Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health (SOC 19-4042) earn a median $55,090 a year ($26.49 an hour) in the United States, with 34,670 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What environmental science and protection technicians, including health do
Environmental science and protection technicians monitor the environment and investigate sources of pollution, including those that affect human health, working under an environmental scientist, engineer, or other specialist. They perform laboratory and field tests. Typical tasks include collecting samples of gases, soils, water, industrial wastewater, and materials such as asbestos for analysis, investigating hazardous conditions, spills, or outbreaks of disease or food poisoning, and preparing samples or photomicrographs for testing. They record test data and prepare reports, summaries, or charts that interpret the results, and some calibrate microscopes and testing instruments. The occupation differs from environmental scientists and specialists, who plan studies and interpret findings, from environmental engineering technicians, who help operate and adjust pollution control and remediation equipment, and from occupational health and safety technicians, who focus on workplace hazards. Workplace inspections for health and safety hazards, such as high noise levels, and discussions of test results with customers also fall to them.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Air Analyst, Air Pollution Auditor, Air Quality Technician (Air Quality Tech), Asbestos Microscopist, Biotechnician.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.35 | $22.03 | $26.49 | $33.61 | $45.27 | $29.23 | 34,670 |
| Annual | $38,170 | $45,820 | $55,090 | $69,910 | $94,160 | $60,800 | ||
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 science and protection technicians, including health 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 | $22.77 | $26.72 | $32.29 | $51.20 | $51.20 | $37.26 | 850 | 0.24 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $47,360 | $55,580 | $67,160 | $106,490 | $106,490 | $77,500 | ||||
| Nebraska | Hourly | $19.40 | $23.85 | $31.85 | $38.63 | $42.81 | $31.78 | 140 | 0.14 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $40,350 | $49,600 | $66,240 | $80,350 | $89,040 | $66,090 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $23.27 | $27.00 | $31.79 | $40.64 | $55.72 | $35.78 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $48,400 | $56,160 | $66,120 | $84,520 | $115,890 | $74,420 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $17.66 | $24.87 | $31.41 | $43.75 | $54.58 | $34.73 | 450 | 0.15 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $36,730 | $51,730 | $65,320 | $91,000 | $113,530 | $72,240 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | $24.57 | $24.57 | $31.17 | $39.71 | $46.98 | $33.89 | 90 | 0.19 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $51,100 | $51,100 | $64,830 | $82,600 | $97,720 | $70,490 | ||||
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 | $18.11 | $22.59 | $29.43 | $40.18 | $51.36 | $32.57 | 6,010 | 0.33 | 1.48 |
| Annual | $37,670 | $46,990 | $61,220 | $83,580 | $106,840 | $67,750 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $18.99 | $22.44 | $24.38 | $30.21 | $37.87 | $27.01 | 3,350 | 0.24 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $39,490 | $46,680 | $50,710 | $62,840 | $78,770 | $56,190 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $18.88 | $21.29 | $23.48 | $29.19 | $35.66 | $25.78 | 2,090 | 0.21 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $39,280 | $44,280 | $48,840 | $60,710 | $74,170 | $53,620 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $19.24 | $22.65 | $30.00 | $38.30 | $51.73 | $32.84 | 1,960 | 0.20 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $40,020 | $47,100 | $62,400 | $79,660 | $107,600 | $68,320 | ||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $18.19 | $20.96 | $23.77 | $29.84 | $37.16 | $26.71 | 1,450 | 0.35 | 1.59 |
