How to hire an environmental technician

How to hire an environmental technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step environmental technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an environmental technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new environmental technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an environmental technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your environmental technician job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an environmental technician for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An environmental technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, environmental technicians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of environmental technicians.

   Type of Environmental Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Environmental Technician	Environmental science and protection technicians monitor the environment and investigate sources of pollution and contamination, including those affecting public health. In addition, they work to ensure that environmental violations are prevented.	$14-24
   Laboratory Analyst	A Laboratory Analyst helps conduct experiments, run laboratory tests, and analyze results. They compile and record data for the documentation needed for testing and report preparation.	$14-29
   Archaeological Field Technician	The key role of an Archaeological Field Technician is to conduct archaeological surveys, testing, and data recovery. They prepare accurate and concise laboratory documentation/mapping.	$15-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • OSHA
   • Hazardous Materials
   • Customer Service
   • Patient Rooms
   • HAZWOPER
   • Industrial Cleaning
   • Cleanliness
   • Demolition
   • Hand Tools
   • Safety Procedures
   • Asbestos
   • Environmental Compliance
   • EPA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead a crew of twelve techs in various archaeological excavations.
   • Manage designated areas to ensure proper cleanliness and safety.
   • Manage daily RCRA inspections and mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment preventive/corrective maintenance procedures.
   • Provide contractor oversight, including monitoring of technical performance of sub-contractors managing remedial cleanup projects involving hazardous waste.
   • Assist with environmental projects such as groundwater monitoring, and spatial analysis using ArcGIS.
   • Perform physical labor associate with cleanup activities, sample collection, waste removal and other remediation service.

   More environmental technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the environmental technician job description is a good way to get more applicants. An environmental technician salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an environmental technician in Nebraska may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level environmental technician. Additionally, an environmental technician with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average environmental technician salary

   $39,690yearly

   $19.08 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level environmental technician salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average environmental technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$55,848	$27
   2	California	$51,264	$25
   3	Rhode Island	$51,035	$25
   4	Minnesota	$48,680	$23
   5	Oregon	$46,027	$22
   6	Washington	$45,753	$22
   7	Virginia	$44,869	$22
   8	Maine	$43,351	$21
   9	Michigan	$42,943	$21
   10	Indiana	$41,765	$20
   11	Colorado	$41,605	$20
   12	New Hampshire	$39,877	$19
   13	Arkansas	$39,623	$19
   14	Texas	$39,046	$19
   15	North Carolina	$38,205	$18
   16	Nebraska	$37,429	$18
   17	Utah	$36,483	$18
   18	Florida	$33,499	$16

   Average environmental technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	City of Detroit	$70,016	$33.66	1
   2	Ames Construction	$55,551	$26.71
   3	Moffitt Cancer Center	$51,837	$24.92	10
   4	LCMC Health	$51,528	$24.77
   5	Johns Manville	$51,448	$24.73	2
   6	Carnival Cruise Line	$51,414	$24.72	6
   7	Vanderbilt University Medical Center	$51,325	$24.68	6
   8	Trident Seafoods	$50,186	$24.13
   9	Boston Public Schools	$49,535	$23.81
   10	Cargill	$48,344	$23.24	16
   11	Pfizer	$47,838	$23.00	6
   12	Jacobs Engineering Group	$47,697	$22.93
   13	Smith & Nephew	$47,401	$22.79
   14	Northrop Grumman	$47,200	$22.69	13
   15	Republic Services	$46,570	$22.39	37
   16	WestRock	$46,557	$22.38	10
   17	American Crystal Sugar	$46,505	$22.36
   18	Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center	$46,244	$22.23	8
   19	Marathon Petroleum	$46,140	$22.18
   20	Clean Harbors	$46,072	$22.15	153

4. Writing an environmental technician job description

   A job description for an environmental technician role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an environmental technician job description:

   Environmental technician job description example

   Environmental Solutions is a leading provider of environmental and regulated waste management solutions. We provide a strengthened infrastructure and a broad portfolio of services for customers who generate regulated waste in virtually any industry. Customers receive innovative and sustainable solutions that safeguard the environment, protect people and keep their organizations compliant.
   
   + Segregate and package material for transport along with completion of required paperwork in a legible, accurate, and timely manner in accordance with appropriate regulations and Customer policies, practices, and procedures.
   
   + Oversee large Lab pack projects and jobs with the ability to manage others. Coach technicians and operators with on-the-job in equipment operation, service line processes and necessary paperwork.
   
   + Follow all Health & Safety/Job Safety Analysis (JSA's) procedures as outlined in the procedures and policies.
   
   + Operate fork trucks and other heavy equipment when properly trained to move materials for storage / loading and off-loading.
   + Perform onsite testing of unknown materials according to policies, practices, and procedures.
   
   + Maintain records for DOT and State officials as assigned. Instruct, provide feedback, directs and assist team in performance of job duties to complete work in accordance with requirements and policies, practices and procedures.
   
   + Schedule and distribute work to team as necessary.
   
   + Assist in other areas of the location as directed including but not limited to occasional travel to customer sites; assistance with production scheduling; and support of staff training.
   
   + High school diploma or equivalent (GED); three or more years related experience preferred.
   
   + Minimum of two years of lab pack experience required.
   
   + 40 hours OSHA training with 8 hour refresher course; successful completion of forklift training.
   
   + Demonstrates proficiency to operate a computer with Windows based programs (i.e. Excel and Word).Demonstrates strong attention to detail and ability to follow procedures.
   
   + Demonstrates the ability to perform assigned tasks with minimal supervision.
   
   + The ability to oversee a large project/job with supervision of personnel.
   
   + Demonstrates advanced knowledge of facility permit, DOT packaging requirements and exempts as well as expanded knowledge of waste routing and disposal, Hazardous Materials and OSHA Regulations.
   
   + Demonstrates the ability to operate a powered industrial truck, e.g., forklift and possesses safe driving record.
   
   All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find environmental technicians for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your environmental technician job on Zippia to find and recruit environmental technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting environmental technicians requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new environmental technician

   Once you've found the environmental technician candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new environmental technician. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an environmental technician?