Salary by state
Environmental Scientists and Specialists Salary by State
Median annual wage from the latest BLS Occupational Employment Statistics release. Hover any state for the cost-of-living adjusted figure. Click to open the full state breakdown.
Environmental Scientists and SpecialistsBLS OES May 2025
Full breakdown →Pinch to zoom
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Environmental Scientists and Specialists — median wage by state
- District of Columbia: $132,620, COL-adjusted $120,673
- California: $106,510, COL-adjusted $96,215
- Rhode Island: $100,730, COL-adjusted $98,465
- Massachusetts: $100,640, COL-adjusted $95,123
- Washington: $98,300, COL-adjusted $91,869
- Oregon: $97,440, COL-adjusted $94,236
- Texas: $92,000, COL-adjusted $94,748
- Alaska: $91,960, COL-adjusted $89,805
- Utah: $90,710, COL-adjusted $91,719
- Minnesota: $88,000, COL-adjusted $89,249
- New Mexico: $86,630, COL-adjusted $93,959
- Colorado: $85,990, COL-adjusted $83,404
- Georgia: $85,710, COL-adjusted $89,003
- North Dakota: $84,570, COL-adjusted $95,022
- Maryland: $84,190, COL-adjusted $80,181
- Nevada: $83,050, COL-adjusted $83,050
- Virginia: $82,230, COL-adjusted $81,335
- New York: $82,160, COL-adjusted $76,145
- West Virginia: $82,100, COL-adjusted $91,732
- Connecticut: $82,070, COL-adjusted $79,218
- Illinois: $81,590, COL-adjusted $81,590
- New Hampshire: $80,810, COL-adjusted $77,553
- Arizona: $80,600, COL-adjusted $80,040
- Montana: $80,260, COL-adjusted $84,841
- Hawaii: $79,510, COL-adjusted $72,282
- New Jersey: $79,210, COL-adjusted $72,803
- Iowa: $78,780, COL-adjusted $89,727
- Ohio: $78,540, COL-adjusted $84,634
- Kansas: $78,210, COL-adjusted $86,804
- Vermont: $77,460, COL-adjusted $79,041
- Tennessee: $76,840, COL-adjusted $83,613
- Pennsylvania: $76,110, COL-adjusted $77,982
- Michigan: $76,080, COL-adjusted $79,085
- Oklahoma: $75,910, COL-adjusted $86,458
- South Carolina: $74,910, COL-adjusted $79,947
- North Carolina: $74,130, COL-adjusted $78,611
- Wyoming: $74,050, COL-adjusted $79,881
- Wisconsin: $72,820, COL-adjusted $77,386
- Alabama: $72,490, COL-adjusted $81,633
- Kentucky: $71,040, COL-adjusted $78,758
- Idaho: $70,350, COL-adjusted $73,665
- Louisiana: $69,820, COL-adjusted $79,161
- South Dakota: $68,230, COL-adjusted $77,009
- Maine: $66,480, COL-adjusted $68,465
- Indiana: $64,700, COL-adjusted $69,346
- Delaware: $64,690, COL-adjusted $64,820
- Nebraska: $64,040, COL-adjusted $71,077
- Missouri: $61,050, COL-adjusted $67,236
- Florida: $60,830, COL-adjusted $58,830
- Mississippi: $57,780, COL-adjusted $66,414
- Arkansas: $57,220, COL-adjusted $65,846
All states
51 of 51 results · sorted by value: high to low
- District of Columbia$132,620
- California$106,510
- Rhode Island$100,730
- Massachusetts$100,640
- Washington$98,300
- Oregon$97,440
- Texas$92,000
- Alaska$91,960
- Utah$90,710
- Minnesota$88,000
- New Mexico$86,630
- Colorado$85,990
- Georgia$85,710
- North Dakota$84,570
- Maryland$84,190
- Nevada$83,050
- Virginia$82,230
- New York$82,160
- West Virginia$82,100
- Connecticut$82,070
- Illinois$81,590
- New Hampshire$80,810
- Arizona$80,600
- Montana$80,260
- Hawaii$79,510
- New Jersey$79,210
- Iowa$78,780
- Ohio$78,540
- Kansas$78,210
- Vermont$77,460
- Tennessee$76,840
- Pennsylvania$76,110
- Michigan$76,080
- Oklahoma$75,910
- South Carolina$74,910
- North Carolina$74,130
- Wyoming$74,050
- Wisconsin$72,820
- Alabama$72,490
- Kentucky$71,040
- Idaho$70,350
- Louisiana$69,820
- South Dakota$68,230
- Maine$66,480
- Indiana$64,700
- Delaware$64,690
- Nebraska$64,040
- Missouri$61,050
- Florida$60,830
- Mississippi$57,780
- Arkansas$57,220
Highest- and lowest-paying states for environmental scientists and specialists
Ranked by median annual wage from the BLS 2025 release. The full sortable list is above; these are the extremes.
Highest-paying
- 1. District of Columbia$132,620
- 2. California$106,510
- 3. Rhode Island$100,730
- 4. Massachusetts$100,640
- 5. Washington$98,300
Lowest-paying
- Arkansas$57,220
- Mississippi$57,780
- Florida$60,830
- Missouri$61,050
- Nebraska$64,040
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average Environmental Scientists and Specialists salary in the United States?
- The US median wage for Environmental Scientists and Specialists is $84,804 per year (BLS, 2025). Half earn more and half earn less.
- Which state pays Environmental Scientists and Specialists the most?
- District of Columbia pays Environmental Scientists and Specialists the most, with a median of $132,620, followed by California ($106,510). The lowest median is in Arkansas at $57,220.
- How much do Environmental Scientists and Specialists salaries vary by state?
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists median pay ranges from $57,220 to $132,620 across the 50 states and DC — a spread largely explained by cost of living and local demand. The table below ranks every state.
- Are Environmental Scientists and Specialists jobs growing?
- BLS projects a +4.4% change in Environmental Scientists and Specialists employment from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as average.