProfessorNorth Carolina State University
Environmental/Natural Resources Management And Policy
What Environmental Programs Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Frederick Cubbage: People who either want to work outside and fulfill their passion for natural systems and environments and often are attracted to natural resources.
What will help Environmental Programs Specialists increase their earning potential?
Frederick Cubbage: Natural resource graduates at the undergraduate or graduate level may perform jobs that range from intensive field work to a mix of management and field work to more human dimensions of natural resources.
What general advice would you give to an Environmental Programs Specialist?
Dr. Christopher Post PhD: Start local and get an internship while an undergraduate. Any position with the federal lands agencies (parks, forests, BLM, etc.) are tough to get and you have to work your way in to that federal system. Start local with regional/county/city parks and forests and work up to the federal level. Also keep that balance between the science (the biology and earth science) and the more social science/humanities (ethics, economics, communications) material you’ve learned as undergraduate. These jobs are all about communicating complex scientific/environmental issues with the general public so that context is very important. You have to be nimble and know both areas (the science and the social science) and their overlap.
What Environmental Programs Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Christopher Post PhD: Geographic Information Science—the ability to take field data and make it visual with maps so that you and others can witness and analyze spatial relations is the most important skill set in environmental careers right now and will continue as such. Everything in nature moves—albeit sometimes slowly—and understanding those interactions is key to unfolding humanity’s impacts on the environment, and vice versa.
What will help Environmental Programs Specialists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Christopher Post PhD: Having field and lab experience as an undergraduate—showing you can put theory to practice via internships or other undergraduate research opportunities should best position a student for maximizing that starting salary.
Dr. Greg Gordon Professor/Chair
Professor/ChairGonzaga University
Natural Resources Conservation And Research
What general advice would you give to an Environmental Programs Specialist?
Dr. Greg Gordon Professor/Chair: Find work in another field! LOL. Seriously, the benefits of environmental work cannot be monetized.
What Environmental Programs Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Greg Gordon Professor/Chair: Do field work as much as possible while you're young! Don't shun seasonal work or internships. There are a plethora of federal jobs right now, so it's a good time to get in with a federal agency.
What will help Environmental Programs Specialists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Greg Gordon Professor/Chair: We find that graphical information systems (GIS) skills are in high demand. Soft skills such as ability to work as a team, develop work plans, collaborate and communicate with diverse stakeholders, communicate technical and scientific information, are, and will be very important in the near and long term future.
Liu Cao Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Environmental Science & Engr.Gannon University
Natural Resources Conservation And Research
What will help Environmental Programs Specialists increase their earning potential?
Liu Cao Ph.D.: Obtaining licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) can significantly enhance your career prospects and credibility. The requirements typically include passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, gaining relevant work experience, and then passing the PE exam.
Internships, co-op programs, and volunteer work in your field can provide you with valuable experience and skills that are attractive to employers. Practical experience can also lead to higher starting salaries and better job opportunities.
The field of environmental science is rapidly evolving, influenced by global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable development. Keeping abreast of industry trends and technological advancements can make you more competitive in the job market. Employers value professionals who are proactive about their continuing education and professional development.
What Environmental Programs Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Liu Cao Ph.D.: In the evolving landscape of environmental science, key skills poised to gain prominence over the next 3-5 years, in my opinion, include data analysis and environmental modeling, essential for interpreting complex datasets and predicting trends. Proficiency in GIS and remote sensing will become increasingly vital for monitoring environmental changes and managing resources efficiently. Additionally, a deep understanding of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies will be crucial as professionals seek to address global warming's pressing challenges. These skills, combined with interdisciplinary collaboration and effective communication, will equip environmental scientists to tackle the multifaceted issues facing our planet.
What will help Environmental Programs Specialists increase their earning potential?
Aaron Haines Ph.D., Certified Wildlife Biologist ®: Learn to be a team player and be reliable enough to complete tasks by yourself. Make sure your online presence is one of a professional in your field. Potential employers will search you out online. Have these searches lead to the professional you. The ecology and environmental biology fields are competitive. As a growing professional in these fields, you will begin with lower salaries compared to biology majors in other fields such as the medical, pharmaceutical, and research lab professions. Most government organizations that deal with ecology-based issues, such as natural resources or environmental monitoring, have lower budgets compared to other government departments. Also, non-government organizations that work in these fields are mainly non-profit. The best way to get into these competitive fields is via internships and temporary positions. Experience is key. Temporary positions are low pay, but they provide the building blocks of experience to get you more permanent and better pay positions or entry into graduate school with an assistantship. Graduate assistantships provide opportunities for graduate students to get paid, have benefits, and have tuition covered. That is a good deal. Look for jobs in places you would never think to look. Examples of unique employers in these fields include private consulting organizations, research labs doing environmental work, and Department of Defense.
