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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

19-2041 Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

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. Excludes “Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists” (19-1023), “Conservation Scientists” (19-1031), “Forest and Conservation Technicians” (19-4071), “Occupational Health and Safety Specialists” (19-5011), “Fish and Game Wardens” (33-3031), and “Forest and Conservation Workers” (45-4011).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
84,290 1.8 % $37.47 $77,940 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $20.58 $26.01 $34.31 $45.74 $59.98
Annual Wage (2) $42,810 $54,100 $71,360 $95,140 $124,760


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 20,970 1.41 $38.29 $79,650
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 20,100 0.92 $32.62 $67,860
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 10,960 0.73 $37.63 $78,270
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 10,060 0.18 $34.84 $72,460
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 4,820 0.24 $49.96 $103,920

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 20,970 1.41 $38.29 $79,650
Social Advocacy Organizations 2,230 1.00 $34.28 $71,300
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 20,100 0.92 $32.62 $67,860
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 10,960 0.73 $37.63 $78,270
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services 870 0.55 $39.15 $81,440

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Natural Gas Distribution 150 0.14 $50.66 $105,380
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) 60 0.01 $49.98 $103,960
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 4,820 0.24 $49.96 $103,920
Oil and Gas Extraction 540 0.38 $49.17 $102,280
Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers 210 0.04 $49.06 $102,040


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 14,380 0.83 1.44 $44.38 $92,320
Texas 5,190 0.42 0.73 $37.23 $77,430
Florida 4,800 0.55 0.95 $29.42 $61,200
North Carolina 3,840 0.86 1.50 $31.43 $65,380
New York 3,840 0.40 0.70 $40.42 $84,080




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 810 2.55 4.45 $39.32 $81,780
District of Columbia 1,790 2.47 4.30 $54.10 $112,540
Wyoming 550 2.02 3.52 $32.97 $68,580
New Mexico 1,270 1.54 2.69 $37.45 $77,900
Vermont 330 1.09 1.89 $31.32 $65,140




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 1,790 2.47 4.30 $54.10 $112,540
California 14,380 0.83 1.44 $44.38 $92,320
Washington 3,040 0.92 1.60 $41.28 $85,870
Virginia 3,270 0.84 1.47 $41.18 $85,660
Colorado 2,420 0.90 1.57 $40.72 $84,690





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 4,040 0.42 0.73 $40.73 $84,720
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,950 1.24 2.17 $50.10 $104,210
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,210 1.30 2.26 $52.49 $109,180
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 2,930 2.89 5.04 $43.29 $90,040
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,890 0.46 0.81 $44.86 $93,300
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 1,780 1.29 2.25 $39.74 $82,660
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,700 0.61 1.06 $41.39 $86,100
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,640 0.81 1.42 $44.54 $92,640
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,590 0.34 0.59 $39.49 $82,130
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 1,410 0.95 1.65 $37.38 $77,750




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Boulder, CO 850 4.59 7.99 $38.37 $79,800
Fairbanks, AK 140 4.08 7.10 $39.26 $81,660
Carson City, NV 110 3.59 6.25 $30.98 $64,450
Cheyenne, WY 160 3.53 6.16 $31.50 $65,520
Jefferson City, MO 260 3.50 6.09 $22.09 $45,960
Santa Fe, NM 210 3.39 5.90 $32.50 $67,600
Trenton, NJ 780 3.27 5.69 $39.80 $82,780
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 370 3.25 5.67 $31.62 $65,760
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 2,930 2.89 5.04 $43.29 $90,040
Kennewick-Richland, WA 310 2.64 4.59 $48.74 $101,390




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Santa Rosa, CA 210 1.01 1.76 $58.85 $122,400
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,210 1.30 2.26 $52.49 $109,180
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,950 1.24 2.17 $50.10 $104,210
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 220 0.68 1.18 $50.09 $104,180
Charlottesville, VA 110 0.94 1.64 $49.11 $102,140
Kennewick-Richland, WA 310 2.64 4.59 $48.74 $101,390
Midland, TX 190 1.74 3.03 $47.38 $98,550
Salinas, CA 70 0.40 0.70 $46.88 $97,510
Madera, CA 60 1.33 2.32 $45.01 $93,610
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,890 0.46 0.81 $44.86 $93,300

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 400 2.22 3.86 $24.72 $51,420
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 380 4.78 8.34 (8) (8)
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 250 1.82 3.17 $32.61 $67,820
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 230 2.13 3.71 $38.58 $80,260
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 210 2.14 3.73 $32.42 $67,440

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 380 4.78 8.34 (8) (8)
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 200 2.85 4.96 $31.26 $65,020
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 400 2.22 3.86 $24.72 $51,420
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 210 2.14 3.73 $32.42 $67,440
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 230 2.13 3.71 $38.58 $80,260

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 40 0.25 0.44 $46.21 $96,110
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 70 1.23 2.14 $42.71 $88,840
Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 50 0.48 0.84 $42.40 $88,190
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $41.09 $85,460
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 230 2.13 3.71 $38.58 $80,260


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020