Best degree programs for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health, ranked by enrollment
11 college programs and 875 schools train Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $55,090 median wage, 34,670 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
11 college programs at 875 schools train environmental science and protection technicians, including health, graduating 20,504 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Environmental Science. The job pays a median of $55,090 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About environmental science and protection technicians, including health
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.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
11 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 03.0104 | 10,966 | 53.5% | 635 | $34,020 | $23,032 |
| 2 | CIP 30.3301 | 4,424 | 21.6% | 226 | $37,223 | $20,968 |
| 3 | Science Technologies/Technicians, Othermain feeder CIP 41.9999 | 2,473 | 12.1% | 56 | $49,936 | $22,636 |
| 4 | CIP 30.4401 | 1,229 | 6.0% | 70 | — | — |
| 5 | CIP 15.0506 | 860 | 4.2% | 56 | $36,407 | $10,250 |
| 6 | CIP 15.0507 | 254 | 1.2% | 32 | $36,407 | $10,250 |
| 7 | CIP 15.0508 | 118 | 0.6% | 14 | $36,407 | $10,250 |
| 8 | CIP 30.4101 | 90 | 0.4% | 11 | — | — |
| 9 | CIP 26.1006 | 69 | 0.3% | 12 | $39,202 | $18,000 |
| 10 | CIP 40.0509 | 19 | 0.1% | 10 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 11 | CIP 41.0399 | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $51,860 | $11,959 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 504 | Environmental Science | 43% | $34,565 | 100% |
| 2 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 422 | Sustainability Studies | 98% | $15,013 | 4% |
| 3 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 375 | Sustainability Studies | 96% | $15,315 | 4% |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI Public · 5 feeder programs | 311 | Sustainability Studies | 90% | — | 45% |
| 5 | American Public University System Charles Town, WV Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 306 | Environmental Science | 57% | $10,199 | — |
| 6 | Truckee Meadows Community College Reno, NV Public · 2 feeder programs | 296 | Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | 32% | — | — |
| 7 | Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs | 290 | Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | 38% | — | — |
| 8 | Oregon State University Corvallis, OR Public · 2 feeder programs | 259 | Environmental Science | 70% | — | 77% |
| 9 | University of South Florida Tampa, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 241 | Environmental Science | 77% | — | 43% |
| 10 | Central Georgia Technical College Warner Robins, GA Public · 1 feeder programs | 238 | Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | 47% | — | — |
| 11 | Western Washington University Bellingham, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 235 | Environmental Science | 65% | — | 93% |
| 12 | University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · 3 feeder programs | 233 | Environmental Science | 85% | — | 42% |
| 13 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 3 feeder programs | 228 | Environmental Science | 88% | — | 61% |
| 14 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 217 | Environmental Science | 85% | — | 39% |
| 15 | Frederick Community College Frederick, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 187 | Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | 37% | — | — |
| 16 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 4 feeder programs | 175 | Environmental Science | 85% | — | 80% |
| 17 | Augusta Technical College Augusta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs | 174 | Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | 31% | — | — |
| 18 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 166 | Environmental Science | 95% | $17,613 | 9% |
| 19 | Athens Technical College Athens, GA Public · 1 feeder programs | 160 | Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | 51% | — | — |
| 20 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 148 | Environmental Science | 93% | — | 9% |
| 21 | University of Vermont Burlington, VT Public · 2 feeder programs | 148 | Environmental Science | 79% | — | 65% |
| 22 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 146 | Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | 0% | — | 67% |
| 23 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 146 | Sustainability Studies | 91% | — | 24% |
| 24 | University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Public · 2 feeder programs | 146 | Sustainability Studies | 65% | — | 86% |
