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Job outlook for environmental remediation specialists in the United States
Are environmental remediation specialist jobs in demand?
Environmental remediation specialist job and salary trends over time
Environmental remediation specialist jobs over time
Environmental remediation specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,007 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,109 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,104 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,054 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,073 | 0.00% |
Average environmental remediation specialist salary over time
Environmental remediation specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $59,205 | $28.46 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $57,693 | $27.74 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | $57,507 | $27.65 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $56,109 | $26.98 | +0.7% |
| 2021 | $55,713 | $26.78 | +2.1% |
Environmental remediation specialist jobs by state
Most common states for environmental remediation specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 116 | 17% |
| 2 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 114 | 15% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 104 | 14% |
| 4 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 344 | 11% |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 198 | 10% |
| 6 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 134 | 10% |
| 7 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 57 | 10% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 586 | 9% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 117 | 9% |
| 10 | Delaware | 961,939 | 79 | 8% |
| 11 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 79 | 8% |
| 12 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 66 | 8% |
| 13 | Vermont | 623,657 | 52 | 8% |
| 14 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 577 | 7% |
| 15 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 411 | 7% |
| 16 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 242 | 7% |
| 17 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 150 | 7% |
| 18 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 113 | 7% |
| 19 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 96 | 7% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 73 | 7% |
Most common cities for environmental remediation specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Little Rock | 1 | 1% | $48,136 |
| 2 | Jacksonville | 1 | 0% | $41,056 |
Environmental Remediation Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of environmental remediation specialist experts
Kent State University
Gonzaga University
American Institute of Professional Geologists
Kennesaw State University
University of Minnesota
Barnard College
Baylor University
Louisiana State University
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Denison University
Penn State Behrend
Rowan University
Bethune-Cookman University
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
North Carolina Central University
American Public University System
University of Minnesota, Morris
Forsyth County, Georgia
Point Loma Nazarene University
Colorado Mountain College
What general advice would you give to an Environmental Remediation 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 Remediation 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.
Dr. Greg Gordon Professor/Chair
Professor/ChairGonzaga University
Natural Resources Conservation And Research
What will help Environmental Remediation 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.
Christine Lilek
Vice President National AIPGAmerican Institute of Professional Geologists
What skills stand out on Environmental Remediation Specialist resumes?
Christine Lilek: -BS in Environmental Engineering, Geology, Hydrogeology; MS is a plus or equivalent experience.
-G.I.T. (Geologist In Training) or Early Career Professional (from AIPG) is desirable; CPG (from AIPG) or -State PG, or ability to obtain such credential is a plus.
-Excellent computer skills with MS Office, MS Project, PowerPoint, and other computer applications, GIS, and AutoCAD experience are a plus.
-OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER certification is desirable
-Documentation of environmental sustainability projects
-Documentation of diversity and inclusion policy implementation
Dr. Dan Ferreira Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Environmental ScienceKennesaw State University
Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
What Environmental Remediation 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.
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 Remediation 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.
Logan Brenner Ph.D.
Assistant Professor in Environmental ScienceBarnard College
Environmental Science Department
What hard/technical skills are most important for Environmental Remediation 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 will help Environmental Remediation Specialists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Stacy Atchley Ph.D.: Graduate degrees (M.S. and/or PhD); geospatial numerical modeling skills and associated expertise in data analytics (geostatistics, including machine learning and related artificial intelligence).
What's a good job out of college for Environmental Remediation 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.
Joel Burken Ph.D.
Curators’ Distinguished Professor & ChairMissouri University of Science and Technology
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
What Environmental Remediation Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Joel Burken Ph.D.: We have recommended to advance their technical and professional training. We have a new BS+MS degree option for high performing students that make our MS engineering degrees very achievable in a few years, in Civil, Civil-Architectural and emphasis, or Environmental. We also have certificates in a variety of areas, including collaborative with Engineering Management to get more project management focus in their background, and also a certificate as a specific credential.
What general advice would you give to an Environmental Remediation Specialist?
Dr. Doug Spieles Ph.D.: Cast a wide net. You may have an ideal position and geographic location in mind, but very few people land that dream job immediately. A willingness to pursue various positions and locations can increase your odds of finding an entry-level job. This can help you build skills and networks that will put you in a healthier place for achieving your ultimate goal.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Environmental Remediation Specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Doug Spieles Ph.D.: I would place data science and geographic information systems at the top of the list. We live in the information age, which is both exciting and overwhelming. I believe that we will increasingly need scientists who know how to obtain and use data to solve spatially explicit environmental problems.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Environmental Remediation Specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Deborah Aruguete Ph.D.: Starting salaries vary quite a bit because they are adjusted for the cost-of-living in a given area. I've seen as low as $40k, but in many areas of the country, that's a comfortable salary for a single person. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says, on average, annual pay is $71k. For just having a bachelor's degree, that's pretty strong, and I'd say that reflects how much one can progress. Remember that many positions for environmental scientists are with the federal, state, and local governments. These positions generally have excellent benefits and adequate job security, not reflected in the pay.
