Empower Yourself with an Environmental Science Degree
Environmental science is a compelling choice for college, but what do environmental science majors do after they graduate?
In this role, you’d be empowered by your environmental sciences training, and most likely pair that knowledge with some training in business, human resource management, or organizational leadership. You’ll need a background like this to be creative and a good business communicator in order to help companies identify and willingly adopt environmentally friendly practices.
If you see yourself in a career where leadership and business management acumen intersect with environmental stewardship and science, this pathway could be a great option.
| CAREERS | ANNUAL MEDIAN PAY (US$) |
|---|---|
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists | $76,480 |
| Conservation Scientists and Foresters | $64,420 |
| Environmental Science Protection Technicians | $48,380 |
| Forest Science Technicians | $63,740 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
The earth’s climate is changing, and climate analysts are our front line of defense. By studying past patterns and predicting future changes, they help nations prepare and adapt, whether it’s for sea-level rise or extreme weather events.
If you love data on a vast scale, and global scale, have strong data analysis skills, and want to use your data proficiency to inform macro-environmental policy, then climate analyst could be an excellent pathway.
As a climate analyst, you might specialize in:
- Data analysis — gathering, verifying, and organizing data and statistical findings.
- Technical writing and communications — interpreting complex data for different audiences, and communicating in various digital formats or even in live presentations.
If you have a passion for advocacy and combating climate change but you know your real talent is with numbers, statistics, and data analysis, a climate analyst role could be a perfect niche. You’d find that your math skills, combined with your environmental science degree are highly valuable as you help inform climate change policy and advocacy on a large scale.
Finally, consider the other academic qualifications that will best complement your environmental science degree for this pathway — perhaps in fields such as meteorology, architecture, data science, or civil engineering.
Climate resilience planners design cities and communities in ways informed by climate science. They are like architects for a changing world heavily impacted by climate change and extreme weather events and risks.
Climate resilience planners apply environmental science and engineering skills to make innovative designs — to ensure buildings and infrastructure are more resilient and can better withstand climate change. This means what we build can better withstand extreme weather and that communities can more quickly bounce back from those events.
From design, to retrofitting, to materials science, and more, climate resilience planners are the bridge that connects climate change science and climate risk to real-world action in the realms of civil engineering, urban and regional planning, and architecture.
If you want your niche to be related to how society can forecast, model, and adapt to climate change and more extreme weather events, then consider using your environmental science to pursue pathways in climate analysis or climate resilience planning.
Water and air are fundamental to life on Earth. Ensuring their quality and purity is a monumental task that holds the promise of a better, healthier future. For high school students looking at environmental science as a potential major, these careers highlight the tangible, real-world impact they can make.
Can you see yourself as part of a team that sifts through piles of research and data to inform policies and practices that protect the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change?
