Best Cities for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Healths

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where environmental science and protection technicians, including healths get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	NebraskaState	1.31	$66,240	$72,393	19%
2	New MexicoState	1.23	$62,330	$67,750	20%
3	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.23	$67,630	$67,970	26%
4	MinnesotaState	1.21	$65,320	$66,653	24%
5	North DakotaState	1.20	$61,430	$66,339	19%
6	Rhode IslandState	1.17	$64,830	$64,507	28%
7	MontanaState	1.14	$60,550	$62,811	22%
8	WashingtonState	1.14	$67,160	$62,591	34%
9	OhioState	1.13	$56,070	$62,024	22%
10	PennsylvaniaState	1.13	$60,650	$62,526	26%
11	TennesseeState	1.13	$56,960	$62,251	26%
12	West VirginiaState	1.13	$52,590	$62,458	19%
13	ConnecticutState	1.12	$66,120	$61,450	28%
14	IllinoisState	1.12	$59,930	$61,530	26%
15	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.12	$59,440	$61,788	31%
16	NevadaState	1.09	$60,370	$60,250	29%
17	WisconsinState	1.09	$55,290	$59,902	24%
18	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.09	$62,280	$60,174	31%
19	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.07	$62,440	$59,017	32%
20	IowaState	1.06	$52,020	$58,318	22%
21	UtahState	1.06	$58,240	$58,124	31%
22	ColoradoState	1.05	$60,930	$57,808	36%
23	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.05	$55,530	$57,965	32%
24	ArizonaState	1.04	$57,800	$57,284	31%
25	IdahoState	1.04	$55,420	$57,430	26%
26	OregonState	1.04	$58,950	$57,233	32%
27	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.04	$68,900	$57,321	55%
28	MissouriState	1.03	$50,340	$56,817	25%
29	ArkansasState	1.02	$48,390	$56,072	22%
30	Columbus, OHMetro	1.02	$52,310	$55,947	30%
31	MichiganState	1.01	$51,290	$55,569	26%
32	New YorkState	1.01	$62,400	$55,467	36%
33	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.01	$51,480	$55,654	27%
34	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.01	$59,710	$55,390	36%
35	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.01	$51,000	$55,435	31%
36	CaliforniaState	1.00	$61,220	$55,303	44%
37	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.00	$53,780	$55,329	35%
38	MassachusettsState	0.99	$59,330	$54,682	46%
39	North CarolinaState	0.99	$51,630	$54,693	30%
40	OklahomaState	0.99	$48,090	$54,339	24%
41	IndianaState	0.98	$49,020	$54,166	26%
42	VermontState	0.98	$55,090	$53,746	31%
43	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.98	$62,850	$53,948	43%
44	KansasState	0.97	$47,880	$53,200	26%
45	AlaskaState	0.96	$55,220	$52,943	30%
46	KentuckyState	0.96	$46,840	$52,927	25%
47	South CarolinaState	0.96	$48,700	$52,935	31%
48	TexasState	0.96	$50,710	$53,044	33%
49	WyomingState	0.96	$49,440	$53,161	24%
50	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	0.96	$48,470	$53,147	30%
51	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.96	$60,260	$52,721	44%
52	AlabamaState	0.94	$45,000	$51,665	26%
53	HawaiiState	0.94	$57,010	$51,827	50%
54	MaineState	0.94	$51,820	$51,924	30%
55	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.94	$47,880	$51,595	32%
56	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.94	$50,850	$51,624	41%
57	GeorgiaState	0.93	$48,050	$51,445	35%
58	New HampshireState	0.93	$54,080	$51,019	35%
59	MarylandState	0.92	$55,090	$50,449	37%
60	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.92	$57,150	$50,665	42%
61	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.90	$48,050	$49,638	40%
62	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.90	$56,430	$49,718	54%
63	South DakotaState	0.88	$44,180	$48,656	26%
64	FloridaState	0.87	$48,840	$48,118	42%
65	New JerseyState	0.87	$52,190	$47,969	41%
66	VirginiaState	0.87	$49,430	$47,758	38%
67	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.84	$49,930	$46,018	49%
68	DelawareState	0.82	$45,720	$45,267	36%
69	MississippiState	0.75	$35,010	$41,285	31%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).