ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST AND SPECIALIST

Career Research Paper: Environmental Scientist and Specialist

Danika LaValle
Clairemont High School, Academy of Business

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Abstract
The purpose of this research paper is to provide information on the career of an Environmental
Scientist and Specialist. Some of the tasks that they do include; analyzing problems in the
environment and creating solutions, collecting and analyzing samples of soil, water, air, and
food, and providing information and guidance to businesses and the public. This career falls
under the field of life, physical, and social science occupations because it is similar to other
science and health careers. This job is important to society because they learn about changes in
the environment and how it affects us, and they create plans to fix, prevent, and control
environmental issues. I am exploring this career because it received the highest score out of all of
my career choices, and I chose it as an alternative major for some of the colleges I applied to.
Throughout the rest of this paper I will be discussing several topics about this career such as;
background and history, current overview and outlook, education and preparation needed, how to
obtain the job, position and employment descriptions, and benefits and challenges. My research
method for this paper was to first use all the reputable web sources we found in class, and then
find other credible resources for the rest of my questions.

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Background and Historical Context
Throughout the history of the career Environmental Scientist and Specialist there have
been a few important people that have changed the course of this career. One of the first and
possibly most well-known Environmental Scientist and Specialist was John Muir. He was born
on April 21, 1838 and was best known for his advocacy in the preservation of the American
Wilderness. His efforts convinced the United States Congress to pass the 1890 bill which
established and protects Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park. Many important
places have been named after him because of his advocacy such as John Muir College at the
University of California San Diego, Muir Trail, Muir Glacier, and more (Famous101, 2013).
Some other important Environmental Scientists and Specialists include Aldo Leopold,
Rachel Carson, Peter Newman, and Jane Goodall. Aldo Leopold is best known for his book A
Sand Country Alamanac, and he is considered to be the founder of wildlife management. Rachel
Carson is also known for her books. Although she has written several, her most influential ones
are titled Silent Springs and The Edge of the Sea. Her books caused two major decisions in
Environmental Science; the first being the ban on DDT, which is a synthetic organic compound
used in a pesticide (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011), and the second being the
formation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Peter Newman is best known
for introducing the term automobile dependence. He has also been involved in the renovation of
the Perth railways in Australia since 1969. Like the other scientists he also has a book which is
named Cites as Sustainable Ecosystems: Principles and Practice which he co-authored. Finally,
Jane Goodall is best known for her work with Chimpanzees. She did a 45-year study of the

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Chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park located in Tanzania, and she is the founder of the
Jane Goodall Institute (Famous101, 2013).
All of these scientists have had a major impact on the future of this field. They have
opened new opportunities for others who are aspiring scientists.
Along with these scientists there have been some important environmental events that
have shaped this career. One important event that occurred was the Chernobyl incident which
took place April 26, 1929 in the Ukraine. This incident was caused due to a sudden surge of
power during a reactor system test which destroyed Unit 4 of the nuclear power plant station.
The accident caused two workers to die within two hours of the explosion and 28 out of 600 of
the sites workers to die of severe radiation effects within four months. One result of this
accident was the Ukraine establishing the Chernobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive
Waste and Radio-ecology on the tenth anniversary. Also, the NRC now emphasizes the
importance of several concepts that will improve the safety of other nuclear reactors (United
States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2014).
The second nuclear reactor accident that happened was at Three Mile Island,
Pennsylvania in 1979. According to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC),
this was the most serious accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history, although its
small radioactive releases had no detectable health effects on the plant workers or the public.
Due to careful analysis of the accident, there have been changes in how the NRC regulates its
licensees which has therefore reduced the risk to public health and safety.

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Other events that have happened are the Bhopal, India accident in 1984, and the Exxon
Valdez oil spill in 1989. The cause of the Bhopal accident was a methylisocyanate (MIC) gas
leak from a plant owned, managed, and operated by Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL). Many
people died, and many other individuals suffered permanent or partial disabilities. Since the
accident, Union Carbide Corporation has provided an ample amount of aid to the victims (Union
Carbide Corporation, 2014). In the Exxon Valdez oil spill approximately 11 million gallons of
crude oil was spilt across 1,300 miles of coastline. According to the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Fisheries (NOAA), this spill lead to one of the most thorough
examinations of the effects of oil on the environment. This accident is the reason for the Oil
Protection Act of 1990 (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2014) and the
establishment of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council with funds from the legal settlement
between Alaska, the Federal Government, and Exxon (NOAA, n.d.).
All of these environmental scientists and issues have had an impact on the field of
environmental science, and they are important to know about in order to create new and safer
plans, regulations, machines and more for the environment and health of the people. To see a
complete timeline of these scientists and events, view figure number one.
Current overview and Outlook
Though learning about events that have happened in the past is an important part of
getting to know about a career, it is equally important to gain knowledge about what is currently
affecting the career, and what the outlook for it is.

