Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$133,190
- California$112,360
- Massachusetts$104,760
- Rhode Island$104,460
- Washington$103,580
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Missouri$66,360
- Mississippi$67,460
- Delaware$68,460
- Florida$69,830
- Kentucky$71,160
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $133,190 | $132,620 | $64 | +45.3% | 1,270 |
| 2 | California | $112,360 | $106,510 | $54 | +22.6% | 12,490 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $104,760 | $100,640 | $50 | +14.3% | 2,930 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $104,460 | $100,730 | $50 | +13.9% | 330 |
| 5 | Washington | $103,580 | $98,300 | $50 | +13% | 4,470 |
| 6 | Texas | $100,680 | $92,000 | $48 | +9.8% | 5,630 |
| 7 | Alaska | $100,490 | $91,960 | $48 | +9.6% | 860 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $100,040 | $82,070 | $48 | +9.1% | 620 |
| 9 | Colorado | $98,930 | $85,990 | $48 | +7.9% | 2,580 |
| 10 | Georgia | $98,480 | $85,710 | $47 | +7.4% | 1,750 |
| 11 | Utah | $98,090 | $90,710 | $47 | +7% | 1,020 |
| 12 | Oregon | $97,100 | $97,440 | $47 | +5.9% | 1,370 |
| 13 | Maryland | $93,100 | $84,190 | $45 | +1.5% | 1,760 |
| 14 | Arizona | $92,740 | $80,600 | $45 | +1.2% | 1,970 |
| 15 | Illinois | $92,260 | $81,590 | $44 | +0.6% | 1,550 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $92,050 | $86,630 | $44 | +0.4% | 940 |
| 17 | New York | $91,410 | $82,160 | $44 | -0.3% | 3,700 |
| 18 | Virginia | $90,500 | $82,230 | $44 | -1.3% | 2,850 |
| 19 | Nevada | $89,850 | $83,050 | $43 | -2% | 490 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $87,840 | $88,000 | $42 | -4.2% | 2,260 |
| 21 | Kansas | $87,500 | $78,210 | $42 | -4.6% | 590 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $86,690 | $79,210 | $42 | -5.4% | 3,150 |
| 23 | Montana | $85,240 | $80,260 | $41 | -7% | 570 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $85,120 | $80,810 | $41 | -7.2% | 480 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $84,920 | $82,100 | $41 | -7.4% | 250 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $84,680 | $76,840 | $41 | -7.6% | 1,230 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $83,920 | $74,910 | $40 | -8.5% | 490 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $83,820 | $84,570 | $40 | -8.6% | 240 |
| 29 | Vermont | $83,460 | $77,460 | $40 | -9% | 490 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $82,270 | $76,110 | $40 | -10.3% | 3,020 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $82,010 | $69,820 | $39 | -10.5% | 1,600 |
| 32 | Michigan | $81,800 | $76,080 | $39 | -10.8% | 3,100 |
| 33 | Iowa | $81,670 | $78,780 | $39 | -10.9% | 690 |
| 34 | Ohio | $80,820 | $78,540 | $39 | -11.8% | 2,460 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $80,720 | $79,510 | $39 | -12% | 670 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $80,230 | $74,130 | $39 | -12.5% | 4,150 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $78,430 | $75,910 | $38 | -14.5% | 520 |
| 38 | Indiana | $78,210 | $64,700 | $38 | -14.7% | 1,290 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $77,840 | $72,820 | $37 | -15.1% | 920 |
| 40 | Idaho | $76,760 | $70,350 | $37 | -16.3% | 670 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $76,430 | $74,050 | $37 | -16.6% | 410 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $74,880 | $64,040 | $36 | -18.3% | 510 |
| 43 | Alabama | $74,510 | $72,490 | $36 | -18.7% | 870 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $72,470 | $68,230 | $35 | -21% | 240 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $72,360 | $57,220 | $35 | -21.1% | 270 |
| 46 | Maine | $71,400 | $66,480 | $34 | -22.1% | 530 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $71,160 | $71,040 | $34 | -22.4% | 1,000 |
| 48 | Florida | $69,830 | $60,830 | $34 | -23.8% | 5,950 |
| 49 | Delaware | $68,460 | $64,690 | $33 | -25.3% | 290 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $67,460 | $57,780 | $32 | -26.4% | 390 |
| 51 | Missouri | $66,360 | $61,050 | $32 | -27.6% | 1,380 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 347 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $178,960 | $145,280 | 30 |
| 2 | Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $132,340 | $111,720 | 30 |
| 3 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $129,110 | $123,690 | 300 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $127,210 | $127,420 | 1,320 |
| 5 | Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $118,030 | $115,990 | 50 |
| 6 | Monroe, MI | $114,160 | $90,320 | 80 |
| 7 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $110,260 | $107,100 | 170 |
| 8 | Napa, CA | $109,710 | $114,860 | 40 |
| 9 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $109,710 | $113,580 | 190 |
| 10 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $108,430 | $113,580 | 3,520 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing environmental scientists and specialists, including healths (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) | $167,530 | $152,910 | 60 |
| 2 | Natural Gas Distribution | $139,520 | $139,690 | 220 |
| 3 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $138,720 | $143,140 | 260 |
| 4 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $138,720 | $143,140 | 260 |
| 5 | Nuclear Electric Power Generation | $134,590 | $133,820 | 120 |
| 6 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $134,510 | $143,520 | 200 |
| 7 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $134,510 | $143,520 | 200 |
| 8 | Sector 52 - Finance and Insurance | $134,100 | $139,240 | 110 |
| 9 | Facilities Support Services | $133,980 | $124,130 | 80 |
| 10 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | $132,180 | $133,770 | 330 |
| 11 | Chemical Manufacturing | $125,270 | $126,610 | 460 |
| 12 | Pipeline Transportation | $123,520 | $126,690 | 160 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do environmental scientists and specialists, including health make in the U.S.?
The median environmental scientists and specialists, including health salary in the United States is $82,220 per year (mean $91,680), and about 80% earn between $52,520 and $140,010.
How much do environmental scientists and specialists, including health make per hour?
Roughly $44 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $91,680 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays environmental scientists and specialists, including health the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for environmental scientists and specialists, including health at $133,190 per year (median $132,620).
What is the job outlook for environmental scientists and specialists, including health?
Employment is projected to change +4.4% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 8,500 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.