What general advice would you give to an Environmental Programs Specialist?
Aaron Haines Ph.D., Certified Wildlife Biologist ®: Having more technical skill sets can help you get entry level positions that can lead to higher pay positions. These include the ability to extract DNA from biological samples and understand the process of DNA sequencing, be familiar with geographical information systems (GIS) software such as ArcPro, ArcGIS, QGIS, be familiar with programming language such as Phyton and R statical programming, and government policies that impact your field of study.
Be a member of a professional organization and attend their conferences. This will allow you the opportunity to learn from others, network, and meet potential future employers.
Christine Lilek
Vice President National AIPGAmerican Institute of Professional Geologists
What soft skills should all Environmental Programs Specialists possess?
Christine Lilek: -Ability to build strong relationships with partners and clients concerning their technical area and the broader business objectives.
-Ability to communicate technical information with clients, engineers and scientists, government regulators and agencies, and academia, as well as non-technical communication to the public.
-Ability to build and maintain productive professional and personal networking relationships.
-Ability to interact professionally with a client and subcontractor representatives.
-Ability to understand and follow all applicable health and safety policies and procedures.
-Ability to understand and follow all established industry standards, policies, procedures, and guidelines to complete projects.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Environmental Programs Specialists?
Christine Lilek: -List all your field sampling techniques you have practiced (groundwater and surface water sampling, wastewater sampling, solid/hazardous waste sampling, sediment sampling, soil sampling, soil vapor sampling, air sampling, environmental drilling and logging, and windshield surveys).
-List the various environmental and engineering permits and regulatory compliance reporting documents you have completed for class or as an intern (air permits, stormwater, and wastewater permits, air emissions inventories, hazardous material inventories, and toxic release inventories)
-List the various office tasks you have practiced or completed as an intern (reviewing environmental regulations and guidance documents; reviewing requests for proposals and professional qualifications; tabulating and interpreting environmental and engineering data; preparing cost estimates, proposals, and technical memorandums; and communicating with project managers and support team on project progress).
Michael Pretes
Professor and Chair of Geoscience, University of North AlabamaUniversity of North Alabama
Geography And Cartography
What skills stand out on Environmental Programs Specialist resumes?
Michael Pretes: Environmental Analyst jobs are increasingly important, given greater impact and awareness of sustainability and climate change issues. Environmental Analysts help determine the environmental impacts of human actions and corporate and government policies. They also help corporations and government agencies achieve compliance with environmental regulations. Work, internship, or volunteer experience in areas related to the job really stands out on a resume. This could mean work that involves either field experience or policy development and reports writing. Field experience can mean the collection of land, water, or atmospheric data in the area of impact rather than from textual sources. Each type of data collection will require its own set of skills. Having been involved in policy decisions or having written and published reports on environmental conditions or impacts also looks good for some types of jobs.
What soft skills should all Environmental Programs Specialists possess?
Michael Pretes: Good communication skills are essential for Environmental Analyst positions, as indeed they are for most jobs. This means good written, oral, and visual communication skills. Writing skills are used in everything from emails to technical reports. Oral communication skills are essential when speaking to individuals and to small and large groups. And visual communication skills are increasingly important in everything from social media to the production of maps, charts, and images.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Environmental Programs Specialists?
Michael Pretes: Remote Sensing Applications, including LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), are increasingly important. These technologies include the collection and analysis of images and data collected from satellites, aircraft, and UAVs (drones). The ability to use technology to acquire this imagery and then to analyze it will be of great use in pursuing a career as an Environmental Analyst or related careers. Knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and general mapping skills are also of great use. All of these skills can be acquired through Geography and Geoscience courses and programs.
What skills will help Environmental Programs Specialists earn the most?
Michael Pretes: The above two abilities--good communication skills and experience with Remote Sensing technologies--will give anyone an edge. Having a Master's degree or extensive field experience can also help boost your salary.
Dru Germanosk Ph.D.
Dr. Ervin R. VanArtsdalen Professor of GeologyLafayette College
Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences
What hard/technical skills are most important for Environmental Programs Specialists?
