Many of the things environmental scientists do include work with town planners to determine aquatic ecosystems and how human interaction affects them, develop buildings, transportation corridors, and protecting land for efficient use.
Environmental scientists are required often to work in teams. This position is not one where you go out on your own or get a lot of time alone. These teams will research together and conduct tests on the environment. You will be required to write Environmental Impact Statements and abide by the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act according to the state laws that you reside in.
Some of the issues environmental scientist jobs focus on vary because there are so many issues. You might work in a field regarding climate change or as a meteorologist. Conservation is another big industry due to issues with water, gasoline, energy, and more. Other focuses might include water quality and contamination, soil contamination, waste management, air pollution, biodiversity, and more.
The outlook for environmental scientist jobs is good. The industry is actually exploding because of all of the environmental issues today. There is a strong demand for positions in many fields related to the environment. All of the environmental problems and issues have created this demand for scientists with the right training in environmental science.
Most scientists are employed by public sector jobs or through the government. They usually have to work for a government agency and abide by laws set forth by the federal or local state government. The public sector is not where all of the growth remains though. The private sector is actually what is booming because of consulting firms who are placing people in the positions. These environmental scientist jobs are mostly consulting jobs and the growth is exploding much faster than most other industries today.
There are many different types of environmental scientists jobs you might consider going into if you like science. Most of these positions are not entry level and require an advanced degree focusing on environmental science. These positions include, but are not limited to professions in atmospheric science, environmental chemistry, geosciences, assessments, and more.
An environmental scientist that works in atmospheric science examines phenomenology of the Earth’s gaseous outer layer and emphasizes on the interrelation of the other systems in the universe. This type of science studies meteorological, greenhouse gases, airborne contaminants, noise pollution, light pollution and more. These are the scientists quickly working hard to find a solution for global warming using models on computers and studying the atmospheric circulation and the chemicals and reactions that reside. Many positions in environmental scientists who study the atmospheric conditions include meteorologists and oceanographers.
Ecology studies the population and how it affects the environment in some way. This might include issues of the environment like endangered species, pollution, water pollution, air pollution, and more. A scientist might analyze the impact a new development might have on the environment if it is proposed in an estuarine setting.
Chemicals alter the environment and the scientists that study this are called environmental chemistry scientists. The areas of study are primarily focused on contamination of water pollution and the soils.
Most consulting jobs in environmental science are required to follow regulations set forth by the government. The National Environmental Policy Act is what lays out the requirements and how projects with the environment must be conducted following certain criteria. Many local state laws also enforce this federal act in place and require them to occur locally also. These regulations require a lot of documentation when doing the research following the specific guidelines.
The average salary for environmental scientist jobs is approximately $51,080. People who are working consulting jobs for the federal government are making much more at an average salary of $73,530 a year. If you are not working for the government you will make much less money. Consultants don’t make as much money as an actual employee of the government. If you are coming straight out of college into an entry level environmental scientist job the average beginning pay rate is around $31,000 a year. These positions usually include paid vacations, full benefits, retirement plans, and more.
Environmental scientist jobs are booming today because of all of the problems with the environment. The more people become aware of the problems with the environment the more secure this field of employment becomes. Today the most common issues you would be researching include water pollution, the rain forest, air pollution, global warming, and more.
