Sustainability Studies degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in sustainability studies earn a median $59,660 four years after finishing, across 17 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in environmental science earn $56,977, $5,072 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is other managers (5%).
Median across 17 colleges; middle half $55,148–$62,388.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $38,830–$79,431. 3,445 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Environmental Science"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$21,339/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs sustainability studies graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in environmental science actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Managers | 5% | — | — | — | — |
| Environmental Scientists And Specialists, Including Health | 4% | $82,220 | +6.1% | Bachelor's degree | IRC |
| Project Management Specialists | 2% | $102,320 | +6.7% | Bachelor's degree | EC |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| Compliance Officers | 2% | $80,730 | +3.8% | Bachelor's degree | CE |
| Physical Scientists, All Other | 2% | $122,570 | +2.1% | Bachelor's degree | IRC |
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 2% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
| Biological Scientists | 2% | $99,760 | +6.7% | — | — |
These 8 jobs account for 20% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Sustainability Studies earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| California | — | $67,032 (577) |
| Colorado | — | $52,547 (150) |
| Florida | — | $50,116 (171) |
| Massachusetts | — | $72,618 (159) |
| New Jersey | — | $59,879 (135) |
| New York | $55,148 (3) | $59,662 (234) |
| North Carolina | — | $60,869 (130) |
| Oregon | — | $46,536 (100) |
| Pennsylvania | — | $56,213 (142) |
| Texas | — | $61,930 (173) |
| Washington | — | $62,968 (182) |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where sustainability studies graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 7 in Florida, 5 in Virginia, 5 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of FloridaFL | $61,281 | $15,250 |
| 2 | George Mason UniversityVA | $61,216 | $25,000 |
| 3 | University of California-RiversideCA | $58,463 | $20,045 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Sustainability Studies degree questions
How much do Sustainability Studies graduates make?
Sustainability Studies graduates earn a median $59,660 four years after finishing, across 17 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $55,148 to $62,388; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in environmental science, the median is $56,977 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Sustainability Studies degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in environmental science earn a median $56,977: $5,072 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $21,339 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Sustainability Studies graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in environmental science, the most common jobs are other managers (5%), environmental scientists and specialists, including health (4%), project management specialists (2%).
Census field of degree matched to this major by EducationGuide (Sustainability Studies (CIP 2010+) -> Environmental Science).
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Sustainability Studies degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/sustainability-studies.