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How Much Does an Environmental Scientist and Specialist Make?
An environmental scientist and specialist in the US earns a median salary of $82,220 a year, or $39.53 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $91,680, and the middle half earn between $64,490 and $107,970.
Environmental scientist and specialist pay range
What environmental scientists and specialists earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $52,520 | $25.25 | |
| 25th | $64,490 | $31.01 | |
| Median (50th) | $82,220 | $39.53 | |
| 75th | $107,970 | $51.91 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $140,010 | $67.31 |
The median is 61% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 89,250 people work as environmental scientists and specialists in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $1,581
- Every two weeks
- $3,162
- Twice a month
- $3,426
- A month
- $6,852
At the median salary, before tax.
Environmental scientist and specialist salary by state
Sorted by average pay. District of Columbia pays environmental scientists and specialists the most, at $133,190 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $133,190 | $132,620 | 1,270 | After tax |
| California | $112,360 | $106,510 | 12,490 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $104,760 | $100,640 | 2,930 | After tax |
| Rhode Island | $104,460 | $100,730 | 330 | After tax |
| Washington | $103,580 | $98,300 | 4,470 | After tax |
| Texas | $100,680 | $92,000 | 5,630 | After tax |
| Alaska | $100,490 | $91,960 | 860 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $100,040 | $82,070 | 620 | After tax |
| Colorado | $98,930 | $85,990 | 2,580 | After tax |
| Georgia | $98,480 | $85,710 | 1,750 | After tax |
| Utah | $98,090 | $90,710 | 1,020 | After tax |
| Oregon | $97,100 | $97,440 | 1,370 | After tax |
| Maryland | $93,100 | $84,190 | 1,760 | After tax |
| Arizona | $92,740 | $80,600 | 1,970 | After tax |
| Illinois | $92,260 | $81,590 | 1,550 | After tax |
| New Mexico | $92,050 | $86,630 | 940 | After tax |
| New York | $91,410 | $82,160 | 3,700 | After tax |
| Virginia | $90,500 | $82,230 | 2,850 | After tax |
| Nevada | $89,850 | $83,050 | 490 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $87,840 | $88,000 | 2,260 | After tax |
| Kansas | $87,500 | $78,210 | 590 | After tax |
| New Jersey | $86,690 | $79,210 | 3,150 | After tax |
| Montana | $85,240 | $80,260 | 570 | After tax |
| New Hampshire | $85,120 | $80,810 | 480 | After tax |
| West Virginia | $84,920 | $82,100 | 250 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $84,680 | $76,840 | 1,230 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $83,920 | $74,910 | 490 | After tax |
| North Dakota | $83,820 | $84,570 | 240 | After tax |
| Vermont | $83,460 | $77,460 | 490 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $82,270 | $76,110 | 3,020 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $82,010 | $69,820 | 1,600 | After tax |
| Michigan | $81,800 | $76,080 | 3,100 | After tax |
| Iowa | $81,670 | $78,780 | 690 | After tax |
| Ohio | $80,820 | $78,540 | 2,460 | After tax |
| Hawaii | $80,720 | $79,510 | 670 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $80,230 | $74,130 | 4,150 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $78,430 | $75,910 | 520 | After tax |
| Indiana | $78,210 | $64,700 | 1,290 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $77,840 | $72,820 | 920 | After tax |
| Idaho | $76,760 | $70,350 | 670 | After tax |
| Wyoming | $76,430 | $74,050 | 410 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $74,880 | $64,040 | 510 | After tax |
| Alabama | $74,510 | $72,490 | 870 | After tax |
| South Dakota | $72,470 | $68,230 | 240 | After tax |
| Arkansas | $72,360 | $57,220 | 270 | After tax |
| Maine | $71,400 | $66,480 | 530 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $71,160 | $71,040 | 1,000 | After tax |
| Guam | $70,590 | $68,640 | 80 | |
| Florida | $69,830 | $60,830 | 5,950 | After tax |
| Delaware | $68,460 | $64,690 | 290 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $67,460 | $57,780 | 390 | After tax |
| Missouri | $66,360 | $61,050 | 1,380 | After tax |
| Virgin Islands | $63,570 | $53,830 | 40 | |
| Puerto Rico | $61,920 | $53,030 | 390 |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other science jobs
- Medical scientist $103,410 median
- Occupational health and safety specialist $90,150 median
- Chemist $91,240 median
- Clinical and counseling psychologist $100,580 median
- Biological technician $57,510 median
- School psychologist $95,990 median
- Chemical technician $60,390 median
- Urban and regional planner $89,320 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health” (SOC 19-2041). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an environmental scientist and specialist make an hour?
The median hourly wage for an environmental scientist and specialist is $39.53, and the average is $44.08. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $25.25 an hour and the top 10% over $67.31.
How much does an environmental scientist and specialist make a month?
At the median salary of $82,220, an environmental scientist and specialist earns about $6,852 a month before tax, or $3,162 every two weeks.
Which state pays environmental scientists and specialists the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for an environmental scientist and specialist, at $133,190 a year. Next are California and Massachusetts. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for an environmental scientist and specialist?
The lowest-paid 10% of environmental scientists and specialists earn less than $52,520 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $64,490. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid environmental scientists and specialists make?
The top 10% earn more than $140,010 a year, and the top 25% more than $107,970.
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