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The differences between environmental service technicians and environmental specialists 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 specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an environmental specialist has an average salary of $54,482, 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 specialist are hazardous waste, environmental compliance, and hazardous materials.
| Environmental Service Technician | Environmental Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $30,862 | $54,482 |
| Hourly rate | $14.84 | $26.19 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 83,697 | 18,074 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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 specialists are experts in natural science who are responsible for monitoring the environmental impact of a population, identifying environmental problems, and recommending measures to solve these issues. These scientists perform various duties and responsibilities that include overseeing field examinations and reporting hazard materials and locations, evaluating environmental health concerns, and investigating preparing reports related to environmental issues. Environmental specialists are also responsible for consulting with agencies or clients about an issue or situation and working with other companies to reduce pollution and waste.
Environmental service technicians and environmental specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Service Technician | Environmental Specialist | |
| Average salary | $30,862 | $54,482 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $37,000 | Between $36,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Thousand Oaks, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Texas Instruments |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an environmental service technician and an environmental specialist in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Service Technician | Environmental Specialist | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between environmental service technicians' and environmental specialists' demographics:
| Environmental Service Technician | Environmental Specialist | |
| Average age | 38 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% | Male, 62.6% Female, 37.4% |
| 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% |