Follow
As we continue to innovate new and improved ways of gathering data to protect our environment and human health, the need for habitat and water quality specialists is continuing to increase. If you’re interested in an exciting career in which you can protect the environment while making an impressive income, this could be the answer you’ve been looking for.
Duties of a Habitat and Water Quality Specialist
Habitat and water quality specialists must have a working knowledge of natural sciences, and they put them to work to take care of a variety of public health issues. From cleaning polluted areas to providing conclusive data to advise policymakers and more, they play an integral part in ensuring our environment and health is protected, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Just some of the important duties they are in charge of include:
- Gathering and using data collected from water, soil, air, and food for further analysis
- Preparing professional reports and presentations to clearly interpret data
- Providing crucial information to both the general public as well as governmental agencies reporting potential risks and environmental problems
- Developing strategic plans in which these types of problems can be adequately corrected
Diverse Work Environment
Let’s face it. Spending eight hours a day in a stuffy office can quickly become monotonous. However, the work environment for the habitat and water quality specialist is diverse and intriguing. While much of your time will be spent in laboratories analyzing data, you’ll also likely get to spend some of your time in the field. You can also expect to travel to exciting places in order to meet with other professionals in the field to present data and attend conferences.
Exciting Job Outlook
Those in the field have every reason to be excited about the job outlook for habitat and water quality specialists. The projected growth in employment in this field is expected to increase by 11 percent through the year 2024. This is higher than the average expected growth for all other occupations. While new jobs are being created, there are also ones opening up as current scientists are retiring and moving up to fill higher positions.
Pay Expectation
The median annual wage for a habitat and water quality specialist is currently $67,460. With a growing number of advancement possibilities opening up in the field, there are many chances to move up in your career and earn up to around $118,070. It all depends on where you find employment, and there are a variety of possibilities including:
- Federal government
- Management, scientific, and technical consulting services
- Engineering services
- Local government, excluding education and hospitals
- State government, excluding education and hospitals
Related Resource: Become an Energy Auditor
A Career to be Proud Of Doing
You only have one life to live, and it’s important to find a fulfilling career you can be proud of doing. In this industry, you can do just that as you work every day to improve the lives of those around you as well as help the environment for future generations. As a habitat and water quality specialist, you can achieve a new level of personal and professional fulfillment.