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Hazardous Materials Technology

What Hazardous Materials Technology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Hazardous Materials Technology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Hazardous Materials Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Hazardous Materials Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Hazardous Materials Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Hazardous Materials Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.8 / 7
Working with Computers	3.8 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.6 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.5 / 7
Processing Information	3.5 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.4 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

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

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Simulation software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Geomechanical design analysis GDA software	Map creation software	—
Continuous emission management software	Compliance software	—
Stochastic modeling software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Waste management software	Compliance software	—
PerkinElmer Turbochrom	Analytical or scientific software	—
Visual MODFLOW Pro	Analytical or scientific software	—
XP Software XPSWMM	Analytical or scientific software	—
Water flow modeling software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Wind flow modeling software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Gel documentation software	Document management software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Hazardous Materials Technology graduates include:

• Environmental Technician
• Air Moving Technician
• Pollution Control Engineering Technician
• Air Pollution Specialist
• Environmental Field Technician
• Environmental Field Professional
• Programs Technician
• Soil Technician
• Soil Field Technician
• Pollution Control Technician
• Air Analyst
• Emissions Technician (Emissions Tech)
• Engineering Technician
• Haz Tech (Hazardous Technician)
• Environmental Remediation Engineering Technician

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	67.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	10.8%
Postsecondary certificate	8.2%
Some college courses	6.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.5%
Master’s degree	0.9%

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

How Much Do Hazardous Materials Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Hazardous Materials Technology 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	$67,389
4 years	$70,808
5 years	$79,621

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $79,621 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Hazardous Materials Technology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Hazardous Materials Technology graduates earn a median of $70,808 four years after completion — roughly 86% 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
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	15.07
Industrial Safety Technology/Technician	15.0703
Occupational Safety and Health Technology/Technician	15.0701
Process Safety Technology/Technician	15.0705
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians, Other	15.0799
Quality Control Technology/Technician	15.0702
Environmental/Environmental Engineering Technology/Technician	15.0507
Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician	15.0508
Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician	15.0506

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.