Dru Germanosk Ph.D.: A strong multidisciplinary set of science and engineering courses along with GIS and multidisciplinary courses in environmental courses in Policy, social sciences, and the humanities. Being well-rounded, as well as having a depth of knowledge, is essential. We infuse interdisciplinary problem solving into our curriculum, including a team-based capstone seminar course.
What skills will help Environmental Programs Specialists earn the most?
Dru Germanosk Ph.D.: A deep foundation in the sciences with a focus on problem-solving along with the ability to function at the nexus of economics, politics, and policy.
Dr. Dan Ferreira Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Environmental ScienceKennesaw State University
Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
What general advice would you give to an Environmental Programs Specialist?
Dr. Dan Ferreira Ph.D.: I think it's tough to negotiate higher salaries when you're first starting out, but I think it's perfectly reasonable during a job interview to ask what the advancement potential is like for the position. What is the next step up the ladder and how long does it usually take for a new employee to get promoted to that step? What is the salary like for that position? That way you can have an idea what your future earning potential is going to be like before you take a job. If the employer says that you won't get promoted to the next step for 5 years or that the next step only pays $0.50 an hour more than the entry level step, that's probably a red flag that this is an employer you should avoid. Make sure you also ask about overtime. If you get paid time and a half for working over 40 hours, that gives you an opportunity to pad your paycheck if you can put in a few extra hours. Also, I think it's important to consider non-financial benefits for a position when you think about your total compensation. Will the employer pay for you to get additional certifications in that field? Will the employer pay for you to go to grad school and get your Master's at some point? Will the employer match donations you make to charitable organizations you are passionate about? There are a lot more considerations, when it comes to compensation, than just the base salary or hourly rate.
What Environmental Programs Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Dan Ferreira Ph.D.: I think the best advice I can offer recent graduates is to be as flexible as possible. Being willing to relocate, for example, vastly expands the number of potential jobs they can apply to. Applying for positions that might not be exactly where they want to go, but might give them the experience or skills they need to get to their desired career after a year or two also will help open more doors. So if you can't find your ideal job right away, consider that internship or volunteer opportunity that will make you more marketable in the future.
What will help Environmental Programs Specialists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Dan Ferreira Ph.D.: In environmental science, GIS is becoming a requirement for a lot more jobs. It has always been a useful skillset, but it has been integrated into a lot more jobs in the environmental field than 5 or 10 years ago. We require all of our environmental science majors to take at least one GIS class for this reason, but we have several others available as electives and our students can even pursue a GIS certificate through our Geography department using elective credits for our degree program. Coming from an environmental consulting background, I also tell students to consider getting their 40-hour HAZWOPER certification if they are interested in that field. It's required for any job where you deal with hazardous materials or work on contaminated sites, so having one of those already under your belt when you apply for a job makes you much more appealing to employers since they don't have to pay for you to get it if they hire you.
Joseph Niederhauser Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of BiologyWest Virginia Wesleyan College
Department of Biology and Environmental Science
What skills stand out on Environmental Programs Specialist resumes?
Joseph Niederhauser Ph.D.: Data collection, management, and analysis skills stand out on an Environmental Scientist's resume. Specifically, knowing how to design experiments, collect many different kinds of data (e.g., soil or water samples, GPS points, wildlife surveys), creating or maintaining a database for samples, and analyzing changes over time or impact of those data make you very marketable. Additionally, knowledge and practice of state and federal environmental protection laws stand out.
Erin Surdo Ph.D.
Teaching Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Environmental EngineeringUniversity of Minnesota
Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering
What skills stand out on Environmental Programs Specialist resumes?
Erin Surdo Ph.D.: Students with strong oral communication and project management skills and technical background in material balances and fluid mechanics often succeed in environmental engineering careers.
Dr. Pascale Biron Ph.D.
ProfessorConcordia University
Department of Geography, Planning and Environment
What skills stand out on Environmental Programs Specialist resumes?
Dr. Pascale Biron Ph.D.: A multidisciplinary understanding of environmental problems (Earth systems and climate science, environmental biology, environmental chemistry) is crucial considering the increasing number of challenges, including climate change, severe weather events, the loss of biodiversity, pollution, and the unsustainable use of the Earth's resources that we face in the Anthropocene.
Logan Brenner Ph.D.
Assistant Professor in Environmental ScienceBarnard College
Environmental Science Department
What skills stand out on Environmental Programs Specialist resumes?
