Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health salary by state
Base salary plus target bonus using the Grahall equation. Bonus is a function of base; higher base means a higher target bonus.
Base salary
$95,000
National baseline
Target bonus
$12,500
13% of base
Total target cash
$107,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus range (25th to 75th percentile):$7,500 to $20,500
Long-term incentive (LTI) varies by industry and executive tier and is not included in this view.
About this role
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is a professional role within the function in the Life, Physical, and Social Science job family.
What Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Healths do
Typical education: Bachelor's Degree
Communicate scientific or technical information to the public, organizations, or internal audiences through oral briefings, written documents, workshops, conferences, training sessions, or public hearings.
Monitor effects of pollution or land degradation and recommend means of prevention or control.
Collect, synthesize, analyze, manage, and report environmental data, such as pollution emission measurements, atmospheric monitoring measurements, meteorological or mineralogical information, or soil or water samples.
Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements.
Provide scientific or technical guidance, support, coordination, or oversight to governmental agencies, environmental programs, industry, or the public.
Top skills:WritingSpeakingScienceReading ComprehensionComplex Problem SolvingActive Listening
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health pay by experience level
Entry level$54,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$66,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$85,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$111,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$145,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+4.4%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
8,500
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health salary by industry
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
42,200 workers
$92,500
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
34,500 workers
$94,000
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
24,620 workers
$87,000
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
17,650 workers
$94,000
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
12,920 workers
$93,000
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
12,190 workers
$89,500
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
5,390 workers
$124,000
Educational Services
2,900 workers
$98,500
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
2,680 workers
$100,000
Scientific Research and Development Services
2,430 workers
$103,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health pays 5% below the average across 66 roles in the Life, Physical, and Social Science job family (family average $100,500).
Similar-paying roles in Life, Physical, and Social Science
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health make?
The average base salary for a Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in the United States is $95,000 per year, or about $45.67 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $67,000 and $112,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Life, Physical, and Social Science roles?
The Life, Physical, and Social Science job family averages $100,500 across 66 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
