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The differences between environmental 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 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 $39,690 average annual salary of an environmental technician.
The top three skills for an environmental technician include patients, OSHA and hazardous materials. The most important skills for an environmental scientist are environmental compliance, data collection, and GIS.
| Environmental Technician | Environmental Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $39,690 | $60,208 |
| Hourly rate | $19.08 | $28.95 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 43,079 | 56,425 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 38 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
An environmental technician is responsible for identifying, evaluating, preventing, and controlling contamination of the environment. They study how it affects human health with the supervision of environmental engineers and environmental scientists. Environmental technicians work by monitoring the environment and look for possible sources of pollution and contamination that can possibly affect public health. They make sure that environmental violations are prevented. In addition, an environmental technician also investigates any complaint that is related to water quality, air quality, and food safety.
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 technicians and environmental scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Technician | Environmental Scientist | |
| Average salary | $39,690 | $60,208 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $51,000 | Between $43,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Danbury, CT | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | City of Detroit | Chevron |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between an environmental technician and an environmental scientist in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Technician | Environmental Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Environmental Science | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between environmental technicians' and environmental scientists' demographics:
| Environmental Technician | Environmental Scientist | |
| Average age | 38 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7% | Male, 61.7% Female, 38.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.0% 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% |