| Annual | $37,840 | $43,600 | $49,430 | $62,060 | $77,300 | $55,560 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | Hourly | $24.06 | $33.03 | $43.61 | $53.27 | $53.27 | $42.08 | 40 | 0.33 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $50,050 | $68,700 | $90,720 | $110,800 | $110,800 | $87,520 | ||||
| Duluth, MN-WI | Hourly | $21.30 | $37.40 | $42.81 | $42.81 | $45.46 | $38.23 | 50 | 0.40 | 1.78 |
| Annual | $44,300 | $77,790 | $89,040 | $89,040 | $94,560 | $79,520 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $24.04 | $29.50 | $38.86 | $54.23 | $61.90 | $41.83 | 690 | 0.29 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $50,000 | $61,360 | $80,840 | $112,810 | $128,750 | $87,000 | ||||
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | Hourly | $19.05 | $20.00 | $37.43 | $48.65 | $49.30 | $35.17 | 90 | 0.40 | 1.80 |
| Annual | $39,630 | $41,600 | $77,860 | $101,200 | $102,550 | $73,150 | ||||
| Fresno, CA | Hourly | $21.84 | $28.50 | $37.43 | $48.49 | $48.51 | $37.38 | 400 | 0.83 | 3.73 |
| Annual | $45,430 | $59,290 | $77,840 | $100,850 | $100,910 | $77,750 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $20.87 | $23.58 | $30.22 | $40.03 | $46.93 | $32.09 | 1,460 | 0.23 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $43,400 | $49,050 | $62,850 | $83,260 | $97,620 | $66,750 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $20.50 | $23.23 | $30.12 | $39.01 | $51.10 | $33.33 | 1,440 | 0.15 | 0.68 |
| Annual | $42,640 | $48,310 | $62,650 | $81,130 | $106,300 | $69,320 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $19.07 | $22.70 | $23.64 | $29.84 | $42.38 | $27.29 | 930 | 0.28 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $39,670 | $47,210 | $49,170 | $62,060 | $88,160 | $56,760 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $20.59 | $23.86 | $25.86 | $30.84 | $37.10 | $28.13 | 710 | 0.17 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $42,820 | $49,630 | $53,780 | $64,150 | $77,170 | $58,500 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $20.72 | $23.65 | $29.03 | $37.75 | $47.66 | $32.01 | 690 | 0.15 | 0.68 |
| Annual | $43,090 | $49,200 | $60,380 | $78,520 | $99,120 | $66,570 | ||||
Top industries employing environmental science and protection technicians, including health
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services employ 22.2% of environmental science and protection technicians, including health nationally (7,680 jobs) at a median $49,590 a year ($23.84 an hour), followed by Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (21.9%) and Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (21.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 7,680 | 22.2% | $49,590 | $23.84 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 7,580 | 21.9% | $64,070 | $30.81 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services NAICS 541600 | 7,450 | 21.5% | $51,460 | $24.74 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 2,320 | 6.7% | $56,410 | $27.12 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 1,290 | 3.7% | $37,670 | $18.11 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (34,670). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $47,370 for environmental science and protection technicians, including health in May 2021 and $55,090 in May 2025, with employment of 34,110 and 34,670.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $47,370 | $22.78 | 34,110 |
| May 2022 | $48,380 | $23.26 | 33,920 |
| May 2023 | $50,660 | $24.35 | 32,390 |
| May 2024 | $49,490 | $23.79 | 39,390 |
| May 2025 | $55,090 | $26.49 | 34,670 |
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
50 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 | $32.29 | $67,160 | $47,360 | $106,490 | 850 | 0.24 | 1.07 |
| 2 | Nebraska profile | $31.85 | $66,240 | $40,350 | $89,040 | 140 | 0.14 | 0.63 |
| 3 | Connecticut profile | $31.79 | $66,120 | $48,400 | $115,890 | ** | ** | ** |
| 4 | Minnesota profile | $31.41 | $65,320 | $36,730 | $113,530 | 450 | 0.15 | 0.69 |
| 5 | Rhode Island profile | $31.17 | $64,830 | $51,100 | $97,720 | 90 | 0.19 | 0.84 |
| 6 | New York profile | $30.00 | $62,400 | $40,020 | $107,600 | 1,960 | 0.20 | 0.91 |
| 7 | New Mexico profile | $29.97 | $62,330 | $42,890 | $125,840 | 500 | 0.57 | 2.56 |
