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Other Environmental Scientists

ANZSCO ID 234399

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,300
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
72%
Female Share
45%
Average age
40
About this data

Summary

Other Environmental Scientists includes jobs like Environmental Educator, and Soil Scientist.

Tasks

  • Studies origins, composition and distribution of soils and the materials from which soils are formed.

  • Investigates effect of land use practices on soil.

  • Analyses soil for elements and develops methods for altering soil characteristics to suit different plants.

  • Plans and co-ordinates management practices for the control of soil degradation due to erosion, cultivation, excess water or salinity.

  • Advises on moisture conservation, irrigation and drainage.

  • Advises on suitability of soil use for cropping, horticulture, pasture, forestry and alternative systems of land use, including waste disposal.

  • Advises on use of soil for engineering purposes and on restoration of soil following massive disturbances through mining and other exploitative operations.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
2343 Environmental Scientists
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Interests
  • Practical
  • Analytical
Physical Demand
  • Medium

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Environmental Scientists, under the outlook section.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 72% of people employed as Other Environmental Scientists work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 6 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 43 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.

Industries

Main industries

1
Public Administration and Safety
30.8%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
15.0%
3
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services
12.0%
4
Education and Training
6.9%
5
Other industries
32.4%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

30.5% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

23.9% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

21.2% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.7% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

12.4% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.0% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

1.2% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.1% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Other Environmental Scientists All Jobs Average
NSW 30.5 31.6
VIC 23.9 25.6
QLD 21.2 20.0
SA 7.7 7.0
WA 12.4 10.8
TAS 2.0 2.0
NT 1.2 1.0
ACT 1.1 1.9


  • Around 47% of Other Environmental Scientists live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
40
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
45%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Other Environmental Scientists is 40 years. This is the same as the all jobs average.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 45% of the workforce. This is 3 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Other Environmental Scientists All Jobs Average
15-19 2.1 5.0
20-24 6.3 9.3
25-34 24.0 22.9
35-44 30.4 22.0
45-54 20.3 21.6
55-59 8.5 9.0
60-64 5.3 6.0
65 and Over 3.1 4.2
Median Age 40 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor degree in science is usually needed to work as an Other Environmental Scientist. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation & Land Management and Sustainability VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Other Environmental Scientists All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 27.6 10.1
Bachelor degree 43.9 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 8.8 11.6
Certificate III/IV 9.9 21.1
Year 12 6.2 18.1
Year 11 1.2 4.8
Year 10 and below 2.3 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Environmental Scientists who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong interpersonal skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 57%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 57%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 55%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 55%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 54%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 54%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 48%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 48%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 48%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 46%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 46%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 45%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 45%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 45%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 45%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 45%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 45%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 45%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 43%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 41%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 68%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 67%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 65%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 62%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 61%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 61%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 60%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 58%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 58%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 56%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 55%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 55%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 55%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 54%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 53%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 53%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 51%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 48%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 44%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 38%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 59%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 57%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 57%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 57%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 57%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 55%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 55%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 55%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 54%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 54%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 46%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 45%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 45%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 45%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 43%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 43%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 43%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 43%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 41%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 72%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 71%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 69%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 69%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 69%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 68%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 67%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 66%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 63%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 63%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 62%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 61%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 61%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 60%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 60%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 59%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 58%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 58%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 56%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 44%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 86%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 76%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 52%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 33%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 19%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 19%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 67%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 67%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 62%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 57%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 52%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 50%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 98%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 97%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 97%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 87%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 86%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 85%

    In an enclosed vehicle or equipment

    Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).

  • 83%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 83%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 82%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 82%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 76%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 75%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 75%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 75%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 73%

    Indoors, not heat controlled

    Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).

  • 73%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 71%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 71%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 69%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 69%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 19-4091.00 - Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health.

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