How much does a environmental tech make?
Answer: A typical environmental tech in the United States makes $55,090 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 35,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Environmental tech pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $38,170 | $55,090 | $94,160 | about 35,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $67,160 | about 850 |
| New York | $62,400 | about 2,000 |
| New Mexico | $62,330 | about 500 |
| California | $61,220 | about 6,000 |
| Colorado | $60,930 | about 740 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay can vary with experience, state licenses or safety training, and whether the employer is a government office, testing lab, or consulting company. Location, special skills, and working extra or unusual hours can also affect earnings.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a environmental tech do?
Perform laboratory and field tests to monitor the environment and investigate sources of pollution, including those that affect health, under the direction of an environmental scientist, engineer, or other specialist. May collect samples of gases, soil, water, and other materials for testing.
What's a typical day like?
They collect air, soil, or water samples outdoors, then use lab tools such as microscopes to check for contamination. They log and report results, and may inspect a business or the equipment measuring pollution.
How to get this job
U.S. environmental techs usually enter after high school with an associate degree in environmental or public health; some jobs accept high school, others need a bachelor’s. State licenses vary, and hazardous-waste work may require OSHA safety training.
Usually a bachelor's degree (preparation level 4 of 5)
Good for people who like building and doing and figuring things out.
Did you know?
Some environmental techs send real-time information to emergency managers and weather services during floods.
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Life, Physical, and Social Science jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/environmental-science-and-prote
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/19-4042.00
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- apps.das.nh.gov/HRBroadGroupSpecifications/docs/classspec/spec_E/19-4040_ENV%20S
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY