Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 19-2041 · National · May 2024 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$80,059
$38.49/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated Apr 3, 2025
Source: BLS OEWS · Published Apr 2, 2025
Next refresh: May 15, 2026
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The national median salary for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is $80,059 per year ($38.49/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $62,088 and $103,730 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $134,826 per year. There are approximately 84,930 environmental scientists and specialists, including health employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Conduct research or perform investigation for the purpose of identifying, abating, or eliminating sources of pollutants or hazards that affect either the environment or public health. Using knowledge of various scientific disciplines, may collect, synthesize, study, report, and recommend action based on data derived from measurements or observations of air, food, soil, water, and other sources.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.4%
Faster than average
Annual openings
9K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
90K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
5% from new growth95% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
23K
$76,840
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
17K
$77,420
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
12K
$77,390
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
11K
$74,980
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
5K
$113,980
Wage range across top 5 industries: $74,980 to $113,980 (52% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$24.10
$50,128
P25
$29.85
$62,088
P50MEDIAN
$38.49
$80,059
P75
$49.87
$103,730
P90
$64.82
$134,826
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average environmental scientists and specialists, including health salary?
The national median salary for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is $80,059 per year ($38.49/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $62,088 and $103,730 annually.
How much do top-earning environmental scientists and specialists, including health make?
The 90th percentile salary for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is $134,826 per year ($64.82/hr). The 75th percentile is $103,730 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for environmental scientists and specialists, including health?
Entry-level Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health (10th percentile) earn approximately $50,128 per year ($24.10/hr). The 25th percentile is $62,088 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
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