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Environmental Compliance Inspector

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AVG. SALARY

$76,480

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EDUCATION

Bachelor's degree

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JOB OUTLOOK

Stable

What To Learn

High School

What high school courses should you take if you're interested in this career? Get your answers from the Government and Public Administration cluster Governance pathway.

Beyond High School

Here's a list of programs that you should consider if you're interested in this career:

Education Level

Education training and experience are required at different levels for success in different occupations.

Bachelor's degree

Environmental specialists typically need a bachelor's degree in environmental science or a related natural resources field. However, a master's degree may be needed for advancement.

Insider Info

Additional Information

"Probably half of the officers have degrees in criminal justice and the other half have degrees in wildlife or biological science," says Timothy Santel. He is a special agent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Occasionally someone is hired without a degree, based on experience, but that is rare....We are seeing more and more people being hired with master's or graduate degrees."

In the U.S., says Santel, all people hired as federal environmental protection officers are sent to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia for approximately 20 weeks of training.

"They learn various skills, including courtroom procedures, arresting procedures, physical training, bombs training, how to operate vehicles in high speed chases -- all the common police training," he says.

After learning the general training, the officers are trained in issues and skills specific to their own areas. "For instance, in fish and wildlife, we learn about the various federal protection laws, as well as how to identify birds, mammals and other wildlife. We also have official arms training."

Extra Requirements

Environmental specialists can become Certified Hazardous Materials Managers through the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management. In addition, the Ecological Society of America offers several levels of certification for specialists who wish to demonstrate their proficiency in ecology.

Contact

  • Email Support
  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900
  • North Dakota Career Resource Network
    ndcrn@nd.gov | (701) 328-9733

Support