Job Details
Sector(s)
Project Development; Construction; Operations & Maintenance
Median Pay
$76,320 per year
$35.21 per hour
Job Type
Entry- to Mid-Level
Typical Entry-Level Education and Work Experience Requirements
Bachelor's degree required; little to no experience required
Position Title
Environmental Scientist
Alternate Titles
Biologist (such as wildlife biologist or fish biologist), ecologist, climate change scientist, aquatic scientist, water quality scientist, and environmental planner.
Job Description
Environmental scientists in the hydropower industry use their knowledge of environmental sciences to protect people, communities, land, fish, and wildlife from environmental hazards related to hydropower developments. They help developers and site managers comply with site-specific environmental regulations and recommend best management and mitigation practices to minimize or prevent human health, cultural, or environmental effects.
Education and Training Description
Environmental scientists must have at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field (such as environmental science, anthropology, fisheries/wildlife, environmental studies, biology, aquatic chemistry, hydrology, or geology). Employers value work experience in related fields. This work experience can be acquired through college cooperative programs, internships, or other avenues. To advance in the field or qualify for higher-level environmental scientist jobs, a graduate degree in a related field is often preferred.
Job Profile
Environmental scientists help evaluate and mitigate environmental concerns during project development, construction, and operations and maintenance. During the project-development stage (prior to construction), environmental scientists conduct impact studies and design mitigation strategies for communities, wildlife, aquatic life, and ecosystems. These studies help determine if a site is suitable for hydropower development, better ensure the development will comply with any environmental regulations at the site, and identify ways to minimize the environmental and cultural impact of the development on the surrounding land, water, species, and community. During the construction and operations, and maintenance stages, environmental scientists assess the ongoing environmental impacts of the hydropower infrastructure, obtain permits, and identify restoration strategies as needed. Mitigation may be required due to environmental or cultural impacts in accordance with license or permit requirements.
Environmental scientists travel to sites to monitor environmental conditions and collect data and often work in an office or laboratory to assess the data and make mitigation recommendations. They can be employed by government agencies, nonprofit organizations, development companies, large hydropower operating groups, or environmental consulting firms that contract with hydropower developers and operators. Environmental scientists often work with local, state, and federal regulators as well as engineers, specialty scientists, technicians, and project managers throughout the assessment and permitting process. Environmental scientists may specialize in a certain area of environmental science, such as biology or geology.
Entry-level environmental scientists often perform more basic field and lab work, whereas more advanced environmental scientists perform more complex data analysis, write reports, and communicate progress and findings to many different audiences.
Environmental scientists typically:
- Plan and conduct environmental field work to study the impacts of a potential or existing hydropower site on the community and environment of the development site
- Have a thorough understanding of relevant environmental regulations
- Collect biological, soil, and water samples for analysis
- Monitor impacts on fish, wildlife, and ecosystems
- Analyze the samples, geographic, cultural, and other environmental data sources to assess hazards and impacts
- Develop plans that outline how to prevent, mitigate, or restore areas impacted by hydropower development and operations
- Provide information and plans to hydropower developers, regulators, and the public on potential environmental and human impacts
- Create technical reports and presentations to explain the results of their studies and recommendations for mitigation and restoration
- Meet with, present technical information to, and negotiate with regulators on environmental issues, impacts, and mitigation.
Job Skills
Environmental scientists help evaluate and mitigate environmental concerns during project development, construction, and operations and maintenance. During the project-development stage (prior to construction), environmental scientists conduct impact studies and design mitigation strategies for communities, wildlife, aquatic life, and ecosystems. These studies help determine if a site is suitable for hydropower development, better ensure the development will comply with any environmental regulations at the site, and identify ways to minimize the environmental and cultural impact of the development on the surrounding land, water, species, and community. During the construction and operations, and maintenance stages, environmental scientists assess the ongoing environmental impacts of the hydropower infrastructure, obtain permits, and identify restoration strategies as needed. Mitigation may be required due to environmental or cultural impacts in accordance with license or permit requirements.
Environmental scientists travel to sites to monitor environmental conditions and collect data and often work in an office or laboratory to assess the data and make mitigation recommendations. They can be employed by government agencies, nonprofit organizations, development companies, large hydropower operating groups, or environmental consulting firms that contract with hydropower developers and operators. Environmental scientists often work with local, state, and federal regulators as well as engineers, speciality scientists, technicians, and project managers throughout the assessment and permitting process. Environmental scientists may specialize in a certain area of environmental science, such as biology or geology.
Entry-level environmental scientists often perform more basic field and lab work, whereas more advanced environmental scientists perform more complex data analysis, write reports, and communicate progress and findings to many different audiences.
Environmental scientists typically:
- Plan and conduct environmental field work to study the impacts of a potential or existing hydropower site on the community and environment of the development site
- Have a thorough understanding of relevant environmental regulations
- Collect biological, soil, and water samples for analysis
- Monitor impacts on fish, wildlife, and ecosystems
- Analyze the samples, geographic, cultural, and other environmental data sources to assess hazards and impacts
- Develop plans that outline how to prevent, mitigate, or restore areas impacted by hydropower development and operations
- Provide information and plans to hydropower developers, regulators, and the public on potential environmental and human impacts
- Create technical reports and presentations to explain the results of their studies and recommendations for mitigation and restoration
- Meet with, present technical information to, and negotiate with regulators on environmental issues, impacts, and mitigation.
More Information
For more information on environmental science jobs, see: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Environmental Scientists and Specialists.