Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $64,490–$107,970. 89,250 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
100% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $63,545.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 7,300 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Science | 27% | Environmental Science / Conservation |
| Biology | 15% | Biology |
| Geology And Earth Science | 6% | — |
| Natural Resources Management | 5% | Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy · Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management |
| Ecology | 4% | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology |
| Chemistry | 2% | Chemistry |
| Miscellaneous Biology | 2% | — |
| Business Management And Administration | 1% | Business Administration |
| General Medical And Health Services | 1% | Health Sciences |
| Psychology | 1% | Psychology |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $132,620 |
| California | $106,510 |
| Rhode Island | $100,730 |
| Massachusetts | $100,640 |
| Washington | $98,300 |
| Oregon | $97,440 |
| Texas | $92,000 |
| Alaska | $91,960 |
| Utah | $90,710 |
| Minnesota | $88,000 |
| New Mexico | $86,630 |
| Colorado | $85,990 |
| Georgia | $85,710 |
| North Dakota | $84,570 |
| Maryland | $84,190 |
| Nevada | $83,050 |
| Virginia | $82,230 |
| New York | $82,160 |
| West Virginia | $82,100 |
| Connecticut | $82,070 |
| Illinois | $81,590 |
| New Hampshire | $80,810 |
| Arizona | $80,600 |
| Montana | $80,260 |
| Hawaii | $79,510 |
| New Jersey | $79,210 |
| Iowa | $78,780 |
| Ohio | $78,540 |
| Kansas | $78,210 |
| Vermont | $77,460 |
| Tennessee | $76,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,110 |
| Michigan | $76,080 |
| Oklahoma | $75,910 |
| South Carolina | $74,910 |
| North Carolina | $74,130 |
| Wyoming | $74,050 |
| Wisconsin | $72,820 |
| Alabama | $72,490 |
| Kentucky | $71,040 |
| Idaho | $70,350 |
| Louisiana | $69,820 |
| GU | $68,640 |
| South Dakota | $68,230 |
| Maine | $66,480 |
| Indiana | $64,700 |
| Delaware | $64,690 |
| Nebraska | $64,040 |
| Missouri | $61,050 |
| Florida | $60,830 |
| Mississippi | $57,780 |
| Arkansas | $57,220 |
| VI | $53,830 |
| PR | $53,030 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$68,920
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$62,680
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$64,840
- Tallahassee$53,910
- Jacksonville$60,380
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$60,850
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$63,750
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$63,220
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$108,160
- Richmond$80,350
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$78,600
- Roanoke$75,330
- Kingsport-Bristol$76,900
- Charlottesville$77,850
- Harrisonburg$74,450
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$70,820
California metro areas
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$108,430
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$105,340
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$127,210
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$106,100
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$104,110
- Fresno$97,040
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$106,510
- Bakersfield-Delano$80,640
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Science
Knowledge used
- English Language
- Biology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Law and Government
- Computers and Electronics
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Cautiousness
People in this job tend to have Investigative (analytical), Realistic (hands-on), Conventional (organizing) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health: questions
How much do environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health make?
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health earn a U.S. median $82,220 a year; the middle half earn $64,490 to $107,970 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $63,545 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 6.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,300 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be an environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. In O*NET's survey, 78% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is environmental Science (27%).
How much do environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $60,830 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $82,220 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 19-2041. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/environmental-scientists-and-specialists-including-health.