Home Job Board Advertise Job Skills Blog

Environmental Research Assistants Gain Valuable Experience For Future Endeavors

If you think you might want to get into the field of environmental research and you don't have enough education to be an analyst or research scientist, you could be an Environmental Research Assistant. An assistant isn't usually required to have a 4-year college degree; however if you want to do environmental research, you must have some knowledge in the field of biology, ecology, or a related science, preferably a well-rounded knowledge of all. Usually a 2-year degree in environmental technology will suffice for a required educational background, along with a strong desire to be helpful in the field of environmental research. The ability to quickly learn new techniques is always a plus but in the ever-changing world of environmental research, it's a necessity.

As an environmental research assistant, you'll more than likely work with environmental scientists and engineers in both lab work and in fieldwork, helping to set up and implement experiments. You'll most likely be asked to collect data, write reports, and make charts and graphs. You may be asked to collect samples of whatever it is you are helping to test - perhaps water or soil samples, and you may even be expected to perform some of the tests yourself, as well as analyze the results.

A career as an environmental research assistant will provide you with invaluable research experience for future career possibilities. If you ever wanted to further your education and come away with a bachelor's degree in any type of science, if you have experience already in the field of research, it would be considerably easier to find a research position after graduation than it would without any research experience. Most scientists find that they are only offered research positions if they have a master's degree or higher, unless they have several years of field experience, in which case they can sometimes obtain employment as a researcher with only a bachelor's degree. By spending a few years as an environmental research assistant, you'll be well on your way to achieving your goal as a researcher, if that is your ultimate goal. Even if it isn't, becoming an environmental research assistant is rewarding itself. It's a position with a variety of duties and one in which you aren't likely to become bored.

In order to excel in this position, you'll need a good understanding of biology, chemistry, and general knowledge in most related sciences. You'll also need good writing skills and strong analytical skills. Most importantly, you'll need to have knowledge of environmental regulations and contaminants pertaining to the research of which you are assisting.

As an environmental research assistant, you can expect to make anywhere from $37,000 to $41,000 a year. You'll be expected to work outside some and in all types of weather, although you'll also be indoors quite a bit as well. Most assistants find that their outside work is usually relatively brief and consists of collecting samples, which they then take to the lab for testing and analysis. You may be expected to travel at times, if your expertise (or if the researcher you are assisting) is needed elsewhere. Good research assistants are much in demand also, so if you are good at what you do, this is definitely a job with possibilities.