Environmental Engineers in California. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
Salary distribution
Where California environmental engineers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $95,950 and $148,650, with a median of $130,410.
Environmental Engineers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 123 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $109,653. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 23 | $90,002 |
| Level II — qualified | 32 | $114,608 |
| Level III — experienced | 24 | $139,848 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 9 | $158,500 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Environmental Engineers in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. | Professional | 15 | $99,095 |
| California Air Resources Board | Air Resources Engineer | 13 | $106,692 |
| CAROLLO ENGINEERS, INC. | Environmental Engineer | 5 | $119,676 |
| Stantec Consulting Services Inc. | Mechanical Engineer in Training | 5 | $114,608 |
| WSP USA Inc. | Consultant, Environmental Engineering | 5 | $121,680 |
| Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc. | Associate Director - Environmental Engineer | 4 | $125,804 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | Energy / Environment Technology Researcher 3 | 4 | $94,216 |
| South Coast Air Quality Management District | Air Quality Engineer I -TAO | 4 | $108,079 |
| University of California, Berkeley | Facilities Project Management Specialist | 4 | $87,875 |
| Larry Walker Associates, Inc. | Project Engineer 2 | 3 | $99,095 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Consultant, Environmental Engineering at WSP USA Inc.$121,680OaklandWage Level IIDecided Mar 26, 2026I-200-26078-715645
- Senior Process Engineer at Parsons Transportation Group Inc.$144,379PasadenaWage Level IVDecided Mar 12, 2026I-200-26064-683882
- Design Engineer, Water/Wastewater Engineering at NCS Engineers, LLC$87,568IrvineWage Level IDecided Mar 9, 2026I-200-26061-673298
- Data Scientist (Environmental Engineer) at Battelle Memorial Institute$141,735Menlo ParkWage Level IIDecided Mar 5, 2026I-200-26057-668027
- Environmental Engineer at Porifera, Inc.$148,796San LeandroWage Level IIDecided Feb 20, 2026I-200-26043-637342
- Air Resources Engineer at California Air Resources Board$86,544Los AngelesDecided Feb 20, 2026I-200-26044-638464
- Project Engineer 2 at Larry Walker Associates, Inc.$99,095DavisDecided Feb 9, 2026I-200-26033-614298
- Project Engineer 2 at Larry Walker Associates, Inc.$99,095DavisDecided Feb 6, 2026I-200-26031-611204
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
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Environmental Engineers pay by experience level in California
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Environmental Engineers specialties in California
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 58 certified offers. The most common variant is Environmental Engineer at a median of $93,713.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Engineer | CAROLLO ENGINEERS, INC. | 20 | $93,713 |
| Air Resources Engineer | California Air Resources Board | 13 | $106,692 |
| Engineer | Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. | 9 | $125,000 |
| Professional | Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. | 9 | $95,350 |
| Consultant, Environmental Engineering | WSP USA Inc. | 4 | $128,218 |
| Postdoctoral Scholar | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | 3 | $77,030 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Environmental Engineers in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 121 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Professional services leads with a median of $109,741.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional services | Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. | 71 | $109,741 |
| Government and public sector | California Air Resources Board | 17 | $106,692 |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley | 10 | $89,462 |
| Manufacturing | Tesla, Inc. | 6 | $125,250 |
| Energy and utilities | California Energy Commission | 6 | $110,454 |
| Technology and software | Google LLC | 5 | $160,000 |
| Retail and wholesale | AMAZON DATA SERVICES, INC. | 3 | $190,740 |
| Transportation and logistics | PANEX SUPPLY CHAIN INC | 1 | $81,120 |
| Finance and insurance | Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company | 1 | $156,000 |
| Nonprofit and civic | SEMI | 1 | $132,950 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in California over the past 3 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2025 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.5 / 5
Engineering and Technology
Knowledge
- 4.1 / 5
Mathematics
Knowledge
- 4.1 / 5
Written Comprehension
Ability
- 4.0 / 5
Oral Comprehension
Ability
- 4.0 / 5
Active Listening
Basic skill
- 4.0 / 5
Critical Thinking
Cross-functional
- 4.0 / 5
Reading Comprehension
Basic skill
- 4.0 / 5
Writing
Basic skill
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Provide technical support for environmental remediation or litigation projects, including remediation system design or determination of regulatory applicability.
- 02
Collaborate with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, experts in law or business, or other specialists to address environmental problems.
- 03
Assess the existing or potential environmental impact of land use projects on air, water, or land.
- 04
Advise corporations or government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment.
- 05
Inspect industrial or municipal facilities or programs to evaluate operational effectiveness or ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
- 06
Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality.
- 07
Direct installation or operation of environmental monitoring devices or supervise related data collection programs.
- 08
Prepare, review, or update environmental investigation or recommendation reports.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+4.1%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Average growth
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in California
Metro-level salary data for environmental engineers in major California metropolitan areas.
- San Francisco$138,840
- Sacramento$133,240
- Los Angeles$127,900
- San Jose$125,550
- San Diego$119,390
- Riverside$117,360
Compare Environmental Engineers pay across nearby states
Considering a move? Compare California with another state
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Environmental Engineers in California?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Environmental Engineers in California is $130,410.
- How does California compare to the national median for Environmental Engineers?
- The California median is +18.7% versus the BLS national figure of $109,833.
- What is the salary range for Environmental Engineers in California?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $79,790 and the 90th-percentile at $170,790, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Environmental Engineers a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 4.1% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Environmental Engineers?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.