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Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeLower pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $82,220 Median per year · $39.53/hr Most earn $52,520–$140,010

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Plan or develop research models, using knowledge of mathematical and statistical concepts.
  • Provide advice on proper standards and regulations or the development of policies, strategies, or codes of practice for environmental management.
  • Evaluate violations or problems discovered during inspections to determine appropriate regulatory actions or to provide advice on the development and prosecution of regulatory cases.
  • 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.

Job outlook

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 7,300 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • State government, excluding education and hospitals28.3%
  • Management, scientific, and technical consulting services18.8%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals13.4%
  • Engineering services11.3%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service6.2%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Some remote workExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Environmental scientist is usually not a first job straight out of school. Most people earn a bachelor's degree, then spend roughly 2 to 4 years in related hands-on work before taking on this role.

  1. Bachelor's degree in environmental science or a related field

    4 years

    You learn the science of air, water, soil, and health, plus lab and field methods. This base is required for almost every job in the field.

  2. Environmental Technician

    1-2 years

    You collect samples, run lab tests, and help record data for monitoring projects. This builds the field and data skills that employers look for in a scientist.

  3. Environmental Scientist

    2-4 years of related experience in total

    You design studies, analyze data, write reports, and recommend actions to reduce pollution or hazards. This is the career itself.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Environmental Scientist

    about 3-5 years in this role of experience first

    You lead projects, manage other scientists, and handle bigger clients or agency work. Moving up usually means a track record of strong reports and project results.

  2. Environmental Program Manager

    several years as a senior scientist of experience first

    You oversee budgets, teams, and long-term programs rather than doing most of the fieldwork and analysis yourself. It usually requires strong leadership and communication skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, and earth scienceThese classes give you the core science background you will need for an environmental science major.
  • Join a science, ecology, or environmental clubClub projects like recycling audits or water testing show you what the work feels like and look good on college applications.
  • Volunteer with a local park, river cleanup, or nature groupField work with real monitoring or restoration projects builds practical skills and shows your interest in the environment.
  • Enter a science fair or environmental project competitionDesigning your own experiment and presenting results practices the same research and reporting skills you will use on the job.
  • Get comfortable with math and computersAlgebra, statistics if offered, and basic data or spreadsheet skills will help you handle the data side of environmental work.

In college

  • Major in environmental science or take core environmental coursesA degree in environmental science, or a related major with environmental courses, is the usual starting point for this career.
  • Get a lab or field assistant job on campus or nearbyHelping a professor or the campus sustainability office gives you real sampling and data experience and a reference.
  • Take a statistics or GIS courseData analysis and mapping skills are used daily in environmental work and make you a stronger job candidate.
  • Join an environmental or sustainability student groupGroups often run cleanup projects, guest speaker events, and networking that can lead to internships.
  • Apply for summer internships with environmental agencies, consulting firms, or water and waste utilitiesInternships give you direct experience and a chance to build the 2 to 4 years of related work that employers often expect.

Tips for getting started

  • Get lab or field experience early, such as volunteer water testing or a campus research lab job, because employers value hands-on skills as much as grades.
  • Learn basic data tools like spreadsheets, statistics software, and mapping software (GIS), since nearly every environmental job uses them.
  • Practice writing clear reports and presenting findings, because this career often means