Environmental Scientist Salary

Bureau of Labor Statistics title: Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

The median environmental scientist salary in the United States is $82,220 per year ($39.53/hour). Salaries range from $52,520 at the entry level to $140,010+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 89,250 environmental scientist jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 4.4% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Median Salary
$82,220
per year
Hourly Rate
$39.53
per hour
Employment
89,250
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$52,520
25th percentile
$64,490
Median
$82,220
75th percentile
$107,970
90th percentile
$140,010

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+4.4%
As fast as average

Annual Openings

8,500
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Bachelor's degree

Environmental Scientist Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for environmental scientists.

Environmental scientists and specialists do the field, lab, and desk work that keeps a site on the right side of the Clean Water Act, RCRA, CERCLA / Superfund, TSCA, Clean Air Act, and state analogs administered by NJDEP, NYSDEC, TCEQ, CalEPA / DTSC, PADEP, and EPA Regions 1-10. Day-to-day means Phase I / II / III Environmental Site Assessments per ASTM E1527-21 and E1903-19, groundwater and soil sampling, air-emissions inventories, wetland delineations per USACE 1987 Manual, storm-water permits under NPDES, spill response under OPA-90 and NCP, and remediation design (pump-and-treat, in-situ chemical oxidation, monitored natural attenuation, thermal desorption). BLS reports 89,250 employed with a median of $82,220, p10 $50,300, p90 $137,700+. Entry Staff Scientist / Field Scientist $54-72k; established Project Scientist $72-95k; Sr Scientist / Project Manager $95-135k; Principal / Sr PM at AECOM, Tetra Tech, Arcadis, Ramboll, ERM, WSP / Golder, and Jacobs $130-190k+; Federal EPA / state DEP / DEC seats sit lower ($95-155k GS-12 to GS-14) but with pension and tenure. The step from Sr Scientist to Sr PM is the biggest single comp jump β€” it's driven by PG (Professional Geologist) or PE licensure plus a signed book of billable client hours.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Phase I / II / III Environmental Site Assessments (ASTM E1527-21, E1903-19)
Phase I is the records review, site walk, and interview package used before a property transaction to identify Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs). Phase II is the intrusive investigation β€” soil borings, monitoring wells, direct-push (Geoprobe 6712DT / 7822DT) sampling. Phase III is the remedial investigation / feasibility study (RI/FS) leading to the Record of Decision. All three follow ASTM standards to preserve the Bona Fide Prospective Purchaser (BFPP) defense under CERCLA Β§101(40).
Groundwater investigation, well installation, and modeling (MODFLOW, MT3DMS)
Design and oversee monitoring-well installations (2-inch PVC, sand-pack, bentonite seal, flush-mount or stick-up) per ASTM D5092. Sample using low-flow (0.1-0.5 L/min) with a peristaltic or bladder pump per USEPA SESD SESDPROC-301. Model fate and transport with USGS MODFLOW-2005 / MODFLOW-6 (flow) and MT3DMS or RT3D (transport); calibrate to field water levels and plume-concentration data before making a remedial recommendation.
Regulatory permit writing β€” NPDES, RCRA Part B, air Title V, wetlands 404
Draft the actual permit application β€” narrative, monitoring plan, best-management-practices (BMP) plan, and effluent limit calculations. NPDES individual permits for industrial discharges (40 CFR 122); RCRA Part B for hazardous-waste TSDFs (40 CFR 264/265); Title V air-operating permits (40 CFR 70/71); Section 404 dredge-and-fill under USACE. State-issued in delegated states.
Remedial design and implementation oversight
Pump-and-treat with granular activated carbon (Calgon Filtrasorb 400) or air stripping; in-situ chemical oxidation using persulfate, permanganate, or Fenton's reagent; in-situ bioremediation with EOS-PRO or ABC+ substrate; enhanced reductive dechlorination for chlorinated solvents (TCE, PCE); thermal desorption at 300-500Β°C for petroleum sites; monitored natural attenuation for stable plumes with documented Tier 3 lines of evidence.
Field sampling and QA/QC discipline (EPA Method 8260, 8270, 6010, 7470)
Chain-of-custody discipline from purge to lab; ice-and-Trip-Blanks on VOC coolers; MS/MSD (matrix spike / matrix spike duplicate) at 1-in-20 frequency; field duplicates and equipment blanks; standard laboratory hold times (14 days for BTEX VOCs, 40 days extraction + 40 days analysis for SVOCs). A Sr Scientist can spot a QA/QC failure in an EDD (electronic data deliverable) before the lab even flags it.
Health & safety β€” HAZWOPER, HAZMAT, confined space, respirator fit-test
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 HAZWOPER 40-hour initial + 8-hour annual refresher is table-stakes for any site with contaminated media. Site-specific Health and Safety Plan (HASP) per 29 CFR 1910.120(b)(4). Confined-space entry (29 CFR 1910.146) for tanks, sumps, and manholes. Respirator fit-test per 29 CFR 1910.134 with quantitative (PortaCount 8038) or qualitative Bitrex protocols.
Client and regulator communication
Speak plainly to a client's General Counsel about litigation risk under CERCLA Β§107 or state Spill Act; speak technically to a state DEP case manager about groundwater plume behavior. Sr Scientists and PMs win or lose repeat business on this axis; a strong technical scientist who cannot manage a regulator relationship stays at Sr Scientist and never crosses to PM.
Cost estimation, proposal writing, and utilization discipline
Estimate a Phase II budget to Β±10% including subs (drilling $2,400-4,800/day, lab $18-45/VOC sample), labor (Staff $95-135/hr, Sr Scientist $145-195/hr, PM $195-265/hr, Principal $265-395/hr), and travel. Consulting firms measure Sr Scientists on utilization (target 70-85% billable) and PMs on multiplier (target 2.8-3.2Γ— labor cost).

How to Become a Environmental Scientist

  1. 1
    Earn a BS in Environmental Science, Geology, Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, or Biology
    Coursework in hydrogeology, geochemistry, GIS, statistics, and a field-methods course is expected. Public state programs $10-25k/yr in-state; private $45-70k/yr. Some employers accept a BS in Chemistry or Biology + a field-methods short course as equivalent.
  2. 2
    Complete a summer field internship at AECOM, Tetra Tech, Arcadis, Ramboll, ERM, WSP, EPA Region, or state DEP
    Consulting internships pay $22-32/hr; federal EPA / USGS interns via Pathways or SCEP at GS-4 to GS-7 levels. The internship converts to a full-time Staff Scientist offer at ~65-75% of interns.
  3. 3
    Start as Staff Scientist / Field Scientist at $54-72k base + OT and per diem
    First 2-3 years is field-heavy: monitoring-well sampling, Geoprobe direct-push oversight, Phase I site walks, wetland delineations, air-monitoring station calibrations. Overtime and per diem ($50-125/day) can add $6-18k/yr on remote-site projects. Complete OSHA HAZWOPER 40-hr in first 30 days.
  4. 4
    Earn 40-hr HAZWOPER + state-specific licensing (LSRP in NJ, LSP in MA, PG in most states)
    40-hr HAZWOPER ($550-950) + 8-hr annual refresher is baseline. New Jersey Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) requires PE / PG + 5 years experience + exam; Massachusetts LSP requires 8 years + exam. Professional Geologist (PG) licensure via ASBOG National Association of State Boards of Geology exam is transferable across 30+ states.
  5. 5
    Move to Project Scientist at $72-95k after 3-6 years
    Own project delivery on Phase II and Phase III scopes; supervise 1-2 Staff Scientists; draft the majority of reports (RIRs, Phase I letter reports, permit applications). Field time drops to 30-50%; desk / report time climbs.
  6. 6
    Earn Professional Geologist (PG) or Professional Engineer (PE) license
    PG through ASBOG Fundamentals of Geology + Practice of Geology exams; PE Environmental through NCEES after passing FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) at graduation + 4 years progressive experience under a licensed PE. Both are the licensure gate to seal reports and sign permit applications β€” required for PM promotion at consulting firms.
  7. 7
    Promote to Sr Scientist / Project Manager at $95-135k after 8-12 years
    PM the project financially (scope, schedule, cost, invoice) and technically (report sign-off, regulator negotiations); carry a book of 15-40 active projects; supervise a team of 3-8 Staff / Project Scientists. Utilization target drops to 55-70% because business-development time (proposals, client entertainment) grows.
  8. 8
    Advance to Sr PM / Principal / Practice Leader at $130-190k+ base + 12-25% bonus
    Own a service line (remediation, air, water resources, permitting) or a regional office P&L; drive $3-15M/yr in signed backlog; represent the firm in RFP shortlists at EPA, DOD, DOE, state DEPs, and Fortune-500 industrial clients. Some Principals promote to Vice President or Regional Manager at $200-320k+ with equity or profit-share.

Career Progression

Staff Scientist / Field Scientist
0-3 yrs$54-72k base + OT + $50-125/day per diem on remote projects
  • β€’Execute field sampling (soil borings, monitoring-well low-flow purge, air canister deployment) under Sr Scientist oversight
  • β€’Draft Phase I ESA report sections, boring logs, and field-notes summaries
  • β€’Chain-of-custody, lab-coordination, and EDD (electronic data deliverable) review
  • β€’Complete OSHA 40-hr HAZWOPER + 8-hr annual refresher; site-specific HASP acknowledgments
Next: Project Scientist at 3-5 years after full autonomy on Phase I and simpler Phase II scopes.
Project Scientist
3-7 yrs$72-95k base + 4-8% bonus
  • β€’Draft full Phase II RI reports, feasibility studies, and NPDES / RCRA permit applications
  • β€’Supervise 1-3 Staff Scientists on field programs; review boring logs, well construction, and QA/QC
  • β€’Manage sub-contractor drilling and lab relationships; approve invoices against project budget
  • β€’Present findings to client project engineers and mid-level state DEP case managers
Next: Sr Scientist / PM at 6-10 years, driven by PG or PE licensure and utilization performance.
Sr Scientist / Project Manager
8-14 yrs$95-135k base + 8-15% bonus
  • β€’PM a book of 15-40 active projects with total revenue $1.5-5M/yr; own scope, schedule, cost, and invoicing
  • β€’Seal reports (PG or PE), sign off on permit applications, and represent projects at DEP / EPA meetings
  • β€’Own client relationships at Fortune-500 industrial, energy, or municipal clients
  • β€’Mentor and calibrate 3-8 Staff / Project Scientists; drive their promotion pipeline
Next: Sr PM / Principal at 12-16 years, driven by signed backlog and P&L accountability.
Sr PM / Principal Scientist / Practice Leader
12+ yrs$130-190k base + 12-25% bonus + LTIP or profit share
  • β€’Own a service line (remediation, water resources, air) or a regional office P&L of $8-40M/yr in revenue
  • β€’Drive $3-15M/yr in signed backlog through proactive BD, RFP responses, and client entertainment
  • β€’Chair internal QA/QC review boards; sign off on high-liability projects (CERCLA / Superfund lead scientist)
  • β€’Represent the firm externally at ITRC, NGWA, A&WMA, and industry-conference speaking slots
Next: Vice President / Regional Manager at 18+ years with equity, LTIP, or profit-share upside.
Vice President / Regional Manager / National Practice Leader
18+ yrs$200-320k+ base + 20-40% bonus + LTIP / equity / profit share
  • β€’Own a $40-200M+ regional or national practice P&L across multiple offices
  • β€’Recruit, calibrate, and hold accountable Principal and Sr PM cohort (15-60 professionals)
  • β€’Anchor client relationships at Fortune-100 industrial (Exxon, Chevron, DuPont, GE) and federal (EPA, DOD, DOE) accounts
  • β€’Represent the firm to the board on practice strategy, M&A opportunities, and geographic expansion

