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Senior geologist vs environmental technician

The differences between senior geologists and environmental technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a senior geologist, becoming an environmental technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior geologist has an average salary of $109,166, which is higher than the $39,690 average annual salary of an environmental technician.

The top three skills for a senior geologist include project management, data collection and GIS. The most important skills for an environmental technician are patients, OSHA, and hazardous materials.

Senior geologist vs environmental technician overview

Senior GeologistEnvironmental Technician
Yearly salary$109,166$39,690
Hourly rate$52.48$19.08
Growth rate5%9%
Number of jobs81143,079
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4538
Years of experience122

What does a senior geologist do?

A Senior Geologist manages all geological activities and research, and provides guidance to junior team members. They assist geological supervisors to prepare an annual and long-term plan for geological work.

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.

Senior geologist vs environmental technician salary

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

Senior GeologistEnvironmental Technician
Average salary$109,166$39,690
Salary rangeBetween $63,000 And $186,000Between $30,000 And $51,000
Highest paying CityCorpus Christi, TXDanbury, CT
Highest paying stateTexasConnecticut
Best paying companyStatoilCity of Detroit
Best paying industryEnergyEnergy

Differences between senior geologist and environmental technician education

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

Senior GeologistEnvironmental Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorGeologyEnvironmental Science
Most common collegeUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillDuke University

Senior geologist vs environmental technician demographics

Here are the differences between senior geologists' and environmental technicians' demographics:

Senior GeologistEnvironmental Technician
Average age4538
Gender ratioMale, 84.7% Female, 15.3%Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 0.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.3% Asian, 5.4% White, 82.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%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 Percentage4%8%

Differences between senior geologist and environmental technician duties and responsibilities

Senior geologist example responsibilities.

  • Manage the installation of geophones, tiltmeters, inclinometers, passive vent wells, gas caps, and ORWs.
  • Provide technical GIS support to CRA staff including data acquisition, analysis, and presentation.
  • Supervise excavations of contaminate materials, collect groundwater, potable water, and surface water samples, and perform soil-gas surveys.
  • Lead coordinator and geologist for ComEd geotechnical and environmental sampling project to support infrastructure expansion.
  • Serve as principal-in-charge on geotechnical projects ranging in scope from engineering geologic assessments to foundation engineering studies.
  • Build geological, geophysical and geochemical models for integrate basin modeling, prospect generation, volume estimation and well planning.
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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.
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Senior geologist vs environmental technician skills

Common senior geologist skills
  • Project Management, 9%
  • Data Collection, 9%
  • GIS, 8%
  • Geotechnical, 7%
  • Autocad, 5%
  • Business Development, 4%
Common environmental technician skills
  • Patients, 12%
  • OSHA, 7%
  • Hazardous Materials, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Patient Rooms, 5%
  • HAZWOPER, 4%

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