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorRowan University
Department of Language, Literacy and Sociocultural education
How would you rate the starting salaries for Environmental Remediation Specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.: Educators are not paid nearly enough. However, working in a state with strong teachers' unions helps to ensure a starting salary that recent graduates can live off of and growth opportunities, albeit modest, over their careers.
Dr. Michael Reiter Ph.D.
Professor, Director, and ChairBethune-Cookman University
Department of Integrated Environmental Science
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Environmental Remediation Specialists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Michael Reiter Ph.D.: The active areas for environmental issues have traditionally been the more forward-thinking and ecologically concerned cities and states (such as the West Coast, much of New England, large university hubs, etc.). But with the growth of environmental awareness and sustainability concerns over the last decade or two in this country (albeit in fits and starts), there are opportunities almost anywhere in the academic, private, and public sectors. Environmental issues connect to virtually any topic and any region of the country, and they impact all social groups, making opportunities potentially available almost anywhere. So while the traditionally active locations will likely remain active, you won't necessarily have to go far to find a way to use your environmental skills and abilities. Careers in Environmental Science are expected to grow at around 10%, much faster than average, so you can expect many options to become available.
How do you envision technology impacting Environmental Remediation Specialists in the next 5 years?
Dr. Michael Reiter Ph.D.: Technology has been impacting the environmental field dramatically for some time. The use of GIS and Remote Sensing, artificial intelligence and fuzzy logic, drones and in situ sensors, complex modeling (such as global climate models and neural networks), and crowdsourcing strategies are all in use now and growing in application and acceptance. There is also a developing focus on data mining to use the existence of large, relatively underutilized datasets. I expect all of these to continue to develop as the environmental issues of concern continue to grow in scale and complexity and as ways are sought to handle such large complex problems without relying on an enormous increase in the workforce.
How do you envision technology impacting Environmental Remediation Specialists in the next 5 years?
Melissa Sullivan: At the EPA, individuals have diverse backgrounds in a full range of career fields and positions. Depending on the position, we're likely to see technology impacting these career fields, over the next five years, in areas such as artificial and geospatial intelligence, IT security skills, cloud service integration, project management, business process design, a virtual workforce, and democratization of technology across the field, enabling broader participation.
Elisha Blankson
Program Director NCCU, Assistant ProfessorNorth Carolina Central University
Communication Disorders Department
What type of skills will young Environmental Remediation Specialists need?
Elisha Blankson: Graduates will need a skill set about the field in which they received training and additional skills useful to the job market. For example, with the changing demographics in the United States, extra skills in information technology and foreign languages will be a plus when entering the job market.
Dr. Elizabeth Keavney Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorAmerican Public University System
Public Administration Department
How do you envision technology impacting Environmental Remediation Specialists in the next 5 years?
Dr. Elizabeth Keavney Ph.D.: COVID-19 has increased the number of people who are working at home. This means a solid basic knowledge of telecommuting, and the ability to work unsupervised will be necessary. The ability to use remote security protocols, the cloud, and various software platforms will be required.
What type of skills will young Environmental Remediation Specialists need?
Ed Brands Ph.D.: Not all of our graduates are "young" or of traditional college age, so perhaps we can call this group "new" graduates? It may seem ironic, given the rapid shift to remote working and learning and using technology nearly always. Still, soft skills such as adaptability, communication (oral and written, and nonverbal--e.g., making eye contact), and teamwork-related skills like active listening and negotiating are becoming more critical. There is, and will continue to be, demand for clear and effective communication, in short, sound-bytes, which is, in part, being driven by the increasing use of remote communication technology (no one likes long webinars or Zoom calls).
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Environmental Remediation Specialists to find work opportunities?
Donna Kukarola: This one, not so sure of, the southeast continues to see options as well as mid-western states.
What Environmental Remediation Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Mike Mooring Ph.D.: The attached paper is an excellent resource to answer that question, but I would recommend that they get experience in any of the following nonacademic skills: written and oral communication, project management, leadership, and field biology skills for those careers in which that is important.
Philip Halliwell Ph.D.
Professor of Environmental Science & SustainabilityColorado Mountain College
Department of Science & Sustainability
What type of skills will young Environmental Remediation Specialists need?
Philip Halliwell Ph.D.: Graduates are going to need practical skills and versatile skills. These skills can be applied to a variety of jobs in a variety of industries. A sustainability graduate should be able to offer just that. Of course, we are faced with large societal issues that a multitude of industries will need to be involved in solving. Specific skills would include problem-solving and project management. Graduates need to diagnose problems, offer sustainable solutions, and navigate the challenges of implementing such a solution.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Environmental Remediation Specialists to find work opportunities?
Philip Halliwell Ph.D.: I'm not sure there are specific geographic areas that are more suitable than others for sustainability graduates. The field is so broad that graduates are in demand in various industries, from manufacturing, to energy, to transportation and even education. These industries exist all over the country and even globally. Building a sustainable world will require improvements in processes and products everywhere. Further, consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable options. This will force all industries to provide customers with what they are asking for, resulting in more opportunities for graduates.