What does an environmental specialist do?
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 specialist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real environmental specialist resumes:
- Manage all compliance recordkeeping, sampling, monitoring, auditing, testing and training activities.
- Lead numerous consultation meetings with USACE, BOEM, USCG, NMFS, USFWS and other state and federal agencies.
- Conduct environmental and safety due diligence on industrial facilities of clients to evaluate compliance with applicable OSHA safety guidelines and EPA regulations
- Experience reviewing existing sewer collection, and conveyance plans.
- Create an air-cleaning approach to eliminate acid use in the groundwater conveyance pipes.
- Complete SPCC field verification, personnel interviews, and reviews of SPCC operating procedures, documentation, and incident reports.
- Maintain contingency plans, SPCC and SWPPP procedures for controlling hazardous spills in accordance with government regulation and insurance company requirements.
- Implement integrate pest management approaches IAW DoD regulations.
- Assist with customer and internal waste profiling to ensure proper characterization.
- Interpret and implement RCRA management procedures to ensure quality management of documents.
- Assist clients with understanding OSHA regulations and procedures relate to hazard communication.
- Develop land cover maps utilizing GIS technology through interpretation of digital imaging.
- Research political climate in Montana and work on strategies for upcoming political campaigns.
- Verify waste and empty container identification; direct that proper and timely EPA disposal procedures are followed.
- Provide guidance on appropriate mechanisms need to demonstrate financial assurance for exposure liability and RCRA closure/post-closure costs.
Environmental specialist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Environmental Specialists are proficient in Hazardous Waste, Environmental Compliance, and Hazardous Materials. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Environmental Specialists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Hazardous Waste, 9%
Performed environmental services for clients including chemical segregation, laboratory packing, and hazardous waste disposal, shipment, and inventory.
- Environmental Compliance, 8%
Provide support for the Environmental Management Information System (EMIS) database which tracks environmental compliance processes and sustainability metrics Company-wide.
- Hazardous Materials, 6%
Identified and collected hazardous materials to prevent contamination of local aquifers and surrounding water table within Sarasota County.
- EPA, 6%
Conducted environmental and safety due diligence on industrial facilities of clients to evaluate compliance with applicable OSHA safety guidelines and EPA regulations
- Customer Service, 5%
Display excellent customer service throughout hospital especially while cleaning patient rooms.
- HAZWOPER, 5%
Certified in asbestos awareness, 16-Hour Operations and Maintenance Initial, and OSHA 40-Hour HAZWOPER.
"hazardous waste," "environmental compliance," and "hazardous materials" are among the most common skills that environmental specialists use at work. You can find even more environmental specialist responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for an environmental specialist to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "environmental scientists and specialists base their conclusions on careful analysis of scientific data." Additionally, an environmental specialist resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "organized and implemented water quality studies involving collection and analysis of chemical, micro and macro biological samples. "
Communication skills. Many environmental specialist duties rely on communication skills. "environmental scientists and specialists may need to present and explain their findings to audiences of varying backgrounds and write technical reports.," so an environmental specialist will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways environmental specialist responsibilities rely on communication skills: "managed projects and cross-organizational communications regarding hazmat regulatory processes, specifically dg in commercial air transport. "
Problem-solving skills. This is an important skill for environmental specialists to perform their duties. For an example of how environmental specialist responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "environmental scientists and specialists try to find the best possible solution to problems that affect the environment and people’s health." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an environmental specialist: "answered and resolved complaints on water quality and open burning. ".
The three companies that hire the most environmental specialists are:
- Triumvirate Environmental97 environmental specialists jobs
- Veolia Water Tech56 environmental specialists jobs
- My Florida Regional Mls49 environmental specialists jobs
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Compare different environmental specialists
Environmental specialist vs. Water quality analyst
The duties of a field scientist depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In general, their responsibilities typically include conducting studies and scientific research, visiting various sites to observe and gather samples, performing laboratory analyses and experiments, maintaining records of all operations, and coming up with conclusions from the research findings. When it comes to employment opportunities, a field scientist may work for learning institutions, government agencies, and private companies, where they usually work together with other scientists and experts.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, environmental specialist responsibilities require skills like "hazardous waste," "hazardous materials," "customer service," and "hazwoper." Meanwhile a typical water quality analyst has skills in areas such as "laboratory equipment," "laboratory procedures," "water quality samples," and "water quality analysis." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
On average, water quality analysts reach similar levels of education than environmental specialists. Water quality analysts are 2.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Environmental specialist vs. Technical fellow
An environmental engineering intern is someone who provides environmental compliance. Environmental engineering interns assist environmental program administrators. They conduct surveys or studies for the completion of documents. It is their duty to help in the development and rehabilitation of monitoring wells to ensure productive water samples. They collect and compile data to establish a water-management plan on a state level. Also, they perform evaluations, establish and validate procedures, and improve record keeping.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, environmental specialist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "hazardous waste," "environmental compliance," "hazardous materials," and "customer service." Meanwhile, a technical fellow has duties that require skills in areas such as "sql," "statistical analysis," "intellectual property," and "photoshop." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Technical fellows earn a higher average salary than environmental specialists. But technical fellows earn the highest pay in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $75,007. Additionally, environmental specialists earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $63,858 annually.In general, technical fellows achieve higher levels of education than environmental specialists. They're 6.3% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for environmental specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Mike Mooring Ph.D.
Professor, Point Loma Nazarene University
Environmental specialist vs. Field scientist
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, environmental specialists are more likely to have skills like "environmental compliance," "customer service," "hazwoper," and "rcra." But a field scientist is more likely to have skills like "storm water," "laboratory analysis," "aerial photographs," and "sample collection."
Field scientists make a very good living in the internet industry with an average annual salary of $78,711. On the other hand, environmental specialists are paid the highest salary in the manufacturing industry, with average annual pay of $63,858.Most field scientists achieve a similar degree level compared to environmental specialists. For example, they're 3.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Environmental specialist vs. Environmental engineering internship
Even though a few skill sets overlap between environmental specialists and environmental engineering interns, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an environmental specialist might have more use for skills like "customer service," "hazwoper," "safety regulations," and "regulatory agencies." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of environmental engineering interns require skills like "powerpoint," "environmental intern," "data analysis," and "cad. "
The technology industry tends to pay the highest salaries for environmental engineering interns, with average annual pay of $45,430. Comparatively, the highest environmental specialist annual salary comes from the manufacturing industry.In general, environmental engineering interns hold similar degree levels compared to environmental specialists. Environmental engineering interns are 2.4% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of environmental specialist
Updated January 8, 2025
