# Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health

> 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.

- **SOC code:** 19-4042.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-4042-00
- **Also known as:** Environmental Health Officer (EHO), Environmental Technician (Environmental Tech), Sanitarian, Soil Lab Technician (Soil Laboratory Technician), Industrial Pretreatment Program Specialist (IPP Specialist), Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician), Public Health Sanitarian, Sanitarian Specialist
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- 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.
- Inspect workplaces to ensure the absence of health and safety hazards, such as high noise levels, radiation, or potential lighting hazards.
- Initiate procedures to close down or fine establishments violating environmental or health regulations.
- Weigh, analyze, or measure collected sample particles, such as lead, coal dust, or rock, to determine concentration of pollutants.
- Calibrate microscopes or test instruments.
- 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.
- Maintain files, such as hazardous waste databases, chemical usage data, personnel exposure information, or diagrams showing equipment locations.
- Inspect sanitary conditions at public facilities.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Reading Comprehension _(essential_skill)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Written Comprehension _(ability)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Active Listening _(essential_skill)_
- Writing _(essential_skill)_
- Speaking _(essential_skill)_
- Written Expression _(ability)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(ability)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_
- Critical Thinking _(essential_skill)_
- Customer and Personal Service _(knowledge)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Writing _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Chemistry _(Specialized Skill)_
- Biology _(Specialized Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Adobe Acrobat _(hot technology)_
- Autodesk AutoCAD _(hot technology)_
- ESRI ArcGIS software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Access _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Project _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- SAP software _(hot technology)_
- Autodesk Softdesk

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 52nd percentile (Moderate) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 54th percentile (Moderate) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 52nd percentile (Moderate) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 4.0% growth (About average); 5.6k annual openings; 40.4k → 42.1k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $49,490; 39,390 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Anthropic Economic Index** (v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27)) — Anthropic. https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-4042-00_