Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for environmental scientists and specialists, including health in the U.S. is $82,220 ($39.53 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $82,220
- Mean annual wage
- $91,680
- Median hourly wage
- $39.53
- Employment
- 89,250
89,250 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $52,520 | $25.25 |
| 25th percentile | $64,490 | $31.01 |
| Median (50th) | $82,220 | $39.53 |
| 75th percentile | $107,970 | $51.91 |
| 90th percentile | $140,010 | $67.31 |
Highest-paying states for environmental scientists and specialists, including health
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $132,620 | 1,270 |
| California | $106,510 | 12,490 |
| Rhode Island | $100,730 | 330 |
| Massachusetts | $100,640 | 2,930 |
| Washington | $98,300 | 4,470 |
| Oregon | $97,440 | 1,370 |
| Texas | $92,000 | 5,630 |
| Alaska | $91,960 | 860 |
| Utah | $90,710 | 1,020 |
| Minnesota | $88,000 | 2,260 |
Lowest-paying states
- Arkansas: $57,220 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $57,780 median annual wage
- Florida: $60,830 median annual wage
- Missouri: $61,050 median annual wage
- Nebraska: $64,040 median annual wage
About this occupation
Conduct research or perform investigation for the purpose of identifying, abating, or eliminating sources of pollutants or hazards that affect either the environment or public health. Using knowledge of various scientific disciplines, may collect, synthesize, study, report, and recommend action based on data derived from measurements or observations of air, food, soil, water, and other sources.
Typical tasks
- Evaluate violations or problems discovered during inspections to determine appropriate regulatory actions or to provide advice on the development and prosecution of regulatory cases.
- Develop the technical portions of legal documents, administrative orders, or consent decrees.
- Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements.
- Conduct environmental audits or inspections or investigations of violations.
- Prepare charts or graphs from data samples, providing summary information on the environmental relevance of the data.
- Supervise or train students, environmental technologists, technicians, or other related staff.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Bachelor's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 63.1% |
| Master's degree | 28.7% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 8.2% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$103,410
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$90,150
- Chemists$91,240
- Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$100,580
- Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$62,280
- Biological Technicians$57,510
- School Psychologists$95,990
- Chemical Technicians$60,390
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.