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For an environmental scientist and specialist, the future outlook for this career is great.
According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014),
employment in this field is expected to grow 15% from 2012 to 2022. This growth rate is faster
than the national average which is 11%, and faster than the total growth rate for other
occupations in the same field which is at 10%. To see the comparison of these percentages, view
figure number two.
Two big causes for the increase in this career are; heightened public attention towards the
hazards facing the environment, and increasing demands placed on the environment due to
population growth. Also, in the future more businesses will be expected to consult with
environmental scientist and specialist in order to reduce the impact their operations have on the
environment. Most employment growth is anticipated to be in private consulting firms, but most
jobs will remain in various levels of the government and closely related industries (Bureau of
Labor Statistics, 2014).
The job opportunities for this career should be admirable. In 2012 the number of people
employed in this career nationally was 90,000. As for in California the number of people
employed in this career was 13,000 in 2010 (California Career Zone, n.d.). In addition to growth,
there should be many job openings created by some scientists retiring, advancing to management
positions, or changing jobs.
Education and Preparation
The expected growth for this career is good, but in order to attain this job one must first
follow a few steps. Before even attending a college or university, one must complete high school

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first. After high school, it is time to enroll in an undergraduate degree program. For this career it
is important to attain a bachelors degree in either environmental science or another science
related field such as microbiology, biology, geology, or forestry. When selecting courses one
should include a variety of science courses such as chemistry and earth science as well as
courses that can help one gain computer skills. Either while still in college or once a bachelors
degree is attained, one can choose to complete an internship to gain experience in the field. After
this optional step, one should consider getting a graduate degree. Although most people
employed in this field only have a bachelors degree, some employers might require a graduate
degree. In some cases a graduate degree may also be needed to advance in this field (Education
Portal, n.d.). To see full flow chart of these steps, view figure three.
As stated before, a bachelors degree is required for most entry-level jobs, but a graduate
degree may be needed to advance in this career. Furthering education after college is not
required, but those in this career should stay current with the constant changes in codes,
regulations, and technical development. Those that are registered as Environmental Health
Specialists are required to take continuous education units (California Development Department,
2014).
A license is also not required for environmental scientists but some scientists do have a
Registered Environmental Health Specialist license. To become licensed one must have at least a
bachelors degree from an accredited college or university, as well as 30 semester units of basic
science courses completed. The license is renewed every two years, and one can contact the

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agency that issued them their license to ask additional questions (California Development
Department, n.d.).
In order to get into this career one should have at least a bachelors degree in
environmental science, biology, chemistry, physics, geosciences, or engineering. These majors
are the most applicable for this career because many entry-level jobs require a degree in
environmental science or a science related field, and these are the most similar (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 2014). Some similar occupations that one could go into with these majors are;
biochemist/biophysicist, forester, microbiologist, and biologist. There is a large number of local
schools in California that offer a four year bachelors degree in environmental science such as;
University of California Los Angeles, California State University San Bernardino, University of
California Berkeley, Point Loma Nazarene University, and San Jose State University just to name
a few (Naviance, n.d.).
Some skills that one would need for this career are; problem-solving skills,
communication skills, analytical skills, and interpersonal skills (Bureau of Labor Statistics,
2014). Also, one should be knowledgeable in English, math, law and government, and clerical.
People who work in this occupation generally have investigative interests, but they also prefer
realistic and conventional environments. They also generally enjoy achievement in their work,
but value recognition and independence in their job (California Career Zone, n.d.).
Along with these skills one going into this career also needs to know how to use several
different tools and technology. Some tools they will have to use when in the field and gathering