Logan Brenner Ph.D.: It is really impressive to see some type of research experience outlined on a resume and related output, such as a presentation or poster at a conference or some other public venue or an article. It is important that you clearly explain the research project on the resume or CV to highlight its relevance to whatever job you are applying for. Maybe the content is relevant, or instead, it is the skills that you learned. Honestly, it is becoming much more commonplace to see a research project on a resume, so I would almost say that it is a critical component. Conducting research indicates that you can work independently and/or in a team, solve problems, and think creatively and critically. Summarizing your findings in a conference presentation or a write-up shows that you can distill and communicate your most important and compelling conclusions and that you can finish a project.
What soft skills should all Environmental Programs Specialists possess?
Logan Brenner Ph.D.: It is rare that someone will solve a problem, answer a research question, or make a discovery on their own. As is the case in many science fields, collaboration is key, so working in a team is critical. To do this effectively, you must collaborate with people who may have different work styles than you, be comfortable with delegation and self-assigning responsibilities, communicate and resolve conflict, know when to be a leader, and follow someone else's lead, and manage your time. From an environmental science perspective, our world is becoming ever more complex, and the best way to address complex problems is with a group of diverse minds. We need to have an open mind, start approaching problems creatively, and consider the value of having varied educational and professional training and multiple perspectives.
Your science will mean little and have minimal impact if you can't explain it to anyone who asks. As an environmental scientist, you will undoubtedly have to communicate your work to varied audiences ranging from professionals in your field to the general public. Therefore, you need to recognize your audiences and meet them at their level to get your ideas across. What is most impressive is not a lecture full of unnecessary jargon that obscures your point but instead a few succinct and eloquent sentences using universally understood language.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Environmental Programs Specialists?
Logan Brenner Ph.D.: Keep in mind the field of environmental science is quite broad, and so the hard or technical skills that are necessary for one specialty may be less important in another. Being able to code and work with big data are two skills that are becoming more important each day. Try to become semi-proficient in at least one coding language, but you will likely have to learn another in the not-so-distant future. While math was never my favorite subject, I admit that many of my classes became relevant in my work. It is hard to know when in your career applying what you learned about partial derivatives will become necessary, but it will, and you will wish you paid better attention in Calculus Class (speaking from experience). Being able to model, often a combination of coding and math, is a complex but valuable skill. When applied, this could mean using or understanding climate models, groundwater flow, population growth, viral spread, or predictions of any kind. Being able to model is a powerful tool.
What skills will help Environmental Programs Specialists earn the most?
Logan Brenner Ph.D.: Suppose by earn we are referring to earning money. In that case, you want to hone skills applicable to a wide variety of careers and fields. Many people call these transferrable skills. Being able to code and work with large amounts of data are critical skills to any STEM field and are becoming more relevant in nearly every sector. If you can get experience coding or working with data in a classroom setting, that is great. If you can also get some hands-on experience applying those skills to a research project, independent study, or during an internship, even better. Being comfortable working with numbers, i.e., proficient in math, is also valuable. Numerous soft skills will also help you excel in the workplace, such as being flexible and ready to pivot when your work takes you in a new direction, ease with public speaking and communication, and self-confidence. Believing in yourself will make it easier for others to believe in you. This is much easier said than done, and many successful people struggle with imposter syndrome and managing their own self-confidence. It is totally normal but something that you should prioritize throughout your professional career.
What skills stand out on Environmental Programs Specialist resumes?
Dr. Eban Goodstein: For our MS Policy graduates, the ability to write an interdisciplinary literature review is the foundation for policy formulation and grant writing.
What soft skills should all Environmental Programs Specialists possess?
Dr. Eban Goodstein: Networking.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Environmental Programs Specialists?
Dr. Eban Goodstein: Solid natural science background, esp ecology, and biogeochemical cycles.
What skills will help Environmental Programs Specialists earn the most?
Dr. Eban Goodstein: Data analysis skills.
Daniel Larsen
Professor of Earth SciencesThe University of Memphis
Department of Earth Sciences
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Environmental Programs Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Daniel Larsen: The job market in our region is soft in geology, but recent graduates have found employment at government agencies (state environmental divisions, and state and federal surveys) and environmental and engineering consulting firms. I expect these trends to continue. Energy and mineral industries are conducting little hiring in our region, and I expect this trend to continue during pandemic and under the current federal administration.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Environmental Programs Specialists?
