Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3025) earn a median $59,920 a year ($28.81 an hour) in the United States, with 12,190 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What environmental engineering technologists and technicians do
Environmental engineering technologists and technicians support environmental engineers and scientists in preventing, controlling, and cleaning up pollution and other environmental problems. They test, modify, and operate the equipment and devices used in waste treatment, air and water pollution control, and site remediation, under the direction of an engineer or scientist. Typical tasks include performing environmental quality work in the field and in the office, recording laboratory and field data such as test results and photographs, and maintaining project logbooks and computer files. They also produce environmental assessment reports, tabulating data and preparing charts and graphs to present findings. Some collect and analyze pollution samples such as air or groundwater, prepare and package samples for shipping or testing, and decontaminate or test the field equipment used to clean or test pollutants. The occupation differs from environmental engineers, who design the systems, from environmental scientists and specialists, who plan and interpret studies, and from environmental science and protection technicians, who monitor pollution and sample for contamination. Maintaining process parameters and evaluating process anomalies also fall to them.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Air Analysis Technician, Air Pollution Specialist, Air Analyst, Air Moving Technician, Air Analysis Engineering Technician.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $19.19 | $23.18 | $28.81 | $36.52 | $46.47 | $31.19 | 12,190 |
| Annual | $39,910 | $48,200 | $59,920 | $75,960 | $96,660 | $64,870 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where environmental engineering technologists and technicians earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $25.48 | $32.06 | $48.10 | $52.51 | $58.81 | $45.08 | 270 | 0.08 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $52,990 | $66,670 | $100,050 | $109,220 | $122,320 | $93,770 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $30.15 | $36.78 | $38.83 | $47.89 | $47.89 | $40.90 | 140 | 0.07 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $62,700 | $76,500 | $80,770 | $99,620 | $99,620 | $85,070 | ||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $21.48 | $30.01 | $38.51 | $46.06 | $47.17 | $37.07 | 450 | 0.14 | 1.77 |
| Annual | $44,670 | $62,420 | $80,100 | $95,800 | $98,120 | $77,100 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $32.02 | $35.00 | $37.43 | $40.38 | $45.15 | $38.30 | 40 | 0.14 | 1.76 |
| Annual | $66,590 | $72,800 | $77,860 | $83,980 | $93,910 | $79,670 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $26.51 | $30.17 | $36.22 | $48.43 | $48.43 | $38.49 | 70 | 0.04 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $55,130 | $62,760 | $75,330 | $100,730 | $100,730 | $80,050 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $21.89 | $23.75 | $28.85 | $39.06 | $53.42 | $33.94 | 2,060 | 0.11 | 1.44 |
| Annual | $45,540 | $49,400 | $60,010 | $81,230 | $111,110 | $70,580 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $17.43 | $18.27 | $27.48 | $30.65 | $37.77 | $26.67 | 1,240 | 0.09 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $36,240 | $38,000 | $57,150 | $63,750 | $78,560 | $55,480 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $18.56 | $23.03 | $29.09 | $42.60 | $42.60 | $31.55 | 670 | 0.14 | 1.76 |
| Annual | $38,590 | $47,890 | $60,500 | $88,610 | $88,610 | $65,620 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $18.72 | $21.92 | $24.92 | $31.15 | $40.15 | $27.27 | 630 | 0.11 | 1.45 |