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data are; air samplers and collectors, radiation detectors, soil core sampling apparatus, water
analyzers, and water samplers. Some of the technology they will have to use are things such as;
analytical or scientific software, data base user interface and query software, graphics or photo
editing software, and map creation software (Career One Stop, n.d.).
Obtaining the Job
As stated above, after completing school you can complete an internship or you can go
into graduate school. Eventually after this step, one can start looking for work. According to the
Occupational Outlook handbook (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014), the industries that employed
the most people in this field in 2012 were; the State Government not including education and
hospitals at 22%, management, scientific, and technical consulting services at 21%, the Local
Government not including education and hospitals at 14%, Engineering services at 10%, and the
Federal Government not including postal service at 7%. Some local businesses that are currently
looking to employ environmental scientists are; San Francisco Estuary Institute, Tetra Tech in
Irvine, CIM Group Inc. in Los Angeles, and Idealist in Richmond (Monster.com, 2014).
Position and Employment Description
Besides finding out how to attain this job, it is also important to know what exactly an
environmental scientist and specialist does. On a daily or even monthly basis an environmental
scientist and specialist may do specific tasks such as; prepare charts and graphs based on data
collected, monitor effects of pollution and land degradation, supervise or train students or other

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related staff, plan and develop research models, and review environmental plans and permits
(Career One Stop, n.d.).
The environment for this career is typically indoors either in an office or lab, but some of
the work is done out in the field to gather data. One pitfall of field work is that it can be
physically demanding and requires working in all types of weather. For some scientists they may
also have to travel to meet with clients or to present research and data (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 2014). Because in this career one can work in an office, in the field gathering data or
traveling, this job does offer some mobility and travel. This job also does require some social
interaction but there is also independent work.
Benefits, Perks, and Challenges
A commonly asked question for this career is how much does an environmental
scientist make? In May 2012 the national annual wage was $63,570. The top 10% of people in
this field earned a wage of more than $109,970 while the lowest 10% earned a wage of less than
$38,570. For those employed with the federal government excluding postal service, the annual
wage was $95,460. For those in the engineering services the annual wage was $67,770. Those in
management, scientific and technical consulting services the annual wage was $64,940. Those
employed with the federal government not including education and hospitals earned an annual
wage of $60,280. Finally, those employed with the state government excluding education and
hospitals earned an annual wage of $56,640 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). For California

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the annual wage in 2013 was $83,270 with most people making between $50,660 and $120,650
(California Career Zone, n.d.).
One of the pros of this career is that one can help improve the state of our planet
and ecosystem. Another is having the potential to earn up to $100,000 or more annually. Some
other pros include a good growth rate, having the knowledge to solve problems affecting human
health, and that full time positions are common. Along with these pros there are also a few cons.
This would include working in bad weather in the field, possibly having to work irregular and
long hours, possibly needing a graduate degree to advance, and possibly needing experience for
some entry-level jobs (Learning Path, n.d.).
In conclusion, I still wouldnt mind pursuing this career as an alternative job.

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References
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2014). Environmental Scientist and Specialist. Retrieved from
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/environmental-scientists-andspecialists.htm
Education Portal. (2015). Becoming an Environmental Scientists: Step-by-Step Career Guide.
Retrieved from http://education-portal.com/articles/Become_an_Environment_Scientist_Stepby-Step_Career_Guide.html
Famous101. (2013). Famous Environmental Scientists. Retrieved from
http://famous101.com/famous-environmental-scientists
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2011). DDT. Retrieved from
http://www.epa.gov/pbt/pubs/ddt.htm
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (2014). Backgrounder on
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident. Retrieved from
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/chernobyl-bg.html
Union Carbide Corporation. (n.d.). Bhopal Gas Tragedy Information. Retrieved
from http://www.bhopal.com/Cause-of-Bhopal-Tragedy
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (n.d.). Office of Exxon
Valdez Oil Spill (EVOS). Retrieved from http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/oil/

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California Career Zone. (2014). Environmental Scientist and Specialist,
Including Health. Retrieved from http://www.cacareerzone.org/profile/192041.00
California Employment Development Department. (2014). Environmental
Scientist and Specialists, Including Health. Retrieved from
http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/OccGuides/Detail.aspx?
Soccode=192041&Geography=0601000000

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Figure 1: Historical Timeline of People and Events in Environmental Science

Figure 2: Job Outlook

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Figure 3: Steps to Attaining Job

Figure 4: Pros and Cons of Job

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