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The differences between environmental 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 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 $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 specialist are hazardous waste, environmental compliance, and hazardous materials.
| Environmental Technician | Environmental Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $39,690 | $54,482 |
| Hourly rate | $19.08 | $26.19 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 43,079 | 18,074 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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 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 technicians and environmental specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Technician | Environmental Specialist | |
| Average salary | $39,690 | $54,482 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $51,000 | Between $36,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Danbury, CT | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | City of Detroit | Texas Instruments |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an environmental technician and an environmental specialist in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Technician | Environmental Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Environmental Science | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between environmental technicians' and environmental specialists' demographics:
| Environmental Technician | Environmental Specialist | |
| Average age | 38 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7% | Male, 62.6% Female, 37.4% |
| 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% |