| 8 | North Dakota profile | $29.53 | $61,430 | $41,460 | $83,820 | 140 | 0.31 | 1.41 |
| 9 | California profile | $29.43 | $61,220 | $37,670 | $106,840 | 6,010 | 0.33 | 1.48 |
| 10 | Colorado profile | $29.30 | $60,930 | $47,650 | $86,480 | 740 | 0.26 | 1.15 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania profile | $29.16 | $60,650 | $45,530 | $97,390 | 1,180 | 0.19 | 0.87 |
| 12 | Montana profile | $29.11 | $60,550 | $45,700 | $80,730 | 70 | 0.14 | 0.61 |
| 13 | Nevada profile | $29.03 | $60,370 | $44,670 | $93,820 | 390 | 0.25 | 1.14 |
| 14 | Illinois profile | $28.81 | $59,930 | $40,970 | $99,680 | 980 | 0.16 | 0.72 |
| 15 | Massachusetts profile | $28.52 | $59,330 | $43,990 | $81,340 | 330 | 0.09 | 0.40 |
| 16 | Oregon profile | $28.34 | $58,950 | $37,860 | $83,750 | 440 | 0.22 | 0.99 |
| 17 | Utah profile | $28.00 | $58,240 | $48,670 | $78,040 | 270 | 0.15 | 0.69 |
| 18 | Arizona profile | $27.79 | $57,800 | $45,760 | $80,120 | 590 | 0.18 | 0.81 |
| 19 | Hawaii profile | $27.41 | $57,010 | $42,290 | $67,810 | 260 | 0.42 | 1.86 |
| 20 | Tennessee profile | $27.39 | $56,960 | $44,920 | $74,790 | 320 | 0.10 | 0.43 |
| 21 | Ohio profile | $26.96 | $56,070 | $43,660 | $78,460 | 770 | 0.14 | 0.62 |
| 22 | Idaho profile | $26.65 | $55,420 | $30,800 | $140,150 | 200 | 0.24 | 1.06 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $26.58 | $55,290 | $39,000 | $79,040 | 380 | 0.13 | 0.59 |
| 24 | Alaska profile | $26.55 | $55,220 | $37,500 | $95,740 | 440 | 1.35 | 6.05 |
| 25 | Maryland profile | $26.49 | $55,090 | $37,370 | $99,480 | 580 | 0.21 | 0.94 |
| 26 | Vermont profile | $26.49 | $55,090 | $42,110 | $73,760 | 50 | 0.15 | 0.68 |
| 27 | New Hampshire profile | $26.00 | $54,080 | $39,720 | $68,080 | 80 | 0.12 | 0.52 |
| 28 | West Virginia profile | $25.28 | $52,590 | $36,970 | $67,390 | 750 | 1.07 | 4.80 |
| 29 | New Jersey profile | $25.09 | $52,190 | $39,000 | $86,270 | 830 | 0.19 | 0.87 |
| 30 | Iowa profile | $25.01 | $52,020 | $37,900 | $80,390 | 470 | 0.30 | 1.35 |
| 31 | Maine profile | $24.91 | $51,820 | $35,550 | $78,540 | 150 | 0.23 | 1.04 |
| 32 | North Carolina profile | $24.82 | $51,630 | $38,870 | $77,480 | 1,100 | 0.22 | 1.00 |
| 33 | Michigan profile | $24.66 | $51,290 | $41,600 | $74,570 | 600 | 0.14 | 0.61 |
| 34 | Texas profile | $24.38 | $50,710 | $39,490 | $78,770 | 3,350 | 0.24 | 1.07 |
| 35 | Missouri profile | $24.20 | $50,340 | $42,050 | $69,060 | 380 | 0.13 | 0.58 |
| 36 | Wyoming profile | $23.77 | $49,440 | $42,970 | $79,510 | 150 | 0.53 | 2.36 |
| 37 | Virginia profile | $23.77 | $49,430 | $37,840 | $77,300 | 1,450 | 0.35 | 1.59 |
| 38 | Indiana profile | $23.57 | $49,020 | $36,180 | $73,190 | 780 | 0.24 | 1.09 |
| 39 | Florida profile | $23.48 | $48,840 | $39,280 | $74,170 | 2,090 | 0.21 | 0.94 |
| 40 | South Carolina profile | $23.41 | $48,700 | $37,440 | $102,550 | 500 | 0.22 | 0.97 |
| 41 | Arkansas profile | $23.26 | $48,390 | $42,900 | $64,480 | 160 | 0.12 | 0.55 |
| 42 | Oklahoma profile | $23.12 | $48,090 | $35,230 | $84,120 | 360 | 0.21 | 0.95 |
| 43 | Georgia profile | $23.10 | $48,050 | $37,020 | $73,900 | 1,110 | 0.23 | 1.02 |
| 44 | Kansas profile | $23.02 | $47,880 | $39,520 | $66,680 | 340 | 0.24 | 1.06 |
| 45 | Kentucky profile | $22.52 | $46,840 | $36,910 | $83,100 | 560 | 0.28 | 1.26 |
| 46 | Delaware profile | $21.98 | $45,720 | $33,080 | $64,790 | 150 | 0.31 | 1.39 |
| 47 | Alabama profile | $21.64 | $45,000 | $37,340 | $69,990 | 410 | 0.20 | 0.88 |
| 48 | South Dakota profile | $21.24 | $44,180 | $30,830 | $57,010 | 60 | 0.13 | 0.56 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $16.83 | $35,010 | $28,880 | $68,300 | 250 | 0.22 | 0.98 |
| – | Louisiana profile | * | * | * | * | 300 | 0.15 | 0.69 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (19-4040), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Life, Physical, and Social Science 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 19-4042 Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health.
*- 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 19-4042, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 19-4042.00, 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.