Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 19-4042

Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health

The published band from $38,170 to $94,160 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Astronomers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health: Astronomers ($129K) , Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists ($103K) , Materials Scientists ($118K) , Economists ($125K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 19-4042 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Collect samples of gases, soils, water, industrial wastewater, or asbestos products to conduct tests on pollutant levels or identify sour…
  2. 2. Investigate hazardous conditions or spills or outbreaks of disease or food poisoning, collecting samples for analysis
  3. 3. Record test data and prepare reports, summaries, or charts that interpret test results
  4. 4. Prepare samples or photomicrographs for testing and analysis
  5. 5. Discuss test results and analyses with customers
  6. 6. Inspect workplaces to ensure the absence of health and safety hazards, such as high noise levels, radiation, or potential lighting hazards
  7. 7. Initiate procedures to close down or fine establishments violating environmental or health regulations
  8. 8. Weigh, analyze, or measure collected sample particles, such as lead, coal dust, or rock, to determine concentration of pollutants
  9. 9. Calibrate microscopes or test instruments
  10. 10. Provide information or technical or program assistance to government representatives, employers, or the general public on the issues of p…
  11. 11. Maintain files, such as hazardous waste databases, chemical usage data, personnel exposure information, or diagrams showing equipment loc…
  12. 12. Inspect sanitary conditions at public facilities

Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 19-4042 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 4.0
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.9
  3. 3. Writing 3.9
  4. 4. Speaking 3.9
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 3.8
  6. 6. Science 3.4
  7. 7. Monitoring 3.4
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 3.3

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 3.6
  2. 2. Chemistry 3.5
  3. 3. English Language 3.5
  4. 4. Biology 3.4
  5. 5. Law and Government 3.4
  6. 6. Computers and Electronics 3.4
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$38,170 to $94,160
median $55,090 · ~2.5× spread
$55K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
5,600
Annual openings
34,670
Estimated US jobs
Astronomers
Highest-pay peer · $129K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Associate's degree

Top Paying States for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health

1. Washington $67,160
2. Nebraska $66,240
3. Rhode Island $64,830
4. California $61,220
5. New York $62,400
6. Minnesota $65,320
7. Colorado $60,930
8. New Mexico $62,330
9. North Dakota $61,430
10. Connecticut $66,120

Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles

  1. 1. Materials Scientists $117,790
  2. 2. Economists $124,720
  3. 3. Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $103,410
  4. 4. Astronomers $128,820
  5. 5. Psychologists, All Other $110,840
  6. 6. Nuclear Technicians $110,240

The OEWS band for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health runs from $38,170 (10th) to $94,160 (90th), about 2.5× wide, with median $55,090. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 5,600 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Associate's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Washington at $67,160. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Astronomers at $128,820. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health pay-rank #44 in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

On the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table (48 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health lands at #44, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 19-4042

Washington · top state for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health

$67K published median

Nebraska · #2 state pay

$66K · behind Washington

Astronomers

Highest-pay peer vs Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health · $129K

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

Lower-pay peer beside Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health · $103K

Compare Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health land on the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table? ▼
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health is pay-rank #44 of 48 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Forest and Conservation Technicians ($55K), Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians ($53K), Biological Technicians ($58K), Food Science Technicians ($52K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do environmental science and protection technicians, including health do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health. Leading ones include: Collect samples of gases, soils, water, industrial wastewater, or asbestos products to conduct tests on pollutant levels or identify sour…; Investigate hazardous conditions or spills or outbreaks of disease or food poisoning, collecting samples for analysis; Record test data and prepare reports, summaries, or charts that interpret test results; Prepare samples or photomicrographs for testing and analysis. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for environmental science and protection technicians, including health? ▼
For SOC 19-4042, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (4.0), Active Listening (3.9), Writing (3.9), Speaking (3.9). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Chemistry, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $38,170 and the 90th at $94,160 for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health (2.5× spread). The national median is $55,090. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 5,600. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health? ▼
BLS assigns Associate's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health? ▼
Washington ($67,160), Nebraska ($66,240), Rhode Island ($64,830) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 19-4042. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics