Career profile · SOC 19-2041

Environmental Scientists and Specialists

Conduct research or perform investigation for the purpose of identifying, abating, or eliminating sources of pollutants or hazards that affect either the environment or public health.

Median salary
$80,060
per year
Growth outlook
Average
BLS 10-yr
Education
Bachelor's degree
AI exposure
4.9/10
automation risk

Salary distribution (US)

Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.

Bottom 10%
$48,580
25th %ile
$60,200
Median
$80,060
75th %ile
$101,920
Top 10%
$133,070

Top skills

Critical Thinking Active Listening Reading Comprehension Speaking Writing Science Complex Problem Solving Active Learning Judgment and Decision Making Systems Analysis

Knowledge you'll build

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • English Language
  • Law and Government
  • Geography
  • Mathematics
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Administration and Management

A day in the life

You start the morning pulling on rubber boots and collecting water and soil samples at a contaminated industrial site, carefully labeling vials and logging GPS coordinates. Back in the lab by midday you run chemical analyses, comparing pollutant concentrations against EPA thresholds. Afternoons are spent writing environmental impact reports, presenting findings to regulatory agencies, or advising a construction team on how to protect a nearby wetland during a highway expansion. The work puts you at the intersection of science and policy, and knowing your data helps protect ecosystems and public health gives every field day purpose.

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