Environmental Jobs: Outlook for Environmental Career Opportunities Remains Positive

August 6, 2012 in Environmental Jobs, Environmental Science Jobs with 7 Comments

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Like the idea of being a news correspondent? You’re pretty much out of luck with finding a job. What about farming? Not many job opportunities there, either. However, if you like science and enjoy solving problems, then finding an environmental green job shouldn’t be too hard in this economy.

It makes sense that with concerns being raised about the reliability of green jobs these days, you know exactly what the job market will look like over the next few years before embarking on this career field. Well, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, environmental job seekers – unlike newspaper reporters and farmers – don’t have to worry about not being able to land a job over the next eight years.

The BLS says that employment of environmental scientists is projected to increase by 19 percent through 2020. This is faster than the rate at which all occupations as whole are expected to rise (14 percent) and even higher than the rate determined for the areas of the social, physical and life sciences (16 percent).

The reasons? More complex environmental rules combined with the need to pay more attention to the environment as the population grows as well as more interest from the public in the protection of the world is expected to contribute to a need for more workers in environmental jobs.

Your best opportunities of breaking into the environmental job industry are present if you pursue a job with a private consulting firm. In this type of role, you are expected to help businesses master the concepts of conservation, pollution control and waste minimization.

Still, a wide variety of job roles are available depending on your area of interest, including that of a botanist, research scientist, hydrologic technician, stormwater program manager or even a hazardous material specialist. Forest resources-related job opportunities appear to be more waning as government funding shrinks in general, but with many Baby Boomers retiring, openings should be available in this specific area of the environmental industry as well.

Four years of schooling can lead to a median yearly salary of more than $61,000 and an opportunity to work in a field in which no two days have to be the same and in which safeguarding Mother Earth remains a never-ending challenge. If you like traveling, enjoy working in the field and/or the lab, and enjoy working with people, then an environmental job is a potentially rewarding career choice.

By YaShekia King

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About YaShekia King: YaShekia King, of Indianapolis, Ind., began writing professionally in 2003. Her work has appeared in several print and online publications including the “South Bend Tribune,”Ehow.com, Wisegeek.com and “Clouds Across the Stars,” an international book. King holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ball State University. She also is a licensed real estate agent, is a clinical certified dental assistant and is completing her master’s degree in human resource management through DeVry University. Connect with YaShekia on YaShekia King

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