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 15 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through a Phase II you scoped and executed.technical
Structure with the ASTM framework and the deal context. Situation: a former dry-cleaner property in NJ with a Phase I identifying PCE as a REC. Task: scope the Phase II to characterize the source and delineate the plume to defensibility. Action: I proposed 8 direct-push soil borings on a 25-ft grid centered on the historical machine location, 4 permanent monitoring wells (2 upgradient, 2 downgradient) screened across the water table, and a groundwater sampling round using low-flow at 0.2 L/min. Analytical: EPA Method 8260B for VOCs including the CVOC list (PCE, TCE, cis-1,2-DCE, VC). Total budget $118k, 6-week duration. Result: PCE detected at 2,400 Β΅g/kg in shallow soil and 1,850 Β΅g/L in shallow groundwater. Handed the RI report to the NJ LSRP for site-specific remedial-action-workplan (RAWP). Interviewers want to hear scope + regulatory framework + specific analytical methods + defensible budget, not vague field-work talk.
Q2. How do you handle a project running over budget in field week 3 of a 6-week Phase II?situational
Direct and early. First: quantify the overrun and the root cause β€” drilling refusal at 12 ft when we scoped 25 ft, plume larger than anticipated, or QA/QC re-analysis. Second: talk to the client PM before more money is spent, present two options β€” descope (defer 2 of 8 borings to a Phase IIB) or change-order (add $22-45k for revised scope). Never let a project silently blow past the not-to-exceed. Third: capture the lesson in the after-action review β€” what was missed at proposal that we'd catch next time. Interviewers screen for people who communicate on cost variance proactively.
Q3. Describe a groundwater plume you delineated and the remedial recommendation you made.technical
STAR. Situation: TCE plume at a former manufacturing site in PA, 8 acres source area, dissolved plume 2,400 ft downgradient extending under a residential neighborhood. Task: delineate the plume vertically and horizontally and recommend a remedy. Action: I designed a 14-well monitoring network including 3 nested wells for vertical delineation, ran quarterly sampling for 18 months, and built a MODFLOW-6 flow model calibrated to 32 water-level rounds; MT3DMS transport model tuned to concentration data. I recommended enhanced reductive dechlorination (EOS-PRO substrate injection at 40 lb/ftΒ²) in the source zone plus MNA for the dissolved plume with 5-year performance monitoring. Result: PADEP accepted the RAWP; substrate injected; source-zone concentrations reduced 92% at 18 months post-injection. Interviewers want to hear you can move from data to a defensible recommendation with a specific remedy and a monitoring plan.
Q4. How do you handle a regulator who won't accept your delineation as complete?situational
Never argue in the meeting. First: understand exactly what they want more of β€” usually another line of wells downgradient, deeper delineation, or a specific analytical method. Second: bring the data to a follow-up in-person meeting with a written response-to-comments matrix β€” every comment, our response, the additional data or reasoning. Third: if the ask is unreasonable relative to state guidance (SRRR, TAGM, or the state's technical guidance), escalate through the state's Bureau Chief with the client PM's blessing, and cite the specific guidance. Regulators respect scientists who bring documented reasoning, not people who fight in meetings.
Q5. Where do you see your career in 5 years?closer
Show the fork clearly. Consulting has two tracks β€” technical (Principal Scientist / Sr Technical Advisor, no direct reports) and PM (Sr PM β†’ Practice Leader β†’ VP, P&L accountability). I'm on the PM track β€” targeting Sr PM at year 3, Practice Leader at year 5, with a $6-10M/yr book of signed backlog. Specifically: PG licensure in NJ + PA + NY (multi-state seal); NJ LSRP within 3 years; leadership on 2-3 NPL / Superfund sites; and mentoring a cohort of 4-6 Staff / Project Scientists into promotion. That's a concrete answer that maps to a hiring manager's promotion criteria.

