Geographer vs environmental technician

The differences between geographers and environmental technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a geographer has an average salary of $65,339, which is higher than the $39,690 average annual salary of an environmental technician.

The top three skills for a geographer include spatial data, arcgis and remote sensing. The most important skills for an environmental technician are patients, OSHA, and hazardous materials.

Geographer vs environmental technician overview

	Geographer	Environmental Technician
Yearly salary	$65,339	$39,690
Hourly rate	$31.41	$19.08
Growth rate	-	9%
Number of jobs	1,646	43,079
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	41	38
Years of experience	-	2

What does a geographer do?

A geographer studies nature, land, and the earth's features. They gather geographic data through aerial field observations, maps, and satellite images. They conduct research through surveys, interviews, and other qualitative methods. They present the results of their research findings by writing reports. They may also advise others in using GIS, remote sensing, and GPS.

What does an environmental technician do?

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.

Geographer vs environmental technician salary

Geographers and environmental technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Geographer	Environmental Technician
Average salary	$65,339	$39,690
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $93,000	Between $30,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Arlington, VA	Danbury, CT
Highest paying state	Virginia	Connecticut
Best paying company	CoreLogic	City of Detroit
Best paying industry	Government	Energy

Differences between geographer and environmental technician education

There are a few differences between a geographer and an environmental technician in terms of educational background:

	Geographer	Environmental Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Geography	Environmental Science
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Duke University

Geographer vs environmental technician demographics

Here are the differences between geographers' and environmental technicians' demographics:

	Geographer	Environmental Technician
Average age	41	38
Gender ratio	Male, 74.2% Female, 25.8%	Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 8.1% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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%
LGBT Percentage	11%	8%

Differences between geographer and environmental technician duties and responsibilities

Geographer example responsibilities.

Manage client data and perform database extraction regularly to make timely data updates.
Experience in obtaining and applying GPS data with ArcGIS.
Assist with elements of USGS NAQWA program, including data analysis and fieldwork.
Use ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcScene, ArcINFO, RockWorks, and prepare files for EarthVision.
Provide concept-build for additional MOUT's for all of DOD.
Plan and coordinate field surveys collecting environmental and infrastructure features with multiple attributes using handheld GPS and survey grade GPS.

Environmental technician example 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.

Geographer vs environmental technician skills

Common geographer skills

Spatial Data, 19%
ArcGIS, 14%
Remote Sensing, 14%
Python, 7%
Data Collection, 7%
Esri, 6%

Common environmental technician skills

Patients, 12%
OSHA, 7%
Hazardous Materials, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
Patient Rooms, 5%
HAZWOPER, 4%

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Geographer vs Environmental Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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