Summarize

Environmental Scientist Salary in USA

Environmental Scientist salary data in USA from BLS OEWS 2025, with median pay, fresher range, intermediate range, senior range, mean salary, and source notes.

Median annual salary

$82,220

BLS OEWS 2025

25th percentile

$64,490

Lower market anchor

75th percentile

$107,970

Upper market anchor

Mean annual salary

$91,680

Average published wage

Salary Explorer

Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.

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Selected estimate

Intermediate range for Environmental Scientist in USA

$64,490 to $107,970

This is the 25th to 75th percentile. It uses salary percentiles, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.

Salary Range by Experience

These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.

Median salary

$82,220

Fresher

10th to 25th percentile

BLS

From

$52,520

to

To

$64,490

Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.

Intermediate

25th to 75th percentile

BLS

From

$64,490

to

To

$107,970

Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.

Senior

75th to 90th percentile

BLS

From

$107,970

to

To

$140,010

Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.

Fresher salary answer

Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare environmental scientist offers in United States against $52,520 to $64,490.

Intermediate salary answer

Intermediate candidates can compare environmental scientist offers in United States against $64,490 to $107,970.

Senior salary answer

Senior candidates can compare environmental scientist offers in United States against $107,970 to $140,010.

How USA Salaries Compare With Major Cities for This Role

USA is the national BLS estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health, so candidates can compare national pay with city hiring markets.

Mean annual salary

San Francisco

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

$127,420

Washington DC

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

$118,040

Seattle

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

$109,980

Los Angeles

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

$107,900

Denver

Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO

$106,220

Boston

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

$104,880

Austin

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX

$102,860

Dallas

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

$99,280

Atlanta

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

$99,060

USA

United States estimate

$91,680

How Environmental Scientist Salaries Compare With Other Roles

This chart compares environmental scientist pay in USA with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.

Mean annual salary

Physician

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$262,040

Psychiatrist

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$262,040

Surgeon

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$262,040

CIO

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

CTO

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

Engineering Manager

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

IT Manager

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

VP of Engineering

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$192,160

Dentist

Dentists, General, SOC 29-1021

$191,350

Environmental Scientist

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health, SOC 19-2041

$91,680

Salary Snapshot

The median annual salary for environmental scientists in United States is $82,220. The middle market range runs from $64,490 at the 25th percentile to $107,970 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $52,520to $140,010.

MeasureValueHow to read it
10th percentile$52,520Lower published wage point
25th percentile$64,490Common lower market anchor
Median$82,220Middle of the BLS wage range
75th percentile$107,970Upper market anchor
90th percentile$140,010High published wage point

Source Notes

This page maps Environmental Scientist to BLS occupation Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health, SOC 19-2041. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.

This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health, SOC 19-2041, as the public wage source for Environmental Scientist.

BLS area
United States
Employment estimate
89,250

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median environmental scientist salary in United States?

The median annual salary for environmental scientists in United States is $82,220, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health.

How much can fresher environmental scientist candidates expect in United States?

Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For environmental scientists in United States, that range is $52,520 to $64,490. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.

What is the intermediate environmental scientist salary range in United States?

Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For environmental scientists in United States, that range is $64,490 to $107,970.

What do senior environmental scientist candidates earn in United States?

Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For environmental scientists in United States, that range is $107,970 to $140,010.

Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?

No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.

How should I use these salary percentiles?

Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.

Why does this page use Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health instead of only Environmental Scientist?

BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps Environmental Scientist to Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health, SOC 19-2041, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.

How fresh is this USA salary data?

The snapshot uses BLS OEWS 2025, generated from public BLS series. Refresh the snapshot when BLS publishes a newer annual release.

Adithyan RKWritten by Adithyan RK
Surya N
Fact-checked by Surya N
Published on: 26 Apr 2026Last updated: 17 Jun 2026
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