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Also known as: Assistant Oceanographer, Biomedical Instrument Technician, City Planning Aide, Colorist
You swipe your badge at 7:45 AM, stepping into the steady hum of the environmental lab in downtown Portland. First, you check the incubator where water samples from the Willamette River are culturing overnight. You calibrate the Hach HQ40D portable pH meter and verify the spectrophotometer is ready for the day's assays. Your lab coat goes on, gloves are donned, and you begin carefully labeling a fresh rack of test tubes, preparing for the initial round of dissolved oxygen testing.
+4.4%
US average: +3.5%
11,200
per year (US)
89,500
in 2025 → 93,400 (2035)
Associate's degree
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections; O*NET Bright Outlook.
This career offers a stable outlook with about 11,200 job openings each year through 2035, and a projected employment change of +4.4%. The median annual wage for these roles is $62,280. With experience, you can advance to senior technician roles or specialize in specific scientific areas, earning a good salary.
Career ladder
Often before this role
Where it can lead
$62,280
Median annual wage, BLS 2025
Bachelor's Degree
Minimum educational requirement for this position
Based on job level & field
Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist
Bachelor • Healthcare & Life Sciences • 4 years
Forensic Science and Technology
Bachelor • Law & Public Administration • 4 years
Molecular Biology
Bachelor • Healthcare & Life Sciences • 4 years
Environmental Geosciences
Bachelor • Social Sciences • 4 years
Wildlife Biology
Bachelor • Healthcare & Life Sciences • 4 years
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General
Bachelor • Natural Sciences & Mathematics • 4 years