Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for environmental scientists and specialists, including health is $82,220, or $39.53 per hour. About 89,250 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $132,620 in District of Columbia to $57,220 in Arkansas.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 51 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $132,620 | $63.76 | 1,270 | 3.15 |
| 2 | California | $106,510 | $51.21 | 12,490 | 1.19 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $100,730 | $48.43 | 330 | 1.15 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $100,640 | $48.39 | 2,930 | 1.40 |
| 5 | Washington | $98,300 | $47.26 | 4,470 | 2.19 |
| 6 | Oregon | $97,440 | $46.85 | 1,370 | 1.21 |
| 7 | Texas | $92,000 | $44.23 | 5,630 | 0.70 |
| 8 | Alaska | $91,960 | $44.21 | 860 | 4.59 |
| 9 | Utah | $90,710 | $43.61 | 1,020 | 1.02 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $88,000 | $42.31 | 2,260 | 1.34 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $86,630 | $41.65 | 940 | 1.88 |
| 12 | Colorado | $85,990 | $41.34 | 2,580 | 1.56 |
| 13 | Georgia | $85,710 | $41.21 | 1,750 | 0.62 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $84,570 | $40.66 | 240 | 0.96 |
| 15 | Maryland | $84,190 | $40.48 | 1,760 | 1.11 |
| 16 | Nevada | $83,050 | $39.93 | 490 | 0.55 |
| 17 | Virginia | $82,230 | $39.53 | 2,850 | 1.21 |
| 18 | New York | $82,160 | $39.50 | 3,700 | 0.67 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $82,100 | $39.47 | 250 | 0.63 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $82,070 | $39.46 | 620 | 0.64 |
| 21 | Illinois | $81,590 | $39.23 | 1,550 | 0.44 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $80,810 | $38.85 | 480 | 1.23 |
| 23 | Arizona | $80,600 | $38.75 | 1,970 | 1.06 |
| 24 | Montana | $80,260 | $38.59 | 570 | 1.94 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $79,510 | $38.23 | 670 | 1.85 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $79,210 | $38.08 | 3,150 | 1.28 |
| 27 | Iowa | $78,780 | $37.88 | 690 | 0.77 |
| 28 | Ohio | $78,540 | $37.76 | 2,460 | 0.77 |
| 29 | Kansas | $78,210 | $37.60 | 590 | 0.72 |
| 30 | Vermont | $77,460 | $37.24 | 490 | 2.79 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $76,840 | $36.94 | 1,230 | 0.65 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $76,110 | $36.59 | 3,020 | 0.87 |
| 33 | Michigan | $76,080 | $36.58 | 3,100 | 1.23 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $75,910 | $36.49 | 520 | 0.53 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $74,910 | $36.02 | 490 | 0.37 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $74,130 | $35.64 | 4,150 | 1.46 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $74,050 | $35.60 | 410 | 2.55 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $72,820 | $35.01 | 920 | 0.54 |
| 39 | Alabama | $72,490 | $34.85 | 870 | 0.72 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $71,040 | $34.16 | 1,000 | 0.87 |
| 41 | Idaho | $70,350 | $33.82 | 670 | 1.36 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $69,820 | $33.57 | 1,600 | 1.44 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $68,230 | $32.80 | 240 | 0.91 |
| 44 | Maine | $66,480 | $31.96 | 530 | 1.45 |
| 45 | Indiana | $64,700 | $31.11 | 1,290 | 0.70 |
| 46 | Delaware | $64,690 | $31.10 | 290 | 1.04 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $64,040 | $30.79 | 510 | 0.87 |
| 48 | Missouri | $61,050 | $29.35 | 1,380 | 0.82 |
| 49 | Florida | $60,830 | $29.24 | 5,950 | 1.04 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $57,780 | $27.78 | 390 | 0.58 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $57,220 | $27.51 | 270 | 0.36 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do environmental scientists and specialists, including health make?
The median annual wage for environmental scientists and specialists, including health in the United States is $82,220, or $39.53 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $52,520, and the top 10% earn $140,010.
How many environmental scientists and specialists, including health are employed in the U.S.?
About 89,250 people work as environmental scientists and specialists, including health nationwide.
Which state pays environmental scientists and specialists, including health the most?
District of Columbia pays the most at a median of $132,620, followed by California ($106,510) and Rhode Island ($100,730).
Which state pays environmental scientists and specialists, including health the least?
Arkansas has the lowest median at $57,220.
Where are environmental scientists and specialists, including health jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Alaska at 4.59×.