# Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health

US SOC code 19-4042. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/19-4042

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **34,670** US environmental science and protection technicians (including health), with median pay of **$55,090** a year. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.epa.gov/history/origins-epa) of **15,000** from 1980, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for environmental science and protection technicians: Real-time air quality sensors, 2000 to 2018.

Figures: Official statistic (latest count and pay); Researched context (earliest figure).

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 6.9% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=19-4042&ioType=o) (Official statistic).

### AI exposure studies

- **42.2%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv) (Official statistic)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35.

## Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1970
- Latest US employment: 34,670 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [3]
- Latest US median pay: $55,090 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Outlook: +6.9% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [14]

### All 9 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1980 | 15,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., EPA History [1] |
| 2000 | 29,000 (estimate) | $33,000 (estimate) | Est., BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook… [2] |
| 2019 | 32,620 | $46,540 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [3] |
| 2020 | 31,860 | $46,850 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [3] |
| 2021 | 34,110 | $47,370 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [3] |
| 2022 | 33,920 | $48,380 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [3] |
| 2023 | 32,390 | $50,660 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [3] |
| 2024 | 39,390 | $49,490 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [3] |
| 2025 | 34,670 | $55,090 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [3] |

## Sources (36)

### Employment series

1. [EPA History: Origins of EPA (EPA established December 2, 1970; early regulatory framework and monitoring mandate)](https://www.epa.gov/history/origins-epa), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
2. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook 2002-03 Edition (Bulletin No. 2540) -- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians section (FRASER archive)](https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/occupational-outlook-handbook-3964/occupational-outlook-handbook-2002-03-edition-583138), Bureau of Labor Statistics / FRASER St. Louis Fed
3. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

4. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook 2002-03 Edition (Bulletin No. 2540) -- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians wage estimates (FRASER archive)](https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/occupational-outlook-handbook-3964/occupational-outlook-handbook-2002-03-edition-583138), Bureau of Labor Statistics / FRASER St. Louis Fed
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

6. [EPA History: Origins of EPA (regulatory predecessor activities of Public Health Service, Department of the Interior, and Department of Agriculture consolidated into EPA in 1970)](https://www.epa.gov/history/origins-epa), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
7. [PMC/NIH: Fifty years of EPA science for air quality management and control (ambient monitoring network history, 1970-2020)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8106583/), National Institutes of Health / PMC
8. [EPA: Evolution of the Clean Air Act (history of ambient monitoring requirements and national air quality standards program)](https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/evolution-clean-air-act), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
9. [EPA: Superfund CERCLA Overview (CERCLA enacted 1980; Superfund site investigation and remediation program history)](https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-cercla-overview), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
10. [BLS: Earning green by working green -- wages and outlook in careers protecting the planet (2019, environmental science and protection technicians employment and tool context)](https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2019/article/careers-protecting-the-planet.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
11. [EPA: Summary of the Clean Water Act (Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments 1996; water quality monitoring and compliance history)](https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
12. [EPA: PFAS Drinking Water Regulation -- Maximum Contaminant Levels for PFAS (final rule April 2024, new monitoring obligations for water systems)](https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
13. [O\*NET OnLine: 19-4042.00 Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health (technology and tools section, 2024)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/19-4042.00), O\*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)

### Forecasts and exposure studies

14. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 19-4042 Environmental science and protection technicians, including health (2025: 36.4 thousand; 2035: 38.9 thousand; +6.9%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=19-4042&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
15. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 19-4042.00, human-rated β 0.422)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

16. [EPA: Origins of EPA -- William Ruckelshaus sworn in as first EPA administrator, December 4, 1970](https://www.epa.gov/history/origins-epa), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
17. [EPA: Discover the History of the Clean Water Act (NPDES permit program and effluent monitoring requirements, 1972)](https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/discover-history-clean-water-act), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
18. [EPA: Superfund CERCLA Overview (CERCLA enacted December 11, 1980; National Priorities List and Remedial Investigation program history)](https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-cercla-overview), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
19. [BLS: Earning green by working green -- wages and outlook in careers protecting the planet (2019; environmental consulting employment context)](https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2019/article/careers-protecting-the-planet.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
20. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook 2002-03 Edition (Bulletin No. 2540) -- first OOH edition to include Environmental Science and Protection Technicians as a distinct chapter](https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/occupational-outlook-handbook-3964/occupational-outlook-handbook-2002-03-edition-583138), Bureau of Labor Statistics / FRASER St. Louis Fed
21. [EPA: PFAS Drinking Water Regulation -- Maximum Contaminant Levels for PFAS (2024 final rule; history of PFAS health advisory from 2016)](https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

### Predecessors & successors

22. [EPA History: Origins of EPA -- predecessor monitoring and enforcement activities of the Public Health Service and Department of Interior, consolidated 1970](https://www.epa.gov/history/origins-epa), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

### Present-day analysis

- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-21
- [O\*NET 30.3 — US Department of Labor](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), accessed 2026-05-21

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.