Wildlife technician vs environmental specialist

The differences between wildlife technicians and environmental specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a wildlife technician, becoming an environmental specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an environmental specialist has an average salary of $54,482, which is higher than the $33,462 average annual salary of a wildlife technician.

The top three skills for a wildlife technician include GPS, hand tools and harvest. The most important skills for an environmental specialist are hazardous waste, environmental compliance, and hazardous materials.

Wildlife technician vs environmental specialist overview

	Wildlife Technician	Environmental Specialist
Yearly salary	$33,462	$54,482
Hourly rate	$16.09	$26.19
Growth rate	9%	5%
Number of jobs	9,809	18,074
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	40	39
Years of experience	4	6

What does a wildlife technician do?

A wildlife technician is responsible for supporting wildlife biologists and management personnel on conducting research projects for habitat preservation and environmental welfare. Wildlife technicians create data reports, assist in laboratory examinations, collect biological samples, and maintaining the safety and security of the premises by observing surveillance equipment and adhering to safety policies and protocols. They also operate and inspect the efficiency of tools and equipment, provide routine maintenance, and request immediate repairs as necessary. A wildlife technician helps in planning wildlife programs and managing information dissemination to the public.

What does an environmental specialist do?

Environmental specialists are experts in natural science who are responsible for monitoring the environmental impact of a population, identifying environmental problems, and recommending measures to solve these issues. These scientists perform various duties and responsibilities that include overseeing field examinations and reporting hazard materials and locations, evaluating environmental health concerns, and investigating preparing reports related to environmental issues. Environmental specialists are also responsible for consulting with agencies or clients about an issue or situation and working with other companies to reduce pollution and waste.

Wildlife technician vs environmental specialist salary

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

	Wildlife Technician	Environmental Specialist
Average salary	$33,462	$54,482
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $44,000	Between $36,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	California
Best paying company	Boulder County	Texas Instruments
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between wildlife technician and environmental specialist education

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

	Wildlife Technician	Environmental Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Biology	Environmental Science
Most common college	Duke University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Wildlife technician vs environmental specialist demographics

Here are the differences between wildlife technicians' and environmental specialists' demographics:

	Wildlife Technician	Environmental Specialist
Average age	40	39
Gender ratio	Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5%	Male, 62.6% Female, 37.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 10.1% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 81.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	16%

Differences between wildlife technician and environmental specialist duties and responsibilities

Wildlife technician example responsibilities.

Lead fish exclusion and relocation efforts, using backpack electro fishing gear.
Research new techniques to properly manage invasive species such a common carp.
Perform automated DNA and RNA extraction of clinical specimens.
Collect and process biological samples for epidemiology PCR and RT-PCR studies.
Work with other volunteers and sometimes independently to search for, identify and record GPS coordinates of invasive plant species.
Extract nematode specimens from soil samples, remount old nematode slides, and enter vital information into USDA nematode collection database.

Environmental specialist example responsibilities.

Manage all compliance recordkeeping, sampling, monitoring, auditing, testing and training activities.
Lead numerous consultation meetings with USACE, BOEM, USCG, NMFS, USFWS and other state and federal agencies.
Conduct environmental and safety due diligence on industrial facilities of clients to evaluate compliance with applicable OSHA safety guidelines and EPA regulations
Experience reviewing existing sewer collection, and conveyance plans.
Create an air-cleaning approach to eliminate acid use in the groundwater conveyance pipes.
Complete SPCC field verification, personnel interviews, and reviews of SPCC operating procedures, documentation, and incident reports.

Wildlife technician vs environmental specialist skills

Common wildlife technician skills

GPS, 9%
Hand Tools, 8%
Harvest, 7%
Data Entry, 6%
Wildlife Habitat, 6%
GRASS, 5%

Common environmental specialist skills

Hazardous Waste, 9%
Environmental Compliance, 8%
Hazardous Materials, 6%
EPA, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
HAZWOPER, 5%

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Wildlife Technician
Wildlife Technician vs Environmental Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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