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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

19-2041 Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

Conduct research or perform investigation for the purpose of identifying, abating, or eliminating sources of pollutants or hazards that affect either the environment or the health of the population. Using knowledge of various scientific disciplines, may collect, synthesize, study, report, and recommend action based on data derived from measurements or observations of air, food, soil, water, and other sources. Excludes "Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists" (19-1023), "Conservation Scientists" (19-1031), "Forest and Conservation Technicians" (19-4093), "Fish and Game Wardens" (33-3031), and "Forest and Conservation Workers" (45-4011).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
80,480 1.3 % $37.30 $77,580 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $20.44 $25.76 $34.20 $45.47 $59.91
Annual Wage (2) $42,520 $53,580 $71,130 $94,590 $124,620


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 19,510 1.35 $37.77 $78,570
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 19,240 0.88 $32.04 $66,650
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 10,070 0.18 $34.51 $71,770
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 9,870 0.68 $36.97 $76,900
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 4,860 0.24 $50.39 $104,820

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 19,510 1.35 $37.77 $78,570
Social Advocacy Organizations 2,220 1.03 $32.44 $67,470
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 19,240 0.88 $32.04 $66,650
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 9,870 0.68 $36.97 $76,900
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 580 0.52 $43.97 $91,450

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers 80 0.01 $63.98 $133,070
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 40 0.10 $57.10 $118,770
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 4,860 0.24 $50.39 $104,820
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 40 0.15 $50.38 $104,790
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,460 0.06 $46.14 $95,970


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 12,750 0.75 1.35 $44.18 $91,890
Florida 4,920 0.57 1.03 $28.26 $58,790
New York 4,400 0.47 0.84 $38.15 $79,340
Texas 4,170 0.34 0.62 $38.88 $80,880
North Carolina 3,790 0.86 1.55 $31.18 $64,850




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 1,600 2.24 4.04 $55.38 $115,190
Alaska 670 2.12 3.81 $38.57 $80,220
Wyoming 470 1.76 3.16 $33.15 $68,940
New Mexico 1,180 1.46 2.62 $41.92 $87,200
Vermont 380 1.26 2.26 $31.94 $66,440




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 1,600 2.24 4.04 $55.38 $115,190
Colorado 2,930 1.12 2.01 $44.72 $93,010
California 12,750 0.75 1.35 $44.18 $91,890
New Mexico 1,180 1.46 2.62 $41.92 $87,200
Virginia 3,150 0.82 1.48 $41.13 $85,550





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 4,320 0.46 0.82 $39.49 $82,140
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,980 1.27 2.28 $50.31 $104,650
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,060 0.50 0.90 $43.80 $91,110
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 2,640 2.68 4.82 $42.74 $88,910
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,600 1.07 1.93 $50.33 $104,690
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,620 0.81 1.47 $43.74 $90,980
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,600 0.58 1.04 $41.29 $85,870
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 1,500 1.09 1.97 $34.52 $71,790
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,440 0.73 1.32 $37.05 $77,070
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 1,370 0.93 1.67 $46.63 $96,990




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Boulder, CO 990 5.46 9.81 $46.48 $96,670
Trenton, NJ 860 3.73 6.70 $38.14 $79,320
Cheyenne, WY 160 3.45 6.20 $31.23 $64,950
Jefferson City, MO 260 3.42 6.16 $21.77 $45,280
Santa Fe, NM 210 3.40 6.11 $31.56 $65,650
Fairbanks, AK 120 3.34 6.00 $37.72 $78,450
Kennewick-Richland, WA 350 3.05 5.49 $47.50 $98,800
Tallahassee, FL 500 2.91 5.23 $23.52 $48,910
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 330 2.89 5.20 $31.09 $64,680
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 2,640 2.68 4.82 $42.74 $88,910




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Santa Rosa, CA 220 1.08 1.94 $56.99 $118,530
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA (8) (8) (8) $53.21 $110,670
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 290 0.26 0.46 $50.83 $105,720
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,600 1.07 1.93 $50.33 $104,690
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,980 1.27 2.28 $50.31 $104,650
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 110 0.66 1.19 $48.29 $100,440
Kennewick-Richland, WA 350 3.05 5.49 $47.50 $98,800
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 230 0.72 1.30 $47.27 $98,320
Salinas, CA 70 0.41 0.75 $47.04 $97,840
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 1,370 0.93 1.67 $46.63 $96,990

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 390 4.83 8.69 $58.97 $122,650
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 390 2.16 3.89 $24.44 $50,840
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 270 2.00 3.59 $31.73 $66,000
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 230 3.16 5.69 $31.20 $64,890
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 200 1.90 3.42 $38.68 $80,450

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 390 4.83 8.69 $58.97 $122,650
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 230 3.16 5.69 $31.20 $64,890
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 390 2.16 3.89 $24.44 $50,840
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 200 2.06 3.70 $34.33 $71,410
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 270 2.00 3.59 $31.73 $66,000

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 390 4.83 8.69 $58.97 $122,650
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 70 1.17 2.11 $41.21 $85,710
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 100 0.79 1.43 $40.23 $83,680
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 140 1.43 2.57 $39.24 $81,620
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 200 1.90 3.42 $38.68 $80,450


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019