Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Salary: $80,060 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 84,930 environmental scientists and specialists, including health work nationally, and $80,060 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 5% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 0.6% annual growth.
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 percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| 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 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 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health grew from 47,560 in 2009 to 52,120 in 2025 (9.6%).
Historical employment for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$80,060 Median pay (BLS national)
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health earn $80,060 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 13,200 employees, $107,420 avg wage
- FL: 5,840 employees, $68,010 avg wage
- NC: 4,330 employees, $74,660 avg wage
- WA: 4,280 employees, $94,940 avg wage
- TX: 4,090 employees, $88,230 avg wage
- NY: 3,500 employees, $89,080 avg wage
- NJ: 2,990 employees, $85,440 avg wage
- MA: 2,890 employees, $99,340 avg wage
- MI: 2,700 employees, $81,670 avg wage
- VA: 2,700 employees, $86,910 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA: 3,390 employees, $109,150 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,110 employees, $93,640 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 2,780 employees, $115,190 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 2,530 employees, $108,270 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 2,300 employees, $100,790 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 2,260 employees, $99,720 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 1,630 employees, $119,560 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,350 employees, $90,070 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 1,350 employees, $91,390 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 1,280 employees, $84,500 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 U.S. workforce for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is about 84,930 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health earn $80,060 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.