Industrial Ecologists

Industrial ecologists may work in a variety of places, from offices and laboratories to wilderness areas, forests, and mountain streams. They might spend part of their work day in front of computers, studying data and creating reports, and another part of their work day in research laboratories, analyzing samples from different environments. They work full time, usually 40 hours per week, with some overtime required if they are out working in the field. Industrial ecologists travel to sites to conduct their research. They work in all types of weather and the work can be physically demanding at times. Travel is also required at times for meetings with clients and to present research findings at conferences.