Environmental Scientists
Environmental Scientists
Career Overview
Environmental scientists study the natural world and investigate problems that can affect ecosystems, wildlife, natural resources, and human health. They collect and analyze environmental data, study pollution and other environmental issues, and help develop solutions that protect the environment.
Education
A bachelor’s degree in environmental science, biology, chemistry, earth science, or another related natural science field is typically required for entry-level environmental scientist positions. Some research, teaching, or specialized positions may require a master’s or doctoral degree.
Future Outlook
Environmental scientists are expected to have steady opportunities as communities, governments, and businesses continue working to protect natural resources, reduce pollution, address environmental challenges, and protect human health. Environmental scientists will continue to be needed to study environmental problems, analyze data, monitor environmental conditions, and develop practical solutions. Overall, this is a career with ongoing demand as the need for environmental protection and sustainable solutions continues to grow.
Work Environment
Environmental scientists may work in offices, laboratories, and outdoor field locations. Fieldwork can involve collecting water, soil, air, or biological samples and monitoring environmental conditions. They may work for government agencies, consulting firms, research organizations, universities, or private companies.
Recommended High School Courses
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Probability & Statistics
- Physics
- Environmental Science
- Natural Resource Management
- Geology
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
- Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
- Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
- Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
- Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.
- Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
- Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Number Facility - The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Advise others about environmental management or conservation.
- Develop environmental sustainability plans or projects.
- Compile environmental or climatological data.
- Research environmental impact of industrial or development activities.
- Provide technical information or assistance to public.
- Advise others on matters of public policy.
- Prepare information or documentation related to legal or regulatory matters.
- Assess compliance with environmental laws.
- Prepare research or technical reports on environmental issues.
- Develop sustainable industrial or development methods.
- Plan environmental research.
- Monitor environmental impacts of production or development activities.
- Review environmental permits, plans, or reports.
- Supervise scientific or technical personnel.
- Supervise trainees.
- Direct technical activities or operations.
- Develop theories or models of physical phenomena.
- Research impacts of environmental conservation initiatives.
- Develop plans to manage natural or renewable resources.
Schools
Schools
Case Western Reserve Univ...
Colgate University
Georgetown University
Harvard University
Johns Hopkins University
Michigan State University
Pennsylvania State Univer...
Pitzer College
Purdue University-main Ca...
Santa Clara University
Union College- New York
University Of Georgia
University Of Massachuset...
University Of Pittsburgh-...
University Of South Flori...
University Of Washington-...
Wesleyan University
Bishop's University
Carleton University
Dalhousie University
Lakehead University- O...
Mcgill University
Mcmaster University
Memorial University
Queen's University- Ki...
Simon Fraser Universit...
Université Laval
University Of Alberta
University Of British...
University Of Guelph
University Of Ottawa
University Of Quebec-...
University Of Regina
University Of Saskatch...
University Of Toronto-...
University Of Victoria
University Of Waterloo
Potential Scholarships
Ache Police Officers And...
Aqha Region 1 Quarter Hor...
- Creditcardgenius 2020 S...
Approx Salary Expectation
Currency:
Low End:
$51,000.00 /yr
Avg/Med:
$80,000.00 /yr
High End:
$135,000.00 /yr
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.