Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Salary
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations · 89K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$82,220
Median hourly
$40
Average annual
$91,680
Typical range
$52,520–$140,010
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is $82,220 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $40 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $52,520 and $140,010 a year. There are roughly 89K people employed as environmental scientists and specialists, including health in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
- Hourly
- $39.53
- Daily
- $316
- Weekly
- $1,581
- Bi-weekly
- $3,162
- Monthly
- $6,852
- Annual
- $82,220
$82,220 a year is around the 50th percentile for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Healths. The median is $82,220.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1District of Columbia$132,620
- 2California$106,510
- 3Rhode Island$100,730
- 4Massachusetts$100,640
- 5Washington$98,300
- 6Oregon$97,440
- 7Texas$92,000
- 8Alaska$91,960
- 9Utah$90,710
- 10Minnesota$88,000
- 11New Mexico$86,630
- 12Colorado$85,990
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Kennewick-Richland, WA$129,110
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$127,210
- 3Monroe, MI$114,160
- 4Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$110,260
- 5Napa, CA$109,710
- 6Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$109,710
- 7Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$108,430
- 8Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$108,160
- 9Redding, CA$106,510
- 10San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$106,510
- 11Yuba City, CA$106,510
- 12San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$106,100
Related job titles
Employers advertise Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health roles under these titles.
- Air Analyst
- Aquatic Ecologist
- Clean Energy Policy Analyst
- Climate Advisor
- Climate Analyst
- Climate and Energy Program Associate
- Climate Change Analyst
- Climate Change Risk Assessor
- Climate Change Specialist
- Climate Economist
- Coastal and Estuary Specialist
- Conservation Planner
- Cumulative Effects Analyst
- Eco-Industrial Development Consultant
- Ecological Modeler
- Ecological Professional
Related occupations
What a Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health does
- Communicate scientific or technical information to the public, organizations, or internal audiences through oral briefings, written documents, workshops, conferences, training sessions, or public hearings.
- Collect, synthesize, analyze, manage, and report environmental data, such as pollution emission measurements, atmospheric monitoring measurements, meteorological or mineralogical information, or soil or water samples.
- Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements.
- Provide scientific or technical guidance, support, coordination, or oversight to governmental agencies, environmental programs, industry, or the public.
- Prepare charts or graphs from data samples, providing summary information on the environmental relevance of the data.
- Research sources of pollution to determine their effects on the environment and to develop theories or methods of pollution abatement or control.
- Monitor environmental impacts of development activities.
- Monitor effects of pollution or land degradation and recommend means of prevention or control.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health make?
- The median annual wage for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is $82,220 ($40 per hour). Pay ranges from about $52,520 at the 10th percentile to $140,010 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $91,680, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Healths the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $132,620.
- Is Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 89K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health do?
- Communicate scientific or technical information to the public, organizations, or internal audiences through oral briefings, written documents, workshops, conferences, training sessions, or public hearings.; Collect, synthesize, analyze, manage, and report environmental data, such as pollution emission measurements, atmospheric monitoring measurements, meteorological or mineralogical information, or soil or water samples.; Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements..