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The differences between environmental specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an environmental specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a specialist has an average salary of $58,013, which is higher than the $54,482 average annual salary of an environmental specialist.
The top three skills for an environmental specialist include hazardous waste, environmental compliance and hazardous materials. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Environmental Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $54,482 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $26.19 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 18,074 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 39 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Environmental specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $54,482 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $80,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Texas Instruments | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between an environmental specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Environmental Science | Business |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between environmental specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Environmental Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 39 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.6% Female, 37.4% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 11% |