| 25 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 144 | Environmental Science | 86% | — | 42% |
| 26 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 143 | Environmental Science | 61% | — | 90% |
| 27 | University of Oklahoma - Norman Campus Norman, OK Public · 3 feeder programs | 141 | Sustainability Studies | 75% | — | 77% |
| 28 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 140 | Environmental Science | 93% | — | 11% |
| 29 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 133 | Sustainability Studies | 86% | — | 55% |
| 30 | Appalachian State University Boone, NC Public · 3 feeder programs | 132 | Geography and Environmental Studies | 75% | — | 90% |
| 31 | Montana State University Bozeman, MT Public · 2 feeder programs | 122 | Environmental Science | 57% | — | 82% |
| 32 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC Public · 3 feeder programs | 120 | Environmental Science | 85% | — | 42% |
| 33 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 119 | Environmental Science | 68% | — | 86% |
| 34 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 118 | Sustainability Studies | 89% | — | 27% |
| 35 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 110 | Environmental Science | 86% | — | 24% |
| 36 | University of Georgia Athens, GA Public · 3 feeder programs | 109 | Sustainability Studies | 90% | — | 38% |
| 37 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Public · 2 feeder programs | 108 | Sustainability Studies | 75% | — | 84% |
| 38 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 107 | Environmental Science | 68% | — | 87% |
| 39 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 2 feeder programs | 107 | Environmental Science | 83% | — | 60% |
| 40 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 104 | Environmental Science | 71% | — | 64% |
| 41 | The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 103 | Environmental Science | 53% | — | 87% |
| 42 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 102 | Environmental Science | 91% | — | 15% |
| 43 | Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Valdosta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs | 97 | Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | 50% | — | — |
| 44 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 96 | Environmental Science | 84% | — | 57% |
| 45 | Northeastern University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 89 | Environmental Science | 91% | $18,925 | 5% |
| 46 | Trinidad State College Trinidad, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 89 | Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | 55% | — | — |
| 47 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 87 | Sustainability Studies | 95% | $14,799 | 8% |
| 48 | Portland State University Portland, OR Public · 2 feeder programs | 87 | Environmental Science | 53% | — | 91% |
| 49 | University of Oregon Eugene, OR Public · 2 feeder programs | 87 | Environmental Science | 72% | — | 88% |
| 50 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 3 feeder programs | 86 | Sustainability Studies | 84% | — | 58% |
What environmental science and protection technicians, including health earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $61,220 | 6,010 | 1.48× | 98 | 2,143 |
| Georgia | $48,050 | 1,110 | 1.02× | 33 | 1,525 |
| New York | $62,400 | 1,960 | 0.91× | 68 | 1,360 |
| Massachusetts | $59,330 | 330 | 0.40× | 33 | 1,025 |
| Florida | $48,840 | 2,090 | 0.94× | 29 | 982 |
| Texas | $50,710 | 3,350 | 1.07× | 36 | 825 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,650 | 1,180 | 0.87× | 63 | 696 |
| Ohio | $56,070 | 770 | 0.62× | 38 | 677 |
| North Carolina | $51,630 | 1,100 | 1.00× | 23 | 672 |
| Wisconsin | $55,290 | 380 | 0.59× | 24 | 672 |
| Illinois | $59,930 | 980 | 0.72× | 21 | 665 |
| New Hampshire | $54,080 | 80 | 0.52× | 10 | 642 |
| Arizona | $57,800 | 590 | 0.81× | 18 | 595 |
| Washington | $67,160 | 850 | 1.07× | 15 | 569 |
| Oregon | $58,950 | 440 | 0.99× | 14 | 556 |
| Michigan | $51,290 | 600 | 0.61× | 33 | 499 |
| Colorado | $60,930 | 740 | 1.15× | 19 | 481 |
| Maryland | $55,090 | 580 | 0.94× | 13 | 458 |
| West Virginia | $52,590 | 750 | 4.80× | 10 | 457 |
| Virginia | $49,430 | 1,450 | 1.59× | 17 | 409 |
| New Jersey | $52,190 | 830 | 0.87× | 20 | 397 |
| Nevadamoderate | $60,370 | 390 | 1.14× | 4 | 384 |
| Minnesota | $65,320 | 450 | 0.69× | 17 | 321 |
| Iowa | $52,020 | 470 | 1.35× | 14 | 317 |
| Oklahoma | $48,090 | 360 | 0.95× | 8 | 226 |
| Maine | $51,820 | 150 | 1.04× | 8 | 225 |
| Utah | $58,240 | 270 | 0.69× | 9 | 225 |
| Montana | $60,550 | 70 | 0.61× | 8 | 205 |
| Indiana | $49,020 | 780 | 1.09× | 22 | 197 |
| Tennessee | $56,960 | 320 | 0.43× | 12 | 193 |
