Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2003

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. Utilizing knowledge of various scientific disciplines may collect, synthesize, study, report, and take action based on data derived from measurements or observations of air, food, soil, water, and other sources. Exclude "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
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area 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)
61,660 2.3 % $25.23 $52,490 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $14.61 $18.05 $23.46 $30.95 $39.14
Annual Wage (2) $30,380 $37,540 $48,790 $64,380 $81,410

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Employment rank Wage rank
State government (OES designation) 17,530 $22.54 $46,880 1 30
Local government (OES designation) 9,650 $23.59 $49,070 2 26
Architectural and engineering services 9,290 $24.27 $50,480 3 25
Management and technical consulting services 8,810 $27.08 $56,330 4 20
Federal government (OES designation) 5,320 $33.22 $69,100 5 6

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Employment rank Wage rank
Agricultural chemical manufacturing 210 $36.67 $76,280 14 1
Oil and gas extraction 150 $36.22 $75,330 19 2
Petroleum merchant wholesalers 40 $35.50 $73,830 23 3
Management of companies and enterprises 430 $34.73 $72,240 11 4
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing 160 $33.24 $69,130 17 5

State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment Wage rank within State
Alaska 560 $26.04 $54,160 0.192% 132
District of Columbia 970 $37.58 $78,170 0.163% 49
New Mexico 1,020 $23.64 $49,160 0.139% 111
Washington 2,900 $28.78 $59,860 0.113% 127
Nebraska 920 $17.97 $37,390 0.105% 225

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment Wage rank within State
District of Columbia 970 $37.58 $78,170 0.163% 49
California 7,580 $30.10 $62,610 0.052% 160
Washington 2,900 $28.78 $59,860 0.113% 127
Massachusetts 1,850 $28.41 $59,100 0.058% 141
Connecticut 620 $28.28 $58,810 0.038% 139

Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Olympia, WA PMSA 470 $24.59 $51,140 0.555%
Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, WA MSA 390 $34.40 $71,550 0.492%
Tallahassee, FL MSA 620 $21.81 $45,370 0.395%
Santa Fe, NM MSA 220 $24.68 $51,340 0.299%
Topeka, KS MSA 200 $22.39 $46,570 0.206%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Ventura, CA PMSA 240 $39.49 $82,150 0.082%
Jersey City, NJ PMSA 40 $37.71 $78,440 0.017%
Naples, FL MSA 40 $37.52 $78,040 0.035%
Orange County, CA PMSA 810 $36.32 $75,550 0.056%
San Francisco, CA PMSA 650 $34.66 $72,100 0.067%

About May 2003 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

To see profiles of other occupations, select from the major groups below:

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files(XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. 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 mean 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.

All Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

2003 May National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2003 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: May 7, 2004