Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
What Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Do
Conduct research or perform investigation for the purpose of identifying, abating, or eliminating sources of pollutants or hazards that affect either the environment or public health. Using knowledge of various scientific disciplines, may collect, synthesize, study, report, and recommend action based on data derived from measurements or observations of air, food, soil, water, and other sources.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 1.5%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 4 of 5Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- English Languageimportance 4.5/5
- Biologyimportance 3.9/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.7/5
- Law and Governmentimportance 3.5/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.4/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.3/5
- Chemistryimportance 3.2/5
- Administrativeimportance 3.1/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail4.9/5
- Telephone Conversations4.7/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6/5
- Spend Time Sitting4.4/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.3/5
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.2/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Microbiologists97% skill match
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors97% skill match
- Medical Dosimetrists96% skill match
- Animal Scientists95% skill match
- Conservation Scientists95% skill match
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators95% skill match
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians95% skill match
- Environmental Engineers94% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 4.0/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.3/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
- Instructingimportance 3.1/5
- Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 3.1/5
- Persuasionimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
Other Software Used
- ADMS pollution modeling software
- CAP88-PC
- CERC EMIT
- Chemical management tracking software
- Chemicals and Irrigation CANDI
- Compass software
- Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
- DQO ELIPGRID-PC
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Cautiousness
- Innovation
- Achievement Orientation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- InvestigativeHigh
- RealisticMedium
- ConventionalMedium
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where environmental scientists and specialists, including health make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Helena, MT8.41× national avg
- 2Boulder, CO6.99× national avg
- 3Trenton-Princeton, NJ6.89× national avg
- 4Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA6.62× national avg
- 5Fairbanks-College, AK6.31× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Environmental EngineersCareer Change
- Conservation ScientistsLateral Move
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and InspectorsCareer Change
- Soil and Plant ScientistsLateral Move
See the full career path from Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Environmental Health
- George Washington University (Washington, DC)grads earn ~$92,573
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC)grads earn ~$86,115
- Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)grads earn ~$99,605
- University of South Carolina-Columbia (Columbia, SC)grads earn ~$58,715
- Columbia University in the City of New York (New York, NY)grads earn ~$98,728
Environmental Science
- Southern New Hampshire University (Manchester, NH)grads earn ~$55,733
- University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)grads earn ~$78,624
- University of California-Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA)grads earn ~$63,628
- American Public University System (Charles Town, WV)grads earn ~$57,618
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, WI)
Chemistry, General
- University of California-San Diego (La Jolla, CA)grads earn ~$77,249
- University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)grads earn ~$56,179
- University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)grads earn ~$82,386
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, IL)grads earn ~$70,197
- CUNY Hunter College (New York, NY)grads earn ~$54,699