SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Research, design, plan, or perform engineering duties in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental hazards using various engineering disciplines. Work may include waste treatment, site remediation, or pollution control technology.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 17-2081.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $69,990 | $5,832 | $1,346 | $33.65 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $83,570 | $6,964 | $1,607 | $40.18 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $107,110 | $8,926 | $2,060 | $51.50 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $134,420 | $11,202 | $2,585 | $64.63 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $162,220 | $13,518 | $3,120 | $77.99 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Environmental Engineers is $107,110, which is 110% higher. Among the 36 occupations of the field Architecture and Engineering, it ranks number 13 by median pay. With 38,340 jobs, it makes up about 2.5 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Environmental Engineers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Louisiana ($130,510), California ($130,410) and Oregon ($127,100). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($77,560), West Virginia ($83,200) and Arkansas ($85,280). The most jobs were in California (4,550), New York (3,170) and Texas (1,940). The occupation is most concentrated in Alaska, where its share of all jobs is 3.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 340 | $130,510 | $138,180 | $62.74 |
| California | 4,550 | $130,410 | $125,870 | $62.70 |
| Oregon | 650 | $127,100 | $127,920 | $61.10 |
| Washington | 1,920 | $125,460 | $127,330 | $60.32 |
| Texas | 1,940 | $123,060 | $124,400 | $59.17 |
| Nebraska | 270 | $120,620 | $120,150 | $57.99 |
| Idaho | 400 | $117,520 | $123,300 | $56.50 |
| Florida | 1,800 | $116,840 | $111,530 | $56.17 |
| Massachusetts | 1,880 | $115,800 | $119,180 | $55.67 |
| Minnesota | 1,080 | $115,750 | $116,740 | $55.65 |
| Connecticut | 450 | $114,710 | $119,880 | $55.15 |
| Ohio | 730 | $113,180 | $110,350 | $54.42 |
| Alaska | 260 | $110,220 | $114,660 | $52.99 |
| Nevada | 290 | $109,720 | $120,710 | $52.75 |
| New Mexico | 500 | $108,360 | $123,800 | $52.10 |
| Illinois | 940 | $107,990 | $116,020 | $51.92 |
| Hawaii | 150 | $107,880 | $115,920 | $51.86 |
| Kentucky | 350 | $107,520 | $113,090 | $51.69 |
| Colorado | 1,320 | $106,890 | $113,550 | $51.39 |
| Wyoming | 200 | $106,330 | $106,640 | $51.12 |
| Michigan | 810 | $105,080 | $107,600 | $50.52 |
| Virginia | 1,010 | $104,940 | $111,800 | $50.45 |
| Utah | 410 | $103,380 | $107,910 | $49.70 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,750 | $103,330 | $103,760 | $49.68 |
| Alabama | 780 | $102,650 | $107,220 | $49.35 |
| New Jersey | 990 | $102,630 | $109,560 | $49.34 |
| New York | 3,170 | $101,270 | $108,360 | $48.69 |
| Rhode Island | 200 | $101,140 | $105,720 | $48.63 |
| Montana | 300 | $100,140 | $106,590 | $48.15 |
| North Carolina | not published | $99,440 | $104,970 | $47.81 |
| South Dakota | 90 | $98,890 | $99,360 | $47.54 |
| Missouri | 510 | $98,170 | $98,460 | $47.20 |
| Maryland | 1,030 | $97,570 | $103,980 | $46.91 |
| Tennessee | 540 | $97,190 | $101,260 | $46.73 |
| Georgia | 830 | $96,530 | $100,760 | $46.41 |
| South Carolina | 560 | $96,140 | $100,760 | $46.22 |
| Delaware | 150 | $95,720 | $103,050 | $46.02 |
| Iowa | 150 | $94,830 | $97,710 | $45.59 |
| Kansas | 320 | $94,070 | $103,550 | $45.23 |
| Arizona | 690 | $93,970 | $96,410 | $45.18 |
| Maine | 220 | $93,930 | $98,290 | $45.16 |
| Vermont | 110 | $92,580 | $101,330 | $44.51 |
| Indiana | 520 | $92,460 | $103,750 | $44.45 |
| Oklahoma | 530 | $92,090 | $97,850 | $44.27 |
| North Dakota | 90 | $91,370 | $106,350 | $43.93 |
| Mississippi | 260 | $91,100 | $95,010 | $43.80 |
| Wisconsin | 890 | $89,990 | $101,050 | $43.26 |
| New Hampshire | 210 | $88,610 | $93,600 | $42.60 |
| Arkansas | 210 | $85,280 | $90,550 | $41.00 |
| West Virginia | 370 | $83,200 | $92,680 | $40.00 |
| Puerto Rico | 110 | $77,560 | $80,460 | $37.29 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Materials Engineers$112,860 a year
- Marine Engineers and Naval Architects$112,230 a year
- Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers$109,370 a year
- Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers$106,220 a year
- Mechanical Engineers$104,110 a year
- Industrial Engineers$102,440 a year
Common questions
How much do Environmental Engineers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $107,110 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $69,990 and the highest-paid 10% more than $162,220.
How many people work as Environmental Engineers?
About 38,340 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.