| Annual | $38,930 | $45,600 | $51,830 | $64,790 | $83,520 | $56,730 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $20.93 | $25.09 | $30.07 | $35.68 | $44.67 | $31.35 | 470 | 0.05 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $43,540 | $52,190 | $62,540 | $74,220 | $92,900 | $65,210 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $27.62 | $34.46 | $50.60 | $58.97 | $63.19 | $47.29 | 160 | 0.14 | 1.80 |
| Annual | $57,450 | $71,690 | $105,250 | $122,660 | $131,440 | $98,370 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $27.53 | $38.13 | $50.52 | $52.51 | $52.51 | $45.39 | 190 | 0.09 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $57,260 | $79,320 | $105,070 | $109,220 | $109,220 | $94,410 | ||||
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | Hourly | $31.16 | $31.16 | $44.34 | $48.43 | $48.43 | $43.98 | 30 | 0.03 | 0.38 |
| Annual | $64,800 | $64,800 | $92,230 | $100,730 | $100,730 | $91,490 | ||||
| Knoxville, TN | Hourly | $31.00 | $33.90 | $43.96 | $46.66 | $47.11 | $39.97 | 250 | 0.59 | 7.48 |
| Annual | $64,480 | $70,500 | $91,440 | $97,050 | $98,000 | $83,140 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $30.15 | $38.30 | $42.69 | $47.89 | $50.18 | $41.99 | 120 | 0.10 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $62,700 | $79,670 | $88,790 | $99,620 | $104,370 | $87,340 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $17.43 | $21.65 | $27.48 | $30.68 | $36.52 | $28.01 | 670 | 0.20 | 2.58 |
| Annual | $36,250 | $45,030 | $57,150 | $63,810 | $75,960 | $58,260 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $18.56 | $23.03 | $29.09 | $42.60 | $42.60 | $31.57 | 540 | 0.19 | 2.36 |
| Annual | $38,600 | $47,890 | $60,500 | $88,610 | $88,610 | $65,670 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $24.83 | $28.29 | $31.63 | $39.34 | $44.05 | $33.83 | 500 | 0.05 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $51,650 | $58,840 | $65,790 | $81,820 | $91,620 | $70,370 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $23.29 | $23.97 | $28.28 | $38.09 | $46.28 | $33.04 | 350 | 0.06 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $48,450 | $49,850 | $58,830 | $79,230 | $96,260 | $68,720 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | $21.89 | $22.80 | $27.89 | $29.64 | $42.94 | $29.92 | 340 | 0.22 | 2.78 |
| Annual | $45,540 | $47,410 | $58,020 | $61,650 | $89,320 | $62,240 | ||||
Top industries employing environmental engineering technologists and technicians
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services employ 37.7% of environmental engineering technologists and technicians nationally (4,600 jobs) at a median $59,340 a year ($28.53 an hour), followed by Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (16.2%) and Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (9.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 4,600 | 37.7% | $59,340 | $28.53 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services NAICS 541600 | 1,980 | 16.2% | $55,770 | $26.81 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 1,180 | 9.7% | $64,930 | $31.22 |
| Remediation and Other Waste Management Services NAICS 562900 | 930 | 7.6% | $49,620 | $23.86 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 900 | 7.4% | $63,200 | $30.39 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (12,190). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $48,390 for environmental engineering technologists and technicians in May 2021 and $59,920 in May 2025, with employment of 14,910 and 12,190.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $48,390 | $23.27 | 14,910 |
| May 2022 | $50,980 | $24.51 | 13,400 |
| May 2023 | $54,000 | $25.96 | 13,780 |
| May 2024 | $58,890 | $28.31 | 12,500 |
| May 2025 | $59,920 | $28.81 | 12,190 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
47 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $48.10 | $100,050 | $52,990 | $122,320 | 270 | 0.08 | 0.97 |
| 2 | Oregon profile | $38.83 | $80,770 | $62,700 | $99,620 | 140 | 0.07 | 0.90 |
| 3 | Tennessee profile | $38.51 | $80,100 | $44,670 | $98,120 | 450 | 0.14 | 1.77 |
| 4 | Alaska profile | $37.43 | $77,860 | $66,590 | $93,910 | 40 | 0.14 | 1.76 |
