Environmental Engineer salary in the U.S.
Environmental Engineers in the U.S. earn a median of $107,110 a year ($51.50 an hour), based on BLS data for 38,340 workers.
Pay ranges from $69,990 for the lowest-paid 10% to $162,220 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $112,910, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for environmental engineers in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $69,990 | $33.65 |
| 25th percentile | $83,570 | $40.18 |
| Median | $107,110 | $51.50 |
| 75th percentile | $134,420 | $64.63 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $162,220 | $77.99 |
| Average (mean) | $112,910 | $54.29 |
Half of environmental engineers earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $8,925.83 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $4,462.92 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $4,119.62 |
| Weekly | $2,059.81 |
| Hourly | $51.50 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Environmental Engineer salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $130,510 | 340 |
| California | $130,410 | 4,550 |
| Oregon | $127,100 | 650 |
| Washington | $125,460 | 1,920 |
| Texas | $123,060 | 1,940 |
| Nebraska | $120,620 | 270 |
| Idaho | $117,520 | 400 |
| Florida | $116,840 | 1,800 |
| Massachusetts | $115,800 | 1,880 |
| Minnesota | $115,750 | 1,080 |
| Connecticut | $114,710 | 450 |
| Ohio | $113,180 | 730 |
| Alaska | $110,220 | 260 |
| Nevada | $109,720 | 290 |
| New Mexico | $108,360 | 500 |
| Illinois | $107,990 | 940 |
| Hawaii | $107,880 | 150 |
| Kentucky | $107,520 | 350 |
| Colorado | $106,890 | 1,320 |
| Wyoming | $106,330 | 200 |
| Michigan | $105,080 | 810 |
| Virginia | $104,940 | 1,010 |
| Utah | $103,380 | 410 |
| Pennsylvania | $103,330 | 1,750 |
| Alabama | $102,650 | 780 |
| New Jersey | $102,630 | 990 |
| New York | $101,270 | 3,170 |
| Rhode Island | $101,140 | 200 |
| Montana | $100,140 | 300 |
| North Carolina | $99,440 | n/a |
| South Dakota | $98,890 | 90 |
| Missouri | $98,170 | 510 |
| Maryland | $97,570 | 1,030 |
| Tennessee | $97,190 | 540 |
| Georgia | $96,530 | 830 |
| South Carolina | $96,140 | 560 |
| Delaware | $95,720 | 150 |
| Iowa | $94,830 | 150 |
| Kansas | $94,070 | 320 |
| Arizona | $93,970 | 690 |
| Maine | $93,930 | 220 |
| Vermont | $92,580 | 110 |
| Indiana | $92,460 | 520 |
| Oklahoma | $92,090 | 530 |
| North Dakota | $91,370 | 90 |
| Mississippi | $91,100 | 260 |
| Wisconsin | $89,990 | 890 |
| New Hampshire | $88,610 | 210 |
| Arkansas | $85,280 | 210 |
| West Virginia | $83,200 | 370 |
| Puerto Rico | $77,560 | 110 |
Best-paying metro areas for environmental engineers
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $142,700 | 50 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $141,560 | 100 |
| Redding, CA | $140,570 | 40 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $140,060 | 390 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $138,840 | 550 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $138,700 | 40 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $138,000 | 170 |
| Vallejo, CA | $136,640 | 30 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $135,240 | 80 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $133,240 | 1,200 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $130,270 | 30 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $129,780 | 60 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $129,390 | 1,040 |
| Decatur, AL | $129,290 | 50 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $128,410 | 1,050 |
Metro areas with the most environmental engineers
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,810 | $107,910 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,460 | $109,620 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,200 | $133,240 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,050 | $128,410 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,040 | $129,390 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 910 | $107,880 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 890 | $127,900 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 810 | $120,580 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 750 | $115,750 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 690 | $127,340 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 680 | $97,570 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 660 | $110,700 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 590 | $96,820 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 570 | $96,540 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 550 | $138,840 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineer | $100,840 | $48.48 |
| Industrial Engineer | $102,440 | $49.25 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $104,110 | $50.05 |
| Electrical Engineer | $120,630 | $58.00 |
| Engineers, All Other | $122,930 | $59.10 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $130,220 | $62.60 |
| Computer Hardware Engineer | $161,740 | $77.76 |
| Aerospace Engineer | $134,960 | $64.89 |
| Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | $109,370 | $52.58 |
| Materials Engineer | $112,860 | $54.26 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | $115,160 | $55.36 |
| Chemical Engineer | $125,040 | $60.12 |
| Petroleum Engineer | $144,910 | $69.67 |
| Nuclear Engineer | $133,970 | $64.41 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 17-2081. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a environmental engineer make in the U.S.?
The median salary for environmental engineers in the U.S. is $107,110 a year, or $51.50 an hour. Pay ranges from $69,990 for the lowest-paid 10% to $162,220 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid environmental engineers make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of environmental engineers in the U.S. earn at least $162,220 a year. The top 25% earn $134,420 or more.
What is the starting pay for environmental engineers in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $69,990 a year, and a quarter of environmental engineers earn $83,570 or less.
How many environmental engineers work in the U.S.?
About 38,340 environmental engineers are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.