Environmental science and protection technicians, including health
SOC Code: 19-4042
Environmental science and protection technicians, including health carries a 49% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $49,490 and +4.0% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 40,400 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 49% AI exposure, Environmental science and protection technicians, including health sits 12 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 86% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
40/100
Environmental science and protection technicians, including health, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $49,490
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth B- +4.0%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 49% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Environmental science and protection technicians, including health in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Associate / award entry with a named growth shelf
Entry credential Associate / award covers 99 of 832 occupations; BLS places this one in Average (378/832). Mid-credential standing - thicker than graduate shelves, thinner than HS-dominated mass.
Where Environmental science and protection technicians, including health sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Environmental science and protection technicians, including health sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
49% Higher than most higher than 86% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Environmental science and protection technicians, including health vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Environmental science and protection technicians, including health is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Environmental science and protection technicians, including health's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 19-4042) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Environmental science and protection technicians, including health be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Environmental science and protection technicians, including health. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Collect samples of gases, soils, water, industrial wastewater, or asbestos products to conduct tests on pollutant levels or identify sources of pollution.
- 2. Investigate hazardous conditions or spills or outbreaks of disease or food poisoning, collecting samples for analysis.
- 3. Record test data and prepare reports, summaries, or charts that interpret test results.
- 4. Prepare samples or photomicrographs for testing and analysis.
- 5. Discuss test results and analyses with customers.
- 6. Inspect workplaces to ensure the absence of health and safety hazards, such as high noise levels, radiation, or potential lighting hazards.
- 7. Initiate procedures to close down or fine establishments violating environmental or health regulations.
- 8. Weigh, analyze, or measure collected sample particles, such as lead, coal dust, or rock, to determine concentration of pollutants.
- 9. Calibrate microscopes or test instruments.
- 10. Provide information or technical or program assistance to government representatives, employers, or the general public on the issues of public health, environmental protection, or workplace safety.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Science
- Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Mathematics
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Chemistry
- English Language
- Biology
- Law and Government
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Environmental science and protection technicians, including health?
Environmental science and protection technicians, including health has an AI exposure score of 49%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Environmental science and protection technicians, including health?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Environmental science and protection technicians, including health is projected to grow by 4.0% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 40,400 workers.
What skills are needed for Environmental science and protection technicians, including health?
Key skills for Environmental science and protection technicians, including health include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, and others. Typical entry-level education is Associate's degree.
How much do Environmental science and protection technicians, including health earn?
The median annual wage for Environmental science and protection technicians, including health is $49,490, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Environmental science and protection technicians, including health?
The typical entry-level education for Environmental science and protection technicians, including health is Associate's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Environmental science and protection technicians, including health?
Environmental science and protection technicians, including health roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Environmental science and protection technicians, including health: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (49% here).
- Cartographers and photogrammetrists · AI exposure 49%
- Computer network architects · AI exposure 49%
- Computer numerically controlled tool programmers · AI exposure 49%
- Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling · AI exposure 49%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+4.0% here).
- Aircraft mechanics and service technicians · growth +4.0%
- Film and video editors · growth +4.0%
- Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers · growth +4.0%
- Physicists · growth +4.0%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 13 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Environmental science and protection technicians, including health's numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Environmental science and protection technicians, including health side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).