| 5 | Nevada profile | $36.22 | $75,330 | $55,130 | $100,730 | 70 | 0.04 | 0.54 |
| 6 | Maryland profile | $32.46 | $67,510 | $48,320 | $101,410 | 250 | 0.09 | 1.16 |
| 7 | Massachusetts profile | $32.14 | $66,860 | $47,240 | $84,270 | 320 | 0.09 | 1.12 |
| 8 | Arizona profile | $31.45 | $65,420 | $49,110 | $96,900 | 190 | 0.06 | 0.74 |
| 9 | Maine profile | $31.09 | $64,660 | $34,180 | $68,280 | ** | ** | ** |
| 10 | South Carolina profile | $30.39 | $63,200 | $46,050 | $96,250 | 220 | 0.09 | 1.20 |
| 11 | New York profile | $30.07 | $62,540 | $43,540 | $92,900 | 470 | 0.05 | 0.62 |
| 12 | Idaho profile | $29.92 | $62,240 | $45,550 | $104,720 | 80 | 0.10 | 1.22 |
| 13 | Oklahoma profile | $29.76 | $61,900 | $49,830 | $75,970 | 370 | 0.22 | 2.78 |
| 14 | Kentucky profile | $29.55 | $61,470 | $42,660 | $77,390 | 200 | 0.10 | 1.29 |
| 15 | New Mexico profile | $29.41 | $61,170 | $39,560 | $101,370 | 130 | 0.15 | 1.90 |
| 16 | Louisiana profile | $29.25 | $60,840 | $36,400 | $88,000 | 100 | 0.05 | 0.65 |
| 17 | Colorado profile | $29.20 | $60,740 | $47,840 | $82,060 | ** | ** | ** |
| 18 | New Jersey profile | $29.20 | $60,740 | $47,060 | $82,930 | 400 | 0.09 | 1.19 |
| 19 | Georgia profile | $29.09 | $60,500 | $38,590 | $88,610 | 670 | 0.14 | 1.76 |
| 20 | Utah profile | $29.04 | $60,410 | $37,690 | $81,990 | 120 | 0.07 | 0.86 |
| 21 | Alabama profile | $28.93 | $60,170 | $45,160 | $86,810 | 230 | 0.11 | 1.38 |
| 22 | Minnesota profile | $28.90 | $60,110 | $47,690 | $104,130 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.23 |
| 23 | California profile | $28.85 | $60,010 | $45,540 | $111,110 | 2,060 | 0.11 | 1.44 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania profile | $28.81 | $59,920 | $43,180 | $101,550 | 250 | 0.04 | 0.52 |
| 25 | Kansas profile | $28.57 | $59,420 | $36,250 | $108,350 | ** | ** | ** |
| 26 | Montana profile | $28.31 | $58,870 | $43,850 | $81,940 | 80 | 0.16 | 2.04 |
| 27 | Iowa profile | $28.22 | $58,690 | $44,920 | $78,280 | 80 | 0.05 | 0.68 |
| 28 | Texas profile | $27.48 | $57,150 | $36,240 | $78,560 | 1,240 | 0.09 | 1.13 |
| 29 | Nebraska profile | $26.29 | $54,690 | $37,140 | $89,570 | 40 | 0.04 | 0.55 |
| 30 | South Dakota profile | $25.94 | $53,960 | $38,540 | $63,400 | 40 | 0.08 | 1.01 |
| 31 | North Carolina profile | $25.80 | $53,660 | $43,190 | $73,470 | 120 | 0.02 | 0.31 |
| 32 | Indiana profile | $25.54 | $53,110 | $46,680 | $89,280 | 130 | 0.04 | 0.53 |
| 33 | Virginia profile | $25.16 | $52,330 | $45,570 | $75,280 | ** | ** | ** |
| 34 | Florida profile | $24.99 | $51,970 | $34,930 | $69,080 | 420 | 0.04 | 0.54 |
| 35 | Ohio profile | $24.92 | $51,830 | $38,930 | $83,520 | 630 | 0.11 | 1.45 |
| 36 | Hawaii profile | $24.91 | $51,810 | $36,000 | $82,080 | 50 | 0.08 | 1.04 |
| 37 | Illinois profile | $24.78 | $51,540 | $42,130 | $65,910 | 80 | 0.01 | 0.18 |
| 38 | Michigan profile | $24.42 | $50,800 | $47,290 | $70,890 | 220 | 0.05 | 0.64 |
| 39 | Wisconsin profile | $23.65 | $49,190 | $43,200 | $77,750 | 310 | 0.11 | 1.36 |
| 40 | West Virginia profile | $22.91 | $47,650 | $46,560 | $79,220 | 40 | 0.05 | 0.67 |
| 41 | Arkansas profile | $21.78 | $45,290 | $38,190 | $57,740 | 200 | 0.16 | 1.99 |
| 42 | New Hampshire profile | $19.17 | $39,880 | $36,260 | $51,370 | ** | ** | ** |
| 43 | Mississippi profile | $17.63 | $36,680 | $35,000 | $68,620 | 100 | 0.08 | 1.07 |
| – | Connecticut profile | * | * | * | * | 80 | 0.05 | 0.62 |
| – | Delaware profile | * | * | * | * | 80 | 0.17 | 2.16 |
| – | Missouri profile | * | * | * | * | 180 | 0.06 | 0.79 |
| – | Wyoming profile | * | * | * | * | 60 | 0.20 | 2.53 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (17-3020), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Architecture and Engineering Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 17-3025 Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 17-3025, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 17-3025.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.