Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
Also called Environmental Programs Specialist, Environmental Protection Specialist, Environmental Scientist, or Environmental Specialist
Updated · Source: O*NET 31.0
What Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health do
You test air, soil, and water for pollution, then explain what you found to the people who have to act on it.
Environmental scientists and specialists track down things that harm the environment or people's health: chemicals in groundwater, smoke in the air, contaminated soil at an old industrial site. Part of the job is gathering evidence, taking samples, reading monitoring data, and checking whether a site follows the rules. The other part is telling people what it means, in reports, briefings, and sometimes public meetings where residents are worried and want straight answers.
A lot of the work happens at a desk, analyzing numbers, building charts, and reviewing permits (official documents that say what a business is allowed to release or dig up). But you also spend time on site with inspectors, engineers, and agency staff. Employers usually expect a bachelor's degree, and pay nationally has a median of $82,220 a year.
A day in the life
You start with email: a permit application to review, and a question from a company about a new discharge limit (the maximum amount of waste it is allowed to release into water). Mid-morning you drive to a site to collect water samples and note what has changed since the last visit. Back at your desk, you log the data, build a chart, and compare the numbers against the standards written in regulations. Someone on your team asks you to check their reasoning, so you read their draft and talk it through. In the afternoon you write a section of a report in plain language, because a town board will read it. Some weeks you present findings out loud and take questions from people who do not trust the answer.
This could fit you if you…
- ✓Like figuring out why something is happening from messy data
- ✓Can write clearly and explain science to people without a science background
- ✓Enjoy mixing desk work with visits to real sites
- ✓Are comfortable being precise about rules, records, and deadlines
- ✓Stay calm when people disagree with your findings
You might not like it if you…
- –Want to be outdoors all day, since much of this work is sitting at a computer
- –Dislike reading dense regulations and permit paperwork
- –Would rather avoid public meetings and briefings where you answer tough questions
- –Need results fast, since pollution problems can take years to resolve
How people get in
- 1Take science classes in high school, especially biology and chemistry, and practice writing clearly.
- 2Earn a bachelor's degree, which is the typical entry education. Common majors include environmental science, environmental studies, environmental health, sustainability studies, and geography and environmental studies.
- 3Get hands-on experience through lab courses, field sampling projects, or an internship with a state agency, consulting firm, or nonprofit.
- 4Learn the software side: spreadsheets, databases, and mapping or data analysis tools used to handle monitoring results.
- 5Start in an entry-level specialist or technician role and learn the specific rules your employer works under, often alongside more experienced scientists.
- 6Build a niche over time, such as air quality, water, soil cleanup, or public health, and keep up as standards change.
Who tends to enjoy it
Curious
People who like figuring things out, research, science, and solving problems.
Hands-on
People who like building, fixing, working with tools, machines, plants, or animals.
Organizing
People who like keeping things accurate, orderly, and running on schedule.
Official task list
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 public health. 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. (O*NET)
- Communicate scientific or technical information to the public, organizations, or internal audiences through oral briefings, written documents, workshops, conferences, training sessions, or public hearings.
- Monitor effects of pollution or land degradation and recommend means of prevention or control.
- Collect, synthesize, analyze, manage, and report environmental data, such as pollution emission measurements, atmospheric monitoring measurements, meteorological or mineralogical information, or soil or water samples.
- Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements.
- Provide scientific or technical guidance, support, coordination, or oversight to governmental agencies, environmental programs, industry, or the public.
- Process and review environmental permits, licenses, or related materials.
- Conduct environmental audits or inspections or investigations of violations.
- Provide advice on proper standards and regulations or the development of policies, strategies, or codes of practice for environmental management.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Science
- Complex Problem Solving
What you'll need to know
- English Language
- Biology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Law and Government
- Computers and Electronics
How much Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health make
The median pay for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in the U.S. is $82,220 a year ($39.53 an hour). Most earn between $52,520 and $140,010. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)
Pay depends a lot on where you live: the median is highest in District of Columbia ($132,620) and lowest in Puerto Rico ($53,030).
Pay by state and territory
| State | Median pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $72,490 | 870 |
| Alaska | $91,960 | 860 |
| Arizona | $80,600 | 1,970 |
| Arkansas | $57,220 | 270 |
| California | $106,510 | 12,490 |
| Colorado | $85,990 | 2,580 |
| Connecticut | $82,070 | 620 |
| Delaware | $64,690 | 290 |
| District of Columbia | $132,620 | 1,270 |
| Florida | $60,830 | 5,950 |
| Georgia | $85,710 | 1,750 |
| Guam | $68,640 | 80 |
| Hawaii | $79,510 | 670 |
| Idaho | $70,350 | 670 |
| Illinois | $81,590 | 1,550 |
| Indiana | $64,700 | 1,290 |
| Iowa | $78,780 | 690 |
| Kansas | $78,210 | 590 |
| Kentucky | $71,040 | 1,000 |
| Louisiana | $69,820 | 1,600 |
| Maine | $66,480 | 530 |
| Maryland | $84,190 | 1,760 |
| Massachusetts | $100,640 | 2,930 |
| Michigan | $76,080 | 3,100 |
| Minnesota | $88,000 | 2,260 |
| Mississippi | $57,780 | 390 |
| Missouri | $61,050 | 1,380 |
| Montana | $80,260 | 570 |
| Nebraska | $64,040 | 510 |
| Nevada | $83,050 | 490 |
| New Hampshire | $80,810 | 480 |
| New Jersey | $79,210 | 3,150 |
| New Mexico | $86,630 | 940 |
| New York | $82,160 | 3,700 |
| North Carolina | $74,130 | 4,150 |
| North Dakota | $84,570 | 240 |
| Ohio | $78,540 | 2,460 |
| Oklahoma | $75,910 | 520 |
| Oregon | $97,440 | 1,370 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,110 | 3,020 |
| Puerto Rico | $53,030 | 390 |
| Rhode Island | $100,730 | 330 |
| South Carolina | $74,910 | 490 |
| South Dakota | $68,230 | 240 |
| Tennessee | $76,840 | 1,230 |
| Texas | $92,000 | 5,630 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | $53,830 | 40 |
| Utah | $90,710 | 1,020 |
| Vermont | $77,460 | 490 |
| Virginia | $82,230 | 2,850 |
| Washington | $98,300 | 4,470 |
| West Virginia | $82,100 | 250 |
| Wisconsin | $72,820 | 920 |
| Wyoming | $74,050 | 410 |
Where to study for this
College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.
- Environmental Science 740 colleges
- Environmental Studies 567 colleges
- Sustainability Studies 278 colleges
- Environmental Health 108 colleges
- Geography and Environmental Studies 69 colleges
- Marine Sciences 41 colleges
- Toxicology 39 colleges
- Environmental Geosciences 17 colleges
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Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), occupation 19-2041.00, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), SOC 19-2041. Outlook and entry education: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.