Pipeline technician vs environmental technician

The differences between pipeline technicians and environmental technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a pipeline technician and an environmental technician. Additionally, a pipeline technician has an average salary of $40,614, which is higher than the $39,690 average annual salary of an environmental technician.

The top three skills for a pipeline technician include DOT, safety equipment and excavations. The most important skills for an environmental technician are patients, OSHA, and hazardous materials.

Pipeline technician vs environmental technician overview

	Pipeline Technician	Environmental Technician
Yearly salary	$40,614	$39,690
Hourly rate	$19.53	$19.08
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	11,313	43,079
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

What does a pipeline technician do?

A pipeline technician specializes in the maintenance of pipeline systems, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities include liaising with clients and traveling to their locations, assessing the site conditions, performing tests and inspections using special equipment and computer programs, and repairing leaks and other detected issues promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a pipeline technician, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with team members, coordinating with them every step of the way for a safe and effective service.

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.

Pipeline technician vs environmental technician salary

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

	Pipeline Technician	Environmental Technician
Average salary	$40,614	$39,690
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $63,000	Between $30,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	-	Danbury, CT
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	City of Detroit
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between pipeline technician and environmental technician education

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

	Pipeline Technician	Environmental Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Environmental Science
Most common college	-	Duke University

Pipeline technician vs environmental technician demographics

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

	Pipeline Technician	Environmental Technician
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%	Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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	8%	8%

Differences between pipeline technician and environmental technician duties and responsibilities

Pipeline technician example responsibilities.

Manage daily RCRA inspections and mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment preventive/corrective maintenance procedures.
Establish and maintain spatial databases using ESRI ArcGIS.
Receive training in management, civil rights, computer security, and ArcGIS.
Monitor the gas flow rates from the meter to assure the pigs will launch and be receive.
Keep general area clean per OSHA regulations wear the basic, PPE on pipeline construction site hard hat.
Perform daily, weekly and annual maintenance on pumps, compressors, generators, boosters, flanges and pigs.

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.

Pipeline technician vs environmental technician skills

Common pipeline technician skills

DOT, 7%
Safety Equipment, 6%
Excavations, 6%
Pump Stations, 6%
Pipeline Operations, 4%
Routine Maintenance, 4%

Common environmental technician skills

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

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Pipeline Technician
Pipeline Technician vs Environmental Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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