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The differences between water quality 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 water quality technician and an environmental technician. Additionally, a water quality technician has an average salary of $39,725, which is higher than the $39,690 average annual salary of an environmental technician.
The top three skills for a water quality technician include laboratory equipment, data collection and EPA. The most important skills for an environmental technician are patients, OSHA, and hazardous materials.
| Water Quality Technician | Environmental Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $39,725 | $39,690 |
| Hourly rate | $19.10 | $19.08 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 70,992 | 43,079 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Water quality technicians are tasked with monitoring and testing water supplies and ensuring that a particular body of water is safe. They perform various duties, which include sampling, inspecting, and testing water. They work with surface and groundwater sources. They evaluate and report the condition and features of various water samples and sources. The main goal of this job is to ensure public safety, environmental sustainability, and data integrity.
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.
Water quality technicians and environmental technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Water Quality Technician | Environmental Technician | |
| Average salary | $39,725 | $39,690 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $61,000 | 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 |
There are a few differences between a water quality technician and an environmental technician in terms of educational background:
| Water Quality Technician | Environmental Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Biology | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between water quality technicians' and environmental technicians' demographics:
| Water Quality Technician | Environmental Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.2% Female, 32.8% | Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 10.2% White, 57.2% 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% |