Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
SOC 19-2041 • View wages by state
The median annual wage for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is $78,980, based on BLS OEWS 2023 data. The mean annual wage is $86,710, and an estimated 80,730 workers are employed in this occupation nationally. Between 2020 and 2023, pay rose +7.9% while consumer prices rose 17.7% — a real change of -8.4% (pay did not keep up with inflation). BLS projects employment will grow 4.4% between 2024 and 2034.
Wage Trend & Inflation Adjustment
How the national median wage for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health has moved across BLS OEWS release years, and what each year's wage is worth in 2023 dollars after adjusting for CPI inflation. "Real" change strips out inflation — the truest measure of whether pay is actually rising.
| Year | Median (nominal) | In 2023 $ (real) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $78,980 | $78,980 | 80,730 |
| 2022 | $76,480 | $79,628 | 77,270 |
| 2021 | $76,530 | $86,057 | 76,890 |
| 2020 | $73,230 | $86,215 | 84,610 |
Nominal change
+7.9%
Inflation (CPI)
+17.7%
Real change
-8.4%
Job Outlook (2024–2034 BLS projection)
The BLS Employment Projections program estimates how each occupation's employment will change over the coming decade, and how many job openings to expect each year (from both growth and the need to replace workers who leave).
Projected Growth
+4.4%
Faster than average
Employment 2024
90,300
Projected 2034
94,300
Annual Openings
8,500
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Highest-Paying Areas (2023)
Where Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health earn the most, and how each area's median compares to the national median of $78,980. A positive premium means the area pays above the national rate.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $115,730 | +46.5% | 1,620 |
| Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $103,480 | +31% | — |
| Massachusetts | $100,360 | +27.1% | 2,250 |
| Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $96,470 | +22.1% | 70 |
| California | $95,890 | +21.4% | 12,590 |
| Nevada nonmetropolitan area | $94,310 | +19.4% | 70 |
| Colorado | $91,750 | +16.2% | 2,780 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $88,550 | +12.1% | 220 |
| Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $88,080 | +11.5% | 40 |
| Rhode Island | $87,840 | +11.2% | 380 |
Wage Distribution (National, 2023)
10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages from BLS OEWS — the full spread, not just an average.
10th Pct
$48,580
25th Pct
$60,920
Median
$78,980
75th Pct
$103,420
90th Pct
$133,660
H-1B Employer Filings
Employer-certified wages from DOL H-1B LCA filings — competitive market benchmark, not approved visas.
| Employer | State | Filings | Median Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado | CO | 4 | $75,705 |
| University of California, Davis | CA | 3 | $74,569 |
| Arcadis U.S., Inc. | PA | 3 | $69,950 |
| The Trustees of Princeton University | NJ | 3 | $72,000 |
| Oregon State University | OR | 3 | $56,484 |
| Columbia University | NY | 3 | $77,683 |
| Trinity Consultants, Inc. | TX | 3 | $80,000 |
| WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE | DC | 3 | $76,024 |
| Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Inc. | NY | 2 | $96,390 |
| The University of Virginia | VA | 2 | $65,000 |
| Trinity Consultants, Inc. | CA | 2 | $93,960 |
| University of California, Berkeley | CA | 2 | $90,500 |
| Apex Clean Energy, Inc. | MN | 2 | $112,671 |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | GA | 2 | $96,213 |
| Trinity Consultants, Inc. | LA | 2 | $75,000 |
| Harvard University | MA | 2 | $67,500 |
| Yale University | CT | 2 | $65,000 |
| Trademark Construction Co., Inc JMW Truss and Components | CA | 1 | $75,000 |
| Criterion Laboratories, Inc. | PA | 1 | $57,200 |
| The University of Texas at Austin | TX | 1 | $90,000 |
Source: DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification, H-1B LCA data.
Related Occupations in Life, Physical & Social Science
Other occupations in the same SOC major group, ranked by national median wage.
All Life, Physical & Social Science occupations →