Environmental science and protection technicians
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Environmental science and protection technicians in the United States earn a median salary of $55,090 per year — about $26 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 40K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +4%.
AI & Automation Risk
The core of this role involves physical fieldwork, such as collecting soil and water samples and inspecting facilities, which AI cannot perform. However, AI will significantly impact the digital aspects of the job, including data analysis, the preparation of reports and charts, and the modeling of environmental impacts.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth, MN-WIBEST VALUE | $89,040 | Below avg (88.8) | $100,306 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $77,860 | Below avg (91.9) | $84,720 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $90,720 | Above avg (108.6) | $83,539 |
| Visalia, CA | $77,390 | Average (99.8) | $77,526 |
| Redding, CA | $77,650 | Average (100.7) | $77,122 |
| Fresno, CA | $77,840 | Average (102.2) | $76,196 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $70,600 | Below avg (95.5) | $73,891 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $66,240 | Below avg (91.9) | $72,070 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $65,870 | Below avg (93.6) | $70,407 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $80,840 | Above avg (115.6) | $69,923 |
| Iowa City, IA | $63,690 | Below avg (91.5) | $69,600 |
| Bismarck, ND | $62,640 | Below avg (91.0) | $68,817 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $74,170 | Above avg (107.8) | $68,814 |
| Boise City, ID | $67,680 | Average (98.4) | $68,787 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $74,410 | Above avg (109.4) | $68,003 |
Education & Requirements
Related Careers
Find Environmental science and protection technicians Jobs
Search open positions across the US
Search Jobs →