U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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 Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
Industry profile for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
Geographic profile for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

National estimates for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
84,610 2.0 % $ 38.50 $ 80,090 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 20.66 $ 26.54 $ 35.21 $ 47.17 $ 62.24
Annual Wage (2) $ 42,960 $ 55,210 $ 73,230 $ 98,120 $ 129,450

Industry profile for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 21,410 1.41 $ 39.38 $ 81,910
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 20,120 0.91 $ 33.91 $ 70,530
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 10,700 0.71 $ 39.41 $ 81,980
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 10,610 0.20 $ 35.38 $ 73,580
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 4,950 0.24 $ 50.51 $ 105,060

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 21,410 1.41 $ 39.38 $ 81,910
Social Advocacy Organizations 2,140 0.97 $ 34.76 $ 72,300
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 20,120 0.91 $ 33.91 $ 70,530
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 10,700 0.71 $ 39.41 $ 81,980
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services 810 0.51 $ 41.69 $ 86,710

Top paying industries for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Pipeline Transportation 30 0.37 $ 52.01 $ 108,170
Natural Gas Distribution 150 0.14 $ 51.61 $ 107,350
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 4,950 0.24 $ 50.51 $ 105,060
Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers 220 0.04 $ 50.10 $ 104,200
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,500 0.06 $ 49.37 $ 102,700

Geographic profile for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 14,830 0.90 1.48 $ 45.62 $ 94,880
Texas 5,770 0.48 0.78 $ 40.43 $ 84,090
Florida 5,270 0.62 1.03 $ 29.08 $ 60,490
New York 3,700 0.43 0.70 $ 39.90 $ 83,000
North Carolina 3,610 0.84 1.38 $ 32.66 $ 67,940




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 920 3.09 5.09 $ 37.94 $ 78,920
District of Columbia 1,730 2.52 4.14 $ 55.83 $ 116,120
Wyoming 490 1.87 3.07 $ 33.73 $ 70,160
New Mexico 1,380 1.76 2.89 $ 38.82 $ 80,750
Vermont 310 1.09 1.79 $ 31.72 $ 65,980




Top paying states for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 1,730 2.52 4.14 $ 55.83 $ 116,120
California 14,830 0.90 1.48 $ 45.62 $ 94,880
Massachusetts 2,070 0.62 1.02 $ 43.95 $ 91,410
Virginia 3,380 0.91 1.50 $ 42.00 $ 87,360
Washington 3,010 0.94 1.55 $ 41.55 $ 86,420





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health:

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 3,870 0.44 0.72 $ 40.13 $ 83,470
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,840 1.27 2.09 $ 51.59 $ 107,320
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,180 1.37 2.25 $ 54.01 $ 112,340
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 3,000 3.09 5.08 $ 46.04 $ 95,750
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,810 0.48 0.79 $ 45.86 $ 95,390
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,640 0.63 1.04 $ 45.66 $ 94,970
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,620 0.83 1.36 $ 45.35 $ 94,330
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,440 0.33 0.54 $ 41.83 $ 87,010
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 1,410 1.10 1.81 $ 40.69 $ 84,640
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,390 0.53 0.87 $ 44.03 $ 91,570




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Boulder, CO 990 5.46 8.98 $ 39.71 $ 82,600
Fairbanks, AK 140 4.53 7.46 $ 39.05 $ 81,220
Monroe, MI 130 3.84 6.31 $ 38.92 $ 80,950
Trenton, NJ 850 3.71 6.10 $ 39.39 $ 81,930
Jefferson City, MO 270 3.65 6.00 (8) (8)
Santa Fe, NM 210 3.63 5.97 $ 31.45 $ 65,410
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 380 3.53 5.80 $ 32.77 $ 68,170
Cheyenne, WY 150 3.41 5.60 $ 32.36 $ 67,310
Anchorage, AK 530 3.23 5.32 $ 37.99 $ 79,020
Tallahassee, FL 540 3.17 5.22 $ 23.06 $ 47,960