| Vermont | $55,090 | 50 | 0.68× | 6 | 192 |
| Missouri | $50,340 | 380 | 0.58× | 13 | 181 |
| Alabama | $45,000 | 410 | 0.88× | 10 | 139 |
| South Carolina | $48,700 | 500 | 0.97× | 11 | 138 |
| Connecticut | $66,120 | — | — | 7 | 125 |
| Rhode Island | $64,830 | 90 | 0.84× | 6 | 115 |
| Arkansas | $48,390 | 160 | 0.55× | 7 | 104 |
| Idahomoderate | $55,420 | 200 | 1.06× | 4 | 103 |
| Louisiana | — | 300 | 0.69× | 5 | 90 |
| Hawaiimoderate | $57,010 | 260 | 1.86× | 3 | 84 |
| Nebraska | $66,240 | 140 | 0.63× | 5 | 84 |
| Kansas | $47,880 | 340 | 1.06× | 6 | 83 |
| Delawaremoderate | $45,720 | 150 | 1.39× | 4 | 74 |
| Kentucky | $46,840 | 560 | 1.26× | 7 | 72 |
| South Dakota | $44,180 | 60 | 0.56× | 6 | 46 |
| New Mexico | $62,330 | 500 | 2.56× | 8 | 32 |
| Wyomingmoderate | $49,440 | 150 | 2.36× | 3 | 27 |
| Alaskamoderate | $55,220 | 440 | 6.05× | 4 | 25 |
| North Dakota | $61,430 | 140 | 1.41× | 6 | 19 |
| Mississippilimited | $35,010 | 250 | 0.98× | 2 | 6 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Collect samples of gases, soils, water, industrial wastewater, or asbestos products to conduct tests on pollutant levels or identify sources of pollution.
- 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.
- Discuss test results and analyses with customers.
- Inspect workplaces to ensure the absence of health and safety hazards, such as high noise levels, radiation, or potential lighting hazards.
- Weigh, analyze, or measure collected sample particles, such as lead, coal dust, or rock, to determine concentration of pollutants.
- Calibrate microscopes or test instruments.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Writing3.9
- Speaking3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Monitoring3.4
- Science3.4
- Mathematics3.1
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service3.6
- Chemistry3.5
- English Language3.5
- Biology3.4
- Law and Government3.4
- Computers and Electronics3.4
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Oral Expression4.0
- Written Comprehension4.0
- Deductive Reasoning3.9
- Near Vision3.9
- Written Expression3.9
Core activities
- Documenting/Recording Information4.4
- Getting Information4.2
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.0
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.0
- Scheduling Work and Activities3.9
- Working with Computers3.9
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Environmental Science
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 11 majors mapped to Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health11 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 03.0104Environmental Science
- 15.0506Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician
- 15.0507Environmental/Environmental Engineering Technology/Technician
- 15.0508Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician
- 26.1006Environmental Toxicology
- 30.3301Sustainability Studies
- 30.4101Environmental Geosciences
- 30.4401Geography and Environmental Studies
- 40.0509Environmental Chemistry
- 41.0399Physical Science Technologies/Technicians, Other
- 41.9999Science Technologies/Technicians, Other
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become an Environmental Science?+
Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Environmental Science, which awarded 10,966 degrees in 2024-25, 53.5% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Environmental Science?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 11 programs to this occupation. The largest are Natural Resources Conservation and Research, Sustainability Studies, Science Technologies/Technicians, Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 20,504 people a year.
How much do environmental science and protection technicians, including health earn?+
The median is $55,090 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $38,170 at the 10th percentile to $94,160 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for environmental science and protection technicians, including health growing?+
BLS projects a +4.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 5,600 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
875 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 11 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do environmental science and protection technicians, including health work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Sanitarian, Environmental Health Officer (EHO), Environmental Technician (Environmental Tech), Soil Lab Technician (Soil Laboratory Technician) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-4042.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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