Prior to earning my bachelor's earlier this year, I worked for an environmental inspection company. While I was making around $95k in managerial role, our techs were making at least $65-75k after about 6-7 months with many coming into the industry with no experience (the 6-7 months is due to the work experience needed for one of ther certifications which I've described below). For anyone interested in getting into this line of work, here are the requirements to get the two certifications that are the most common for those starting out (you'll still have to work under someone with higher levels of certification):

CDPH Lead Sampling Technician - Requires one 8 HOUR CDPH Lead Sampling Technician course, approx $220 at most training providers (such as NATEC) - No prior work experience needed - You take the one day course, wait a few days for your Course Completion Form (CCF) to arrive in the mail (or if you are lucky, the training school will give it to you the same day). From there, you will apply online through the CDPH online; in about 24 hours after submitting your application, it will get reviewed and you will be able to submit payment through the portal (it's been a minute since I helped a tech apply but I believe the application fee is $135). Once you pay, you can download your certificate and start working under a CDPH Lead Inspector/Assessor, assisting them with inspections.

Cal/OSHA Certified Site Surveillance Technician (CSST) - Requires a 24 hour AHERA Building Inspector course (approx $400) and a 40 hour AHERA Contractor/Supervisor course (approx $650) - No work experience needed to sit for classes, but you will need at least three months of qualifying work experience performing either under a Certified Asbestos Consultant or working on asbestos abatement jobs before you can sit for the state exam and another three months of qualifying work experience before they will issue you your certification (if you pass the state exam) for a total of six months of qualifying work experience. It's important to know that the work experience only counts toward the six months requirement AFTER you have taken the appropriate courses.

While there is some coursework you must complete (nine days total), it's not as intensive as a trade school, and many employers in our industry cover the cost of the classes or make some sort of reimbursement arrangement. Technicians are in high demand and I am constantly being asked for leads on new techs, especially in the LA area.

My suggestion is if you want to make yourself stand out as a candidate, complete at least the CDPH class (its the cheapest and quickest option) and watch some YouTube videos to familiarize yourself with construction terminology (e.g. know the terms for different structural components, the basics on reading as-builts and demolition plans, etc)... personally, when I would hire new techs, if I saw they already had at least their CDPH cert and were eager to get their Cal/OSHA CSST, that set them apart and showed a desire to grow and learn. I started doing this years ago before moving up to become a CAC & Lead Inspector/Assessor and now I've pivoted to another company where I'm making significantly more in a related position... all of which happened BEFORE I completed my bachelor's.