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Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

General Information

Description

Identify, remove, pack, transport, or dispose of hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead-based paint, waste oil, fuel, transmission fluid, radioactive materials, or contaminated soil. Specialized training and certification in hazardous materials handling or a confined entry permit are generally required. May operate earth-moving equipment or trucks.

Explore this career in the Military

Business Breakdown

People in this career work in these sectors.

  1. Private, for profit73.76%
  2. Private, not for profit12.87%
  3. State and local government5.98%
  4. Federal government3.93%
  5. Self-employed3.45%

Workplace at a Glance

What you can expect to experience while on the job

  • Responsibility
  • Exposure to job hazards
  • Physical activity
  • Decision making
  • Repetitiveness
  • Level of competition
  • Time pressure

Industry areas

  • Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources

Job Outlook

Projected Job Growth (2022 - 2032)
0%
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Related Military Careers

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Related MIlitary Careers X

    • Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialists
      • EOD specialists detect, locate, render safe, and dispose of explosive threats all over the world. These threats include chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, as well as improvised explosive devices (IED). These experts perform very challenging work for the cause of protecting other service members and the general public.   Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Ordnance Officers
      • It is the job of the ordnance officer to safeguard the Military’s weapons and ammunition supplies. These officers make decisions regarding the purchase, handling, storage, and transport of ordnance. They also oversee teams that maintain, modify, and dispose of ordnance. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Weapon Repair Officers
      • Weapon repair and maintenance officers manage the activities and personnel engaged in the maintenance and repair of the Military’s weapons, from small arms to nuclear missiles, and their associated equipment. They oversee inspections, inventory, check-out procedures, and shop operations. These officers must have expert knowledge in the design, operation, and safe shipment and employment of military weapons. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Ordnance Specialists
      • Ordnance specialists are responsible for the safety, security, and accountability of the Military’s weapons and ammunition. They perform a wide variety of duties, including the safe receipt, storage, and transport of ordnance. Some of these specialists deal solely with the destruction and demilitarization of explosive items, while some deal solely with maintenance and repair. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Weapons Maintenance Technicians
      • Weapons maintenance technicians are responsible for servicing and maintaining the Military’s weapons and ordnance support equipment. They ensure these assets are fully operational at all times. These experts plan, organize, and perform every service necessary to keep these systems in pristine working condition so they are ready when needed. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Special Forces Officers
      • Special forces officers advise Commanders on all aspects of special operations. They are experienced subject matter experts in unconventional warfare and operations, fusing intelligence and planning at all levels across the operational continuum. They must have detailed knowledge of geography, economy, political structure, armed forces, and history. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Emergency Management Officers
      • Emergency management officers evaluate potential and actual disasters, ensuring adequacy of warning systems, shelters, and disaster preparedness plans. Emergency management officers prepare and administer measures to cope with both natural disasters and chemical, nuclear weapon, reactor, and radiological incidents. They direct command and control centers during the development of situations and also participate in emergency response operations. These operations may involve responding to accidents. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Emergency Management Specialists
      • Whether it is a natural disaster or man-made as a result of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear incident, emergency management specialists are trained for response and recovery operations anywhere in the world. They prepare emergency plans, coordinate emergency response teams, and train other people to meet mission needs and to minimize casualties and damage in the event of any disaster situation, including floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, or enemy attack. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Environmental Health and Safety Officers
      • Environmental health and safety officers direct programs to protect the health and safety of military members and their families. They apply engineering and scientific principles in anticipating, recognizing, and evaluating occupational and environmental health hazards. These officers design and formulate recommendations to preserve and enhance health and environmental conditions to include air, water, noise, liquid and solid waste disposal, food, and institutional hygiene. They also lead hazardous material control, public contingency response, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear safety initiatives. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Environmental Health and Safety Specialists
      • Environmental health and safety specialists protect the military community through programs to ensure that military facilities and food supplies are free of disease, germs, and other hazardous conditions. These specialists identify, research, and mitigate occupational and environmental health hazards and risks that may negatively impact health, human performance, and environmental health quality. They manage programs related to communicable disease control and prevention, food safety, sanitary compliance, occupational health and safety, hazardous material control, and public health contingency response. They also assess Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear safety. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officers
      • Explosive ordnance disposal officers determine methods and procedures for locating and rendering safe all types of explosive ordnance. They lead teams that neutralize chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, as well as improvised explosive devices (IED). They may operate in a variety of challenging environments, such as underwater. Navigate to Military Career Page
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Salary

Average Salary

Salary

$46,690

Military salary*

$59,689

Explore this career in the Military

State-by-state Salary

Gray states indicate no data available

$72,800
$34,960
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Education & Interests

Most Common Education Levels

People in this career achieve this level of education.

  • Less than high school 26%
  • High school 24%
  • Post-secondary certificate 19%
  • Some college 13%
  • Bachelor's degree 13%
  • Associate's degree 1%
  • Master's degree 0%
  • Doctoral degree 0%
  • Post baccalaureate 0%
  • Post-doctoral training 0%
  • Post-master's certificate 0%
  • First professional degree 0%

Related College Majors

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PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS

You may find this career fulfilling if you consider yourself to be:

  • Realistic — You have an interest in physically working with equipment, materials or structures.
  • Conventional — You have an interest in following procedures and regulations to organize information or data.

Not sure what characteristics best describe you? Take the RIASEC Test.

Skills at a Glance

Skills helpful in this career

  • Verbal skills
  • Critical thinking & problem solving
  • Equipment operation & maintenance
  • Math & science skills
  • Technology design & control
  • Leadership

Knowledge

  • Public Safety and Security
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Mechanical
  • Administration and Management
  • Transportation

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