Resume Template β€” Project Scientist (3-7 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Project Scientist (3-7 yrs)
  • β–ΈProject Scientist at Tetra Tech in the Site Remediation practice; delivered 22 Phase I ESAs, 14 Phase II RIs, and 4 NPDES permit renewals in FY24 at 78% utilization.
  • β–ΈManaged $2.4M of subcontract drilling (Cascade Environmental, Boart Longyear) and lab spend (Eurofins TestAmerica, Pace Analytical) with variance to budget <5%.
  • β–ΈModeled a TCE plume in MODFLOW-6 / MT3DMS supporting an $8M ERD remedy accepted by PADEP; substrate injection reduced source-zone TCE 92% at 18 months.
  • β–Έ40-hr HAZWOPER + PG (PA + NJ). BS Environmental Science + Geology minor. $88k base + 6% bonus + $110/day per diem on remote projects.

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—No 40-hr HAZWOPER on the resume β€” automatic screen-out at any consulting firm doing site work.
  • βœ—Cannot describe a chain-of-custody workflow without prompting β€” signals the candidate has never actually run a sampling event.
  • βœ—Vague on regulatory framework β€” mixes up CERCLA, RCRA, and TSCA; can't name the state analogs (ISRA in NJ, MCP in MA).
  • βœ—Weak on utilization β€” consulting is a billable business; a Project Scientist below 65% utilization at year 4 is being managed out.
  • βœ—No licensure track (PG, PE, LSRP, LSP) at the Sr Scientist stage β€” you cannot seal reports or promote to PM without it.
  • βœ—Overpromising Phase II scope to close a proposal β€” the change-orders and client-relationship damage catch up within 2-3 quarters.

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“Licensure premium β€” PG or PE licensure adds 8-15% to base; LSRP (NJ) or LSP (MA) adds another 10-18% because you can seal state-required reports.
  • βœ“Specialty premium β€” vapor intrusion, PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances), and CERCLA / Superfund experience command 10-20% over generalist site remediation.
  • βœ“Metro premium β€” NJ / NYC / Boston / SF Bay pay 15-25% above the national median for equivalent Sr Scientist and PM roles.
  • βœ“Federal / DOD contract experience (EPA, USACE, NAVFAC, AFCEC) β€” DOD Secret / DOE Q clearance adds $8-25k/yr in premium plus opens the FEDSIM / GSA MAS market.
  • βœ“Book of business at PM level β€” Sr PMs with a signed / portable client book (Fortune-500 industrial, energy, or municipal accounts) can negotiate sign-on bonuses of $25-100k and higher utilization-multiplier bonus structures.
  • βœ“Per diem structure β€” remote / out-of-state projects can add $50-125/day tax-free per IRS Publication 463 if the assignment is truly temporary; negotiate the per diem policy alongside base.
  • βœ“Sign-on / retention bonus β€” Sr PMs and Principals moving between AECOM / Tetra Tech / Arcadis / Ramboll / ERM / WSP-Golder routinely negotiate $30-125k sign-on plus a 12-24 month retention hook.

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Environmental Scientist Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$57K
$133Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

District of Columbia
$133K
+61%
California
$107K
+30%
Rhode Island
$101K
+23%
Massachusetts
$101K
+22%
Washington
$98K
+20%
Oregon
$97K
+19%
Texas
$92K
+12%
Alaska
$92K
+12%
Utah
$91K
+10%
Minnesota
$88K
+7%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
District of Columbia$132,620+61.3%
California$106,510+29.5%
Rhode Island$100,730+22.5%
Massachusetts$100,640+22.4%
Washington$98,300+19.6%
Oregon$97,440+18.5%
Texas$92,000+11.9%
Alaska$91,960+11.8%
Utah$90,710+10.3%
Minnesota$88,000+7.0%
1–10 of 51

Environmental Scientist Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
Kennewick-Richland, WA$129,110+57.0%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$127,210+54.7%
Monroe, MI$114,160+38.8%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$110,260+34.1%
Napa, CA$109,710+33.4%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$109,710+33.4%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$108,430+31.9%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$108,160+31.5%
Redding, CA$106,510+29.5%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$106,510+29.5%
1–10 of 262
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A environmental scientist earning $82,220/year would need 725 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 778 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries β†’
πŸ“ˆ See how environmental scientist salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Environmental Scientist salary trend (2011–2024) β†’