Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Salary: $110,339 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 84,930 environmental scientists and specialists, including health nationally earn a mean of $110,339. Employment in the series shown rose about 5% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 0.6% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health: what the data shows
Common questions about environmental scientists and specialists, including health careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a environmental scientists and specialists, including health?
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 19-2041.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 84,930 workers.
What does a environmental scientists and specialists, including health do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Getting Information, Working with Computers, Analyzing Data or Information, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a environmental scientists and specialists, including health make?
BLS national median annual wage: $80,060 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $110,339 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $62,072 |
| 25th percentile | $78,682 |
| Median (50th) | $100,170 |
| 75th percentile | $132,680 |
| 90th percentile | $163,034 |
What education do you need?
For Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Writing, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Speaking, Science, Reading Comprehension, and knowledge areas including English Language, Biology, Customer and Personal Service, Law and Government. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is environmental scientists and specialists, including health in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.6% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 2.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 5.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 84,930.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do environmental scientists and specialists, including healths work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 84,930 | 17.6% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 43,030 | 8.9% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 41,900 | 8.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 39,780 | 8.2% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 39,780 | 8.2% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 32,170 | 6.7% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineers | 355,410 | $99,590 |
| Sound Engineering Technicians | 13,050 | $66,430 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | 23,220 | $109,660 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 99,300 | $226,600 |
| Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | 6,770 | $101,020 |
| Lawyers | 747,750 | $151,160 |
| Paralegals | 367,220 | $61,010 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health workforce.
Employment Over Time
84,930 Workforce in 2023
The Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$110,339 Average Wage
In 2023, Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health earned an average of $110,339.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Salary distribution for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Employment Growth Projections
0.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
53,632 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 2.9%
55,189 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 5.9%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.6% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Wage Trends by Industry
3.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 11,990 employees, $109,065 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 3,390 employees, $112,116 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,760 employees, $113,834 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 1,190 employees, $96,401 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 950 employees, $117,058 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 770 employees, $106,590 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 770 employees, $105,239 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 590 employees, $131,491 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 450 employees, $124,042 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 370 employees, $94,562 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 360 employees, $78,456 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Diversity
Demographic information on Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in 2023 was 84,930 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in 2023 were Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics.
Common majors for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health workers.
Education level distribution for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Skills
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health need many skills, but most especially Writing, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Speaking, Science.
Required skills for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health include English Language, Biology, Customer and Personal Service, Law and Government, Computers and Electronics.
Knowledge areas required for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health include Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Written Expression.
Required abilities for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Daily Activities
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health spend their time on activities such as Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Getting Information, Working with Computers, Analyzing Data or Information, Communicating with People Outside the Organization.
Most important work activities for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
About
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
The average yearly wage for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health was $110,339 in 2023.
SOC Code
19-2041 - Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health reports an average salary of $110,339, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 84,930 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.