Environmental Scientist and Engineer Salaries

Environmental scientists and engineers assess, monitor, and address environmental issues — contamination remediation, pollution control, regulatory compliance, and climate-related risk. Demand from both regulatory requirements and private sector sustainability initiatives has kept wages competitive in this occupational cluster.

Environmental Scientists vs. Environmental Engineers

BLS distinguishes environmental scientists/specialists from environmental engineers. Environmental engineers (who hold engineering degrees) earn more than environmental scientists (who typically hold BS/MS in environmental science or natural resource management). The engineering credential commands a premium consistent across technical specializations.

Government vs. Consulting vs. Industry

EPA, state environmental agencies, and the Army Corps of Engineers employ environmental professionals directly at GS-scale wages. Environmental consulting firms (ERM, Arcadis, Stantec) bill clients at market rates and typically pay above government scale. Large industrial corporations with environmental compliance departments round out the employment mix. Browse wages in the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations group.

Highest-Paying States

California, with its aggressive environmental regulation and large consulting market, typically ranks among the highest-paying states. Alaska, with extractive industry environmental work, and Washington also rank well. Browse all states on WageDepth.