Elvia Melendez-Ackerman Ph.D.: An unwritten rule is that the more marketable college graduates not only finish with an appropriate selection of content courses but also with a myriad of hands-on experiences where the student has had the opportunity to develop and strengthen scientific and technical skills, but just as important are the soft skills expected in their chosen profession. Many of these hands-on experiences occur off campus and indeed these are highly encouraged by academic advisors. For most students graduating after 2020, the pandemic reduced the number of opportunities in which they engaged in these types of activities, reducing their number of hours spent in "job-like" settings. It is in these settings where students can develop and demonstrate their leadership, teamwork and, organizational skills and, their ability to get the job done.
Because these off-campus experiences are carried out under supervision, they become important sources of letters of recommendations for employment from experts that truly know how they can perform under different situations. In the short-term, COVID-19 and events with similar outcomes (i.e.. shutdown of educational facilities) could be viewed as a selective factor that would favor those students that engaged early in their undergraduate degree in complementary activities (i.e., internships, volunteer work in research projects, research for credit, etc.). Within that context, shutdowns related to the pandemic might have impacted job preparedness of students from different socio-economic backgrounds differently. For those students that needed to work to pay for college, engaging early in ancillary professional activities might not have been an option. Socio-economic disparities in terms of access to technology (good computer, high speed internet) may have also led to unequal learning experiences. I taught a course in drone technologies where we managed to purchase GIS software licenses to allow students to work on simple spatial analyses remotely, but some students just did not have the computing capacity to operate these at home and ended up having to watch others.
For employers looking to hire recent college graduates that can do reliable fieldwork and perform well under fieldwork conditions (e.g., research areas related to environmental, social, or social-environmental work), the pool of experienced students would now be reduced. At the same time, college graduates will have a tougher time accruing the much-needed experience time that will make them competitive.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Environmental Programs Specialists?
Elvia Melendez-Ackerman Ph.D.: Getting a job is all about skills. Any science major who is seriously thinking about becoming a researcher is expected to have good skills in data analysis, modelling and visualization, statistical skills (spatial and temporal). In short, they are required to have fundamental data skills to conduct research. This is particularly true for any graduate in Environmental Sciences where an immense amount of data is generated by so many organizations and agencies around the world. Most jobs list these stills as a must, but some even require that students be proficient in a computing language (R, Python, etc.).
There are indeed many online courses, certifications (on computer languages like R, Python or software such as ArcGIS) and resources available that students could take advantage of especially during these pandemic times. These skills require practice and time, but the advantage is that they allow for conducting certain aspects of research remotely in ways that can advance anyone's career. These skills indeed can not only expand the career mobility of prospective hires but also give them a better chance to fit in interdisciplinary groups.
What soft skills should all Environmental Programs Specialists possess?
Elvia Melendez-Ackerman Ph.D.: To me the following are almost universal. College graduates should be responsible, reliable, have good organizational skills, great capacity work both in groups and independently. Ideally a college graduate shows good leadership, communication, and problem-solving abilities. These last three often appear as requirements in job applications, but even if unlisted you better believe that a prospective employer is looking for those skills when reviewing an application. The pandemic brought to the forefront the importance of communication skills (written and oral) and the importance of networking especially in their professional environments. It has also shifted the ways in which communication needs to be conducted in workplaces. Understanding and becoming proficient in these new communication strategies is more desirable than ever.
Dr. David Malone Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of GeologyIllinois State University
Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Environmental Programs Specialists?
Dr. David Malone Ph.D.: Most entry-level Geology positions don't require special certification or licenses. The Certified Professional Geologist license comes further down the road after some experience is gained. This is most important to environmental consulting companies.
What's a good job out of college for Environmental Programs Specialists?
Dr. David Malone Ph.D.: Any job is a good job out of college! Geology is broad enough, and our graduates are highly sought enough, that puts us in the favorable position of having more leads than students to pursue them. Most folks would prefer to begin with a couple of years far from Illinois that requires a fair amount of field work and travel. This is not universal. Some folks prefer to stay in Illinois and work from a desk or lab. About half of our graduates go on to graduate school for further specialization when they finish up here.
What's a good job out of college for Environmental Programs Specialists?
Peter Clift: Over the coming years I could see that engineering geology including coastal engineering and river management may become more important to geoscience graduates with an increasing interest in carbon capture rather than in the traditional oil industry. Environmental geology is likely to remain strong and increasing field as well.