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Hazardous Materials Management

Types of Degrees Hazardous Materials Management Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Hazardous Materials Management can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	3
Associate’s Degree	34
Master’s Degree	52

What Hazardous Materials Management Majors Need to Know

Programs in Hazardous Materials Management build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Hazardous Materials Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Hazardous Materials Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Hazardous Materials Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Hazardous Materials Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Hazardous Materials Management graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.8 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.7 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.6 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.6 / 7
Processing Information	3.5 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Hazardous Materials Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Presentation software	Presentation software	—
Internet browser software	Internet browser software	—
Inventory management systems	Inventory management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Hazardous Materials Management graduates include:

• Hazardous Waste Technician (Hazardous Waste Tech)
• Asbestos Abatement Worker
• Waste Handling Technician
• Hazardous Waste Disposer
• Asbestos Technician
• Asbestos Remover
• Hazardous Waste Remover
• Hazardous Materials Tanker Driver (Hazmat Tanker Driver)
• Asbestos Hazard Abatement Worker
• Hazard Waste Handler
• Decontamination and Decommissioning Operator (D and D Operator)
• Hazmat Technician (Hazardous Materials Technician)
• Removal Tech (Removal Technician)
• Waste Disposal Attendant
• Materials Specialist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Hazardous Materials Management graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	37.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	17.4%
Less than a high school diploma	14.8%
Postsecondary certificate	13.9%
Some college courses	9.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.0%
Master’s degree	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Hazardous Materials Management?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 71.5% of Hazardous Materials Management degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	37	28.5%
Men	93	71.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Hazardous Materials Management graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	64	49.2%
Asian	4	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	46	35.4%
Black or African American	7	5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.8%
Two or More Races	5	3.8%
Race Unknown	1	0.8%
International Students	2	1.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Hazardous Materials Management Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Hazardous Materials Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$36,113
4 years	$40,833
5 years	$45,594

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $45,594 — roughly 26% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Hazardous Materials Management Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Hazardous Materials Management. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Hazardous Materials Management Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Hazardous Materials Management graduates earn a median of $40,833 four years after completion — roughly 7% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	15.05
Energy Management and Systems Technology/Technician	15.0503
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians, Other	15.0599
Environmental/Environmental Engineering Technology/Technician	15.0507
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician	15.0501
Solar Energy Technology/Technician	15.0505
Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician	15.0506
Hazardous Materials Information Systems Technology/Technician	15.0704

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.