Wildlife technician vs environmental technician

The differences between wildlife technicians and environmental technicians 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 technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an environmental technician has an average salary of $39,690, 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 technician are patients, OSHA, and hazardous materials.

Wildlife technician vs environmental technician overview

	Wildlife Technician	Environmental Technician
Yearly salary	$33,462	$39,690
Hourly rate	$16.09	$19.08
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	9,809	43,079
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	40	38
Years of experience	4	2

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 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.

Wildlife technician vs environmental technician salary

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

	Wildlife Technician	Environmental Technician
Average salary	$33,462	$39,690
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $44,000	Between $30,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	Danbury, CT
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Connecticut
Best paying company	Boulder County	City of Detroit
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Energy

Differences between wildlife technician and environmental technician education

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

	Wildlife Technician	Environmental Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Biology	Environmental Science
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Wildlife technician vs environmental technician demographics

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

	Wildlife Technician	Environmental Technician
Average age	40	38
Gender ratio	Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5%	Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7%
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, 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	6%	8%

Differences between wildlife technician and environmental technician 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 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.

Wildlife technician vs environmental technician skills

Common wildlife technician skills

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

Common environmental technician skills

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

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Wildlife Technician
Wildlife Technician vs Environmental Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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