259 metro areas
Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health Salary by City (2026)
Environmental scientists and specialists earn the most in New Haven, CT, an average of $129,850 a year, against $91,680 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in New Haven, CT ($124,190 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $91,680BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $129,850New Haven, CT
- Best after cost of living
- $124,190New Haven, CT
- Metro areas
- 259With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for environmental scientists and specialists
Top 10 metro areas
- New Haven, CT$129,850
- San Francisco, CA$127,420
- San Jose, CA$124,260
- Kennewick, WA$123,700
- Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV$118,040
- Napa, CA$114,860
- Santa Rosa, CA$113,590
- Sacramento, CA$113,570
- Fort Collins, CO$111,760
- Colorado Springs, CO$111,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | $129,850 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $127,420 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $124,260 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $123,700 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $118,040 |
| Napa, CA | $114,860 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $113,590 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $113,570 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $111,760 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $111,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- New Haven, CT$129,850 nominal$124,190
- Kennewick, WA$123,700 nominal$123,600
- College Station, TX$108,560 nominal$119,360
- Beaumont, TX$106,120 nominal$117,850
- San Jose, CA$124,260 nominal$112,530
- Billings, MT$104,120 nominal$111,330
- Colorado Springs, CO$111,650 nominal$110,870
- Fort Collins, CO$111,760 nominal$110,510
- San Francisco, CA$127,420 nominal$110,210
- Augusta, GA-SC$100,710 nominal$109,580
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | $124,190 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $123,600 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | $119,360 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $117,850 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $112,530 |
| Billings, MT | $111,330 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $110,870 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $110,510 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $110,210 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $109,580 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Haven, CT | $129,850 | $59,630 | $164,420 | $124,190 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $127,420 | $82,870 | $149,360 | $110,210 |
| 3 | San Jose, CA | $124,260 | $83,660 | $144,270 | $112,530 |
| 4 | Kennewick, WA | $123,700 | $82,220 | $144,120 | $123,600 |
| 5 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $118,040 | $74,240 | $139,610 | $108,410 |
| 6 | Napa, CA | $114,860 | $81,410 | $131,330 | $102,050 |
| 7 | Santa Rosa, CA | $113,590 | $77,270 | $131,480 | $105,390 |
| 8 | Sacramento, CA | $113,570 | $77,310 | $131,440 | $106,470 |
| 9 | Fort Collins, CO | $111,760 | $72,400 | $131,140 | $110,510 |
| 10 | Colorado Springs, CO | $111,650 | $73,990 | $130,190 | $110,870 |
| 11 | Modesto, CA | $111,030 | $78,560 | $127,000 | $106,650 |
| 12 | San Diego, CA | $110,660 | $69,560 | $130,920 | $98,900 |
| 13 | Santa Cruz, CA | $110,360 | $71,570 | $129,460 | $100,420 |
| 14 | Seattle, WA | $109,970 | $78,190 | $125,630 | $98,950 |
| 15 | College Station, TX | $108,560 | $65,190 | $129,900 | $119,360 |
| 16 | Los Angeles, CA | $107,890 | $66,560 | $128,250 | $95,000 |
| 17 | Prescott Valley, AZ | $107,540 | $69,580 | $126,210 | $109,450 |
| 18 | Redding, CA | $107,390 | $75,320 | $123,180 | $106,660 |
| 19 | Oxnard, CA | $107,100 | $69,060 | $125,840 | $96,890 |
| 20 | Santa Maria, CA | $106,330 | $70,660 | $123,910 | $97,730 |
| 21 | Bridgeport, CT | $106,290 | $58,070 | $130,040 | $99,460 |
| 22 | Denver, CO | $106,230 | $70,660 | $123,740 | $100,420 |
| 23 | Worcester, MA | $106,140 | $74,980 | $121,490 | $103,530 |
| 24 | Beaumont, TX | $106,120 | $60,030 | $128,840 | $117,850 |
| 25 | Salinas, CA | $105,660 | $73,550 | $121,470 | $96,900 |
| 26 | Boston, MA-NH | $104,870 | $71,160 | $121,490 | $96,860 |
| 27 | Houston, TX | $104,850 | $63,460 | $125,260 | $106,310 |
| 28 | San Luis Obispo, CA | $104,150 | $73,440 | $119,270 | $95,910 |
| 29 | Billings, MT | $104,120 | $67,540 | $122,140 | $111,330 |
| 30 | Riverside, CA | $103,360 | $67,080 | $121,240 | $97,100 |
| 31 | Chico, CA | $102,940 | $71,530 | $118,410 | $101,720 |
| 32 | Austin, TX | $102,860 | $67,120 | $120,470 | $104,890 |
| 33 | Salt Lake City, UT | $102,480 | $65,290 | $120,810 | $101,600 |
| 34 | Vallejo, CA | $102,040 | $67,020 | $119,290 | $94,060 |
| 35 | Springfield, MA | $101,920 | $72,680 | $116,330 | $106,100 |
| 36 | Providence, RI-MA | $101,900 | $67,560 | $118,810 | $100,120 |
| 37 | Midland, TX | $101,440 | $64,170 | $119,790 | $105,910 |
| 38 | Fairbanks, AK | $101,400 | $68,140 | $117,790 | $98,250 |
| 39 | Stockton, CA | $101,400 | $65,210 | $119,230 | $96,490 |
| 40 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $101,280 | $62,650 | $120,290 | $92,560 |
| 41 | Augusta, GA-SC | $100,710 | $53,100 | $124,180 | $109,580 |
| 42 | Anchorage, AK | $100,400 | $66,770 | $116,980 | $95,240 |
| 43 | Salem, OR | $100,050 | $71,430 | $114,130 | $96,530 |
| 44 | Bremerton, WA | $99,880 | $74,010 | $112,630 | $94,580 |
| 45 | Portland, OR-WA | $99,360 | $70,720 | $113,460 | $94,250 |
| 46 | Dallas, TX | $99,280 | $61,380 | $117,940 | $96,300 |
| 47 | Atlanta, GA | $99,070 | $62,960 | $116,850 | $99,010 |
| 48 | San Antonio, TX | $98,700 | $60,150 | $117,670 | $104,210 |
| 49 | Pittsfield, MA | $98,450 | $64,650 | $115,090 | $103,520 |
| 50 | Greeley, CO | $98,030 | $72,050 | $110,840 | $97,860 |
| 51 | El Paso, TX | $97,970 | $58,200 | $117,560 | $108,960 |
| 52 | Yuba City, CA | $97,840 | $71,430 | $110,840 | $93,870 |
| 53 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $97,660 | $66,100 | $113,210 | $93,170 |
| 54 | Ann Arbor, MI | $97,530 | $60,860 | $115,610 | $96,680 |
| 55 | Fresno, CA | $97,340 | $64,540 | $113,510 | $95,280 |
| 56 | Chicago, IL-IN | $96,740 | $52,250 | $118,640 | $93,380 |
| 57 | Manchester, NH | $96,660 | $62,320 | $113,570 | $91,480 |
| 58 | Barnstable Town, MA | $96,220 | $64,560 | $111,800 | $97,830 |
| 59 | Springfield, IL | $95,780 | $59,590 | $113,610 | $103,270 |
| 60 | El Centro, CA | $95,660 | $73,420 | $106,600 | $100,510 |
| 61 | Eugene, OR | $95,200 | $64,750 | $110,200 | $93,730 |
| 62 | Bellingham, WA | $94,120 | $69,330 | $106,330 | $91,080 |
| 63 | New York, NY-NJ | $93,870 | $60,360 | $110,360 | $83,390 |
| 64 | Rochester, MN | $93,540 | $64,810 | $107,680 | $102,990 |
| 65 | Flagstaff, AZ | $93,480 | $59,070 | $110,410 | $93,180 |
| 66 | Burlington, VT | $93,330 | $61,860 | $108,850 | $92,450 |
| 67 | Logan, UT-ID | $93,270 | $56,620 | $111,320 | $97,230 |
| 68 | Columbia, SC | $92,930 | $55,640 | $111,320 | $99,220 |
| 69 | Durham, NC | $92,930 | $60,110 | $109,120 | $95,240 |
| 70 | Phoenix, AZ | $92,890 | $59,990 | $109,100 | $89,910 |
| 71 | Longview, TX | $92,600 | $58,240 | $109,530 | $103,480 |
| 72 | Yuma, AZ | $92,100 | $64,500 | $105,680 | $99,350 |
| 73 | Hartford, CT | $92,040 | $65,520 | $105,100 | $89,580 |
| 74 | Battle Creek, MI | $92,020 | $58,490 | $108,530 | $101,630 |
| 75 | Mount Vernon, WA | $91,790 | $68,410 | $103,310 | $89,600 |
| 76 | Bend, OR | $91,710 | $65,940 | $104,400 | $88,520 |
| 77 | Killeen, TX | $91,600 | $64,750 | $104,810 | $100,510 |
| 78 | Jackson, MI | $91,370 | $66,980 | $103,420 | $99,550 |
| 79 | Amherst Town, MA | $91,150 | $63,270 | $104,890 | $90,930 |
| 80 | Tyler, TX | $91,080 | $55,870 | $108,430 | $98,830 |
| 81 | Wenatchee, WA | $91,080 | $66,520 | $103,190 | $87,700 |
| 82 | Davenport, IA-IL | $90,850 | $60,510 | $105,810 | $101,990 |
| 83 | Baltimore, MD | $90,500 | $60,610 | $105,230 | $86,610 |
| 84 | Monroe, MI | $90,310 | $53,440 | $108,470 | $96,600 |
| 85 | Visalia, CA | $90,170 | $64,150 | $102,980 | $90,330 |
| 86 | Ogden, UT | $90,110 | $58,820 | $105,540 | $89,800 |
| 87 | Spokane, WA | $89,940 | $71,030 | $99,260 | $89,630 |
| 88 | Bakersfield, CA | $89,900 | $54,640 | $107,270 | $89,110 |
| 89 | New Orleans, LA | $89,880 | $56,040 | $106,560 | $97,070 |
| 90 | York, PA | $89,730 | $53,580 | $107,560 | $93,470 |
| 91 | Albuquerque, NM | $89,320 | $62,000 | $102,770 | $93,480 |
| 92 | Casper, WY | $89,000 | $59,590 | $103,480 | $94,850 |
| 93 | Dalton, GA | $88,900 | $66,960 | $99,690 | $98,950 |
| 94 | Corpus Christi, TX | $88,860 | $57,510 | $104,290 | $95,890 |
| 95 | Bozeman, MT | $88,630 | $70,010 | $97,800 | $86,460 |
| 96 | Lexington Park, MD | $88,630 | $64,540 | $100,480 | $87,960 |
| 97 | Waco, TX | $88,500 | $59,430 | $102,810 | $95,620 |
| 98 | Shreveport, LA | $88,420 | $52,850 | $105,930 | $104,310 |
| 99 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $88,400 | $58,820 | $102,960 | $95,520 |
| 100 | Charleston, SC | $88,190 | $61,400 | $101,400 | $87,350 |
| 101 | Santa Fe, NM | $88,030 | $71,300 | $96,260 | $89,130 |
| 102 | Huntsville, AL | $87,960 | $52,790 | $105,270 | $94,510 |
| 103 | Las Vegas, NV | $87,940 | $58,550 | $102,400 | $87,750 |
| 104 | Waterbury, CT | $87,920 | $59,130 | $102,090 | $88,120 |
| 105 | Idaho Falls, ID | $87,730 | $63,610 | $99,630 | $92,920 |
| 106 | Columbus, GA-AL | $87,590 | $59,800 | $101,250 | $98,090 |
| 107 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $87,030 | $59,280 | $100,690 | $97,830 |
| 108 | Nashville, TN | $86,760 | $59,260 | $100,300 | $90,060 |
| 109 | Las Cruces, NM | $86,470 | $69,780 | $94,680 | $95,850 |
| 110 | Olympia, WA | $86,470 | $66,730 | $96,180 | $83,410 |
| 111 | Raleigh, NC | $86,380 | $58,180 | $100,300 | $88,000 |
| 112 | Bismarck, ND | $86,300 | $61,670 | $98,450 | $94,810 |
| 113 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $86,240 | $53,520 | $102,340 | $93,560 |
| 114 | Medford, OR | $86,200 | $65,960 | $96,180 | $84,980 |
| 115 | Huntington, WV-KY-OH | $85,740 | $58,660 | $99,070 | $96,970 |
| 116 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $85,570 | $57,490 | $99,400 | $93,560 |
| 117 | Watertown, NY | $85,380 | $64,500 | $95,660 | $97,370 |
| 118 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $85,280 | $57,350 | $99,030 | $83,160 |
| 119 | Harrisburg, PA | $85,090 | $62,650 | $96,160 | $86,250 |
| 120 | Duluth, MN-WI | $85,050 | $61,380 | $96,720 | $95,810 |
| 121 | Kingston, NY | $84,990 | $67,250 | $93,720 | $84,390 |
| 122 | Wichita, KS | $84,930 | $58,740 | $97,840 | $95,480 |
| 123 | Tucson, AZ | $84,760 | $57,260 | $98,300 | $87,480 |
| 124 | Syracuse, NY | $84,720 | $60,780 | $96,530 | $88,490 |
| 125 | Des Moines, IA | $84,640 | $61,300 | $96,120 | $92,300 |
| 126 | Reno, NV | $84,570 | $52,190 | $100,530 | $83,720 |
| 127 | Toledo, OH | $84,510 | $62,320 | $95,450 | $92,410 |
| 128 | Richmond, VA | $84,450 | $61,900 | $95,560 | $86,300 |
| 129 | Eau Claire, WI | $84,300 | $59,470 | $96,530 | $90,840 |
| 130 | Atlantic City, NJ | $84,140 | $56,990 | $97,510 | $85,110 |
| 131 | Columbus, OH | $84,090 | $59,650 | $96,120 | $88,080 |
| 132 | Detroit, MI | $83,870 | $56,160 | $97,510 | $83,620 |
| 133 | Albany, NY | $83,780 | $61,530 | $94,740 | $84,150 |
| 134 | Dayton, OH | $83,740 | $63,340 | $93,790 | $90,340 |
| 135 | Lubbock, TX | $83,660 | $54,540 | $98,010 | $91,610 |
| 136 | Tulsa, OK | $83,620 | $49,690 | $100,320 | $93,730 |
| 137 | Indianapolis, IN | $83,470 | $52,830 | $98,570 | $87,220 |
| 138 | Lansing, MI | $83,390 | $62,320 | $93,770 | $87,790 |
| 139 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $83,350 | $58,360 | $95,660 | $85,100 |
| 140 | Omaha, NE-IA | $83,300 | $53,540 | $97,970 | $90,630 |
| 141 | Knoxville, TN | $83,160 | $57,280 | $95,890 | $89,840 |
| 142 | Trenton, NJ | $83,140 | $56,080 | $96,450 | $80,580 |
| 143 | Warner Robins, GA | $83,120 | $62,500 | $93,270 | $88,620 |
| 144 | Charlottesville, VA | $83,100 | $55,430 | $96,740 | $83,820 |
| 145 | Scranton, PA | $83,080 | $47,510 | $100,590 | $88,800 |
| 146 | Madison, WI | $82,780 | $59,490 | $94,240 | $85,090 |
| 147 | Lake Charles, LA | $82,620 | $53,930 | $96,760 | $96,240 |
| 148 | Bay City, MI | $82,260 | $61,570 | $92,480 | $89,490 |
| 149 | Mankato, MN | $81,930 | $58,220 | $93,620 | $90,080 |
| 150 | Buffalo, NY | $81,720 | $58,550 | $93,140 | $85,260 |
| 151 | Oklahoma City, OK | $81,660 | $59,110 | $92,770 | $90,320 |
| 152 | Grand Rapids, MI | $81,600 | $55,870 | $94,270 | $85,400 |
| 153 | Ithaca, NY | $81,600 | $65,370 | $89,560 | $78,980 |
| 154 | Boulder, CO | $81,520 | $65,040 | $89,630 | $77,490 |
| 155 | Grand Junction, CO | $81,390 | $53,770 | $94,990 | $85,250 |
| 156 | Boise City, ID | $81,290 | $60,420 | $91,560 | $82,620 |
| 157 | Athens, GA | $81,240 | $52,210 | $95,560 | $87,030 |
| 158 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $81,220 | $55,990 | $93,660 | $81,250 |
| 159 | Corvallis, OR | $81,120 | $57,510 | $92,750 | $77,990 |
| 160 | Decatur, AL | $81,100 | $55,430 | $93,750 | $92,990 |
| 161 | Lexington, KY | $81,080 | $51,110 | $95,850 | $87,290 |
| 162 | Milwaukee, WI | $81,040 | $55,040 | $93,850 | $83,600 |
| 163 | Manhattan, KS | $80,970 | $60,690 | $90,940 | $89,810 |
| 164 | Baton Rouge, LA | $80,930 | $53,750 | $94,330 | $89,150 |
| 165 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $80,930 | $55,060 | $93,660 | $72,940 |
| 166 | Yakima, WA | $80,700 | $65,080 | $88,400 | $84,460 |
| 167 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $80,540 | $56,910 | $92,190 | $82,730 |
| 168 | Binghamton, NY | $80,500 | $55,410 | $92,850 | $86,690 |
| 169 | McAllen, TX | $80,480 | $54,910 | $93,080 | $93,700 |
| 170 | Wildwood, FL | $80,120 | $51,880 | $94,040 | $93,790 |
| 171 | Missoula, MT | $80,080 | $59,880 | $90,020 | $83,030 |
| 172 | Blacksburg, VA | $79,960 | $55,200 | $92,140 | $86,250 |
| 173 | Salisbury, MD | $79,930 | $56,850 | $91,310 | $83,590 |
| 174 | Charleston, WV | $79,890 | $52,350 | $93,450 | $90,050 |
| 175 | Asheville, NC | $79,770 | $56,120 | $91,420 | $82,660 |
| 176 | Little Rock, AR | $79,410 | $45,530 | $96,100 | $88,860 |
| 177 | Iowa City, IA | $79,390 | $54,160 | $91,830 | $86,760 |
| 178 | Amarillo, TX | $79,350 | $51,710 | $92,980 | $86,420 |
| 179 | Utica, NY | $79,250 | $56,470 | $90,480 | $85,510 |
| 180 | Jacksonville, NC | $79,160 | $62,190 | $87,510 | $85,960 |
| 181 | Helena, MT | $78,960 | $64,190 | $86,240 | $82,530 |
| 182 | Harrisonburg, VA | $78,890 | $62,520 | $86,960 | $83,140 |
| 183 | Canton, OH | $78,870 | $58,840 | $88,730 | $88,220 |
| 184 | Lafayette, LA | $78,870 | $55,930 | $90,170 | $90,440 |
| 185 | Gulfport, MS | $78,810 | $43,010 | $96,450 | $87,560 |
| 186 | Fargo, ND-MN | $78,690 | $53,660 | $91,000 | $86,600 |
| 187 | Provo, UT | $78,520 | $50,920 | $92,100 | $79,930 |
| 188 | Kingsport, TN-VA | $78,480 | $57,570 | $88,770 | $90,780 |
| 189 | Portland, ME | $78,250 | $51,230 | $91,540 | $76,820 |
| 190 | Rochester, NY | $78,250 | $57,990 | $88,210 | $80,640 |
| 191 | Greensboro, NC | $77,380 | $50,920 | $90,400 | $83,330 |
| 192 | Johnson City, TN | $77,310 | $59,510 | $86,090 | $87,920 |
| 193 | Cleveland, OH | $77,290 | $42,620 | $94,370 | $82,290 |
| 194 | Roanoke, VA | $77,270 | $57,620 | $86,960 | $82,540 |
| 195 | Reading, PA | $76,940 | $52,920 | $88,800 | $79,270 |
| 196 | Mobile, AL | $76,840 | $50,670 | $89,730 | $87,220 |
| 197 | Orlando, FL | $76,610 | $46,950 | $91,210 | $75,540 |
| 198 | Birmingham, AL | $76,500 | $47,880 | $90,580 | $83,480 |
| 199 | La Crosse, WI-MN | $76,500 | $58,280 | $85,490 | $83,360 |
| 200 | Cheyenne, WY | $76,290 | $61,130 | $83,760 | $79,060 |
| 201 | Miami, FL | $76,070 | $47,510 | $90,150 | $66,640 |
| 202 | Akron, OH | $76,000 | $53,230 | $87,240 | $81,400 |
| 203 | Lancaster, PA | $75,880 | $53,290 | $87,010 | $77,230 |
| 204 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $75,820 | $48,650 | $89,190 | $79,500 |
| 205 | Palm Bay, FL | $75,590 | $48,590 | $88,880 | $75,590 |
| 206 | Traverse City, MI | $75,550 | $56,580 | $84,880 | $80,910 |
| 207 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $75,500 | $51,540 | $87,300 | $81,120 |
| 208 | Altoona, PA | $75,420 | $51,440 | $87,260 | $84,260 |
| 209 | Jackson, TN | $75,280 | $58,510 | $83,530 | $88,020 |
| 210 | Crestview, FL | $75,000 | $46,010 | $89,290 | $77,290 |
| 211 | Fayetteville, AR | $74,940 | $44,120 | $90,110 | $82,030 |
| 212 | Pocatello, ID | $74,110 | $57,010 | $82,530 | $83,360 |
| 213 | Pittsburgh, PA | $74,070 | $48,190 | $86,800 | $78,240 |
| 214 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $74,070 | $58,860 | $81,580 | $81,730 |
| 215 | Winston, NC | $73,900 | $52,620 | $84,360 | $80,290 |
| 216 | Hickory, NC | $73,200 | $58,860 | $80,250 | $82,720 |
| 217 | Rapid City, SD | $73,090 | $57,050 | $81,000 | $81,980 |
| 218 | Appleton, WI | $73,030 | $52,940 | $82,910 | $79,020 |
| 219 | Panama City, FL | $72,430 | $50,730 | $83,120 | $74,440 |
| 220 | Naples, FL | $72,240 | $44,970 | $85,650 | $70,000 |
| 221 | Monroe, LA | $72,180 | $49,840 | $83,180 | $86,340 |
| 222 | Fayetteville, NC | $71,780 | $51,480 | $81,760 | $78,040 |
| 223 | Wilmington, NC | $71,510 | $52,710 | $80,770 | $74,160 |
| 224 | Lincoln, NE | $71,010 | $52,790 | $80,000 | $77,540 |
| 225 | Montgomery, AL | $70,970 | $44,780 | $83,890 | $79,140 |
| 226 | Green Bay, WI | $70,300 | $45,720 | $82,410 | $75,520 |
| 227 | Tampa, FL | $70,300 | $45,680 | $82,430 | $69,680 |
| 228 | Cape Coral, FL | $70,280 | $45,740 | $82,370 | $68,670 |
| 229 | Punta Gorda, FL | $69,990 | $45,260 | $82,180 | $69,620 |
| 230 | Lakeland, FL | $69,950 | $42,180 | $83,640 | $72,010 |
| 231 | Jacksonville, FL | $69,640 | $45,320 | $81,600 | $70,000 |
| 232 | Evansville, IN | $69,600 | $47,650 | $80,410 | $76,040 |
| 233 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | $69,140 | $50,070 | $78,520 | $70,340 |
| 234 | Bloomington, IN | $68,760 | $52,420 | $76,810 | $72,320 |
| 235 | Champaign, IL | $68,700 | $41,810 | $81,950 | $74,110 |
| 236 | Fort Wayne, IN | $68,680 | $39,770 | $82,930 | $74,190 |
| 237 | Kalamazoo, MI | $68,080 | $52,330 | $75,860 | $71,780 |
| 238 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $67,500 | $51,730 | $75,250 | $70,990 |
| 239 | Lewiston, ID-WA | $67,350 | $54,720 | $73,550 | $73,880 |
| 240 | Greenville, SC | $67,230 | $46,070 | $77,630 | $72,090 |
| 241 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $66,930 | $42,970 | $78,730 | $66,780 |
| 242 | Flint, MI | $66,540 | $50,190 | $74,590 | $71,520 |
| 243 | Topeka, KS | $66,020 | $55,600 | $71,160 | $74,330 |
| 244 | North Port, FL | $65,850 | $45,490 | $75,900 | $64,300 |
| 245 | Gainesville, FL | $64,750 | $41,770 | $76,090 | $66,940 |
| 246 | Jackson, MS | $64,460 | $42,740 | $75,170 | $72,390 |
| 247 | Dover, DE | $63,250 | $52,400 | $68,600 | $64,870 |
| 248 | Bangor, ME | $63,210 | $48,630 | $70,390 | $65,500 |
| 249 | Daphne, AL | $62,840 | $41,160 | $73,510 | $66,360 |
| 250 | Erie, PA | $62,610 | $48,710 | $69,450 | $68,840 |
| 251 | Jefferson City, MO | $61,840 | $52,920 | $66,230 | $70,290 |
| 252 | Springfield, MO | $61,300 | $52,080 | $65,850 | $69,200 |
| 253 | San Juan, PR | $61,240 | $37,150 | $73,090 | N/A |
| 254 | Sebastian, FL | $60,840 | $40,620 | $70,800 | $61,890 |
| 255 | South Bend, IN-MI | $59,550 | $46,630 | $65,920 | $64,130 |
| 256 | Hattiesburg, MS | $59,300 | $42,200 | $67,720 | $67,670 |
| 257 | Deltona, FL | $59,130 | $44,620 | $66,290 | $59,510 |
| 258 | Tallahassee, FL | $58,410 | $45,760 | $64,650 | $62,190 |
| 259 | Pensacola, FL | $57,470 | $41,790 | $65,210 | $58,810 |
More
More on environmental scientists and specialists
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays environmental scientists and specialists the most?
New Haven, CT, where the average (mean) wage is $129,850 a year, followed by San Francisco, CA ($127,420), San Jose, CA ($124,260), Kennewick, WA ($123,700). The national mean is $91,680 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do environmental scientists and specialists earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in New Haven, CT ($124,190 at national prices, $129,850 nominal), Kennewick, WA ($123,600 at national prices, $123,700 nominal), College Station, TX ($119,360 at national prices, $108,560 nominal).
How much do environmental scientists and specialists make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $93,870; Los Angeles, CA: $107,890; Chicago, IL-IN: $96,740; Dallas, TX: $99,280; Houston, TX: $104,850 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do environmental scientists and specialists earn the least?
Of the 259 metro areas with their own estimate, Pensacola, FL has the lowest mean wage, $57,470. At local prices that is worth $58,810.