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Hazardous Waste Management Technicians


Overview

Hazardous Waste Management Technicians

Introduction

Hazardous waste management technicians are part of a team that identifies hazardous waste sites and remediates, or cleans up, any waste present. In many cases, they assist hazardous waste management specialists, who are more highly educated and tend to work on long-term planning and strategy. Technicians do on-site work like taking samples of contaminated soil or water; some work on emergency response teams that handle sites immediately after accidents involving hazardous waste. These technicians also do a lot of laboratory work, te...

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$42,030

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Employment Prospects

Good

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Minimum Education Level

Associate's Degree


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Experience

Internship
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Skills

Building/Trades
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Personality Traits

Conventional
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Earnings

Salaries vary according to position, years of experience, geographic location, and educational background. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, hazardous materials removal workers had median hourly earnings of $20.21 ($42,030 annually) in May 2018. Wages ranged from less than $13.42 an hour ($27,910 annually) to more than $36.46 ($75,840 annually) for full-time work.

Technicians wo...

Work Environment

Because of the danger associated with chemical and other types of hazardous waste, technicians must approach potential waste sites with extreme caution. Protective gear is often necessary and can be bulky, interfering with the work. The regulations that control hazardous waste management are complex and increasingly demanding and can slow remediation projects to a frustrating crawl.

Depe...

Outlook

Job opportunities for hazardous waste management technicians are expected to grow much faster than the average for all careers through 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There is still strong need for technicians to help clean up Superfund sites and provide hazardous waste removal services to companies and other organizations. Opportunities will be strongest in the private sector ...