Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Apply theory and principles of environmental engineering to modify, test, and operate equipment and devices used in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental problems, including waste treatment and site remediation, under the direction of engineering staff or scientists. May assist in the development of environmental remediation devices.
12,190 people do this job in the US. $59,920 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 64%
- 0%
- 36%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 12%. Today's estimate: 16%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 23 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perform environmental quality work in field or office settings.Done daily by most who do it. | 18% | 3.3 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Evaluate and select technologies to clean up polluted sites, restore polluted air, water, or soil, or rehabilitate degraded ecosystems.Done daily by most who do it. | 14% | 1.7 work days4.2 h to 1 work week | 2%Half by Feb 2028 | |
| Improve chemical processes to reduce toxic emissions.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 9% | 2.1 work days6.7 h to 1.3 work weeks | 1%Half by Mar 2028 | |
| Inspect facilities to monitor compliance with regulations governing substances, such as asbestos, lead, or wastewater.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 8% | 3.3 h1.3 h to 1.3 work days | Stays with people | |
| Develop work plans, including writing specifications or establishing material, manpower, or facilities needs.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 6% | 6.7 h3.3 h to 2.5 work days | 10%Half by May 2027 | |
| Provide technical engineering support in the planning of projects, such as wastewater treatment plants, to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and policies.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 6% | 1.3 work days3.3 h to 4.2 work days | 4%Half by Dec 2027 | |
| Oversee support staff.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 1.7 h25 min to 3.3 h | 65%Half by now | |
| Collect and analyze pollution samples, such as air or ground water.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 5% | 3.3 h1.7 h to 1 work day | Stays with people | |
| Review technical documents to ensure completeness and conformance to requirements.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 h25 min to 5 h | 51%Half by now | |
| Assess the ability of environments to naturally remove or reduce conventional or emerging contaminants from air, water, or soil.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.3 work days3.3 h to 4.2 work days | 4%Half by Dec 2027 | |
| Maintain process parameters and evaluate process anomalies.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 3% | 1.7 h38 min to 5 h | 66%Half by now | |
| Review work plans to schedule activities.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 1.7 h25 min to 3.3 h | 65%Half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health11% now, 61% by 2028
- Environmental Engineers6% now, 54% by 2028
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health4% now, 57% by 2028
- Environmental Compliance Inspectors37% now, 63% by 2028
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators11% now, 11% by 2028
- Water/Wastewater Engineers3% now, 43% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
- Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services4,600 people
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services1,980 people
- Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals1,180 people
- Remediation and Other Waste Management Services930 people
- State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals900 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).