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The differences between environmental service technicians and environmental scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an environmental service technician, becoming an environmental scientist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an environmental scientist has an average salary of $60,208, which is higher than the $30,862 average annual salary of an environmental service technician.
The top three skills for an environmental service technician include patients, environmental services and customer service. The most important skills for an environmental scientist are environmental compliance, data collection, and GIS.
| Environmental Service Technician | Environmental Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $30,862 | $60,208 |
| Hourly rate | $14.84 | $28.95 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 83,697 | 56,425 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 38 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
An environmental service technician is an employee who works in a hospital or healthcare facility to maintain cleanliness and a healthy environment within the premises. Environmental service technicians are involved in traditional janitorial tasks as well as proper handling and disposal of biological waste. Although not responsible for laundering them, they are required to distribute linens and keep track of the linens used per department. Environmental service technicians must also refill toilet papers and other paper products to rooms when needed.
Environmental scientists are responsible for analyzing environmental issues and creating their solutions. They protect the environment together with human health by using their understanding of natural science. It is their job to advise policy-makers, work with industry professionals to reduce waste, and clean up polluted areas. Also, they assess environmental risks and research to guide businesses, government administrators, as well as the general public on probable environmental threats and health risks. Additionally, they ensure that these entities follow the environmental regulations and policies to help minimize their environmental impact on the ecosystem.
Environmental service technicians and environmental scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Service Technician | Environmental Scientist | |
| Average salary | $30,862 | $60,208 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $37,000 | Between $43,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Thousand Oaks, CA | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Chevron |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between an environmental service technician and an environmental scientist in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Service Technician | Environmental Scientist | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Business | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between environmental service technicians' and environmental scientists' demographics:
| Environmental Service Technician | Environmental Scientist | |
| Average age | 38 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% | Male, 61.7% Female, 38.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 9.5% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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 | 8% | 16% |