Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
Life, Physical, and Social Science · SOC 19-4042
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 19-4042 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 14.4%
- High · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 33/100
- Low friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $55,090
- H-1B offered wage $50,000; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- —
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +4.0%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 11
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 697 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~45.6% of this role but only ~14.4% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Environmental Health Officer (EHO), Environmental Technician (Environmental Tech), Industrial Pretreatment Program Specialist (IPP Specialist), Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician), Public Health Sanitarian, Sanitarian
Representative Tasks
- •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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Collect environmental data or samples.
- •Collect samples for analysis or testing.
- •Investigate system, equipment, or product failures.
- •Record research or operational data.
- •Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 14.4% | 9.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 37% Bright |
| Median Salary | $55,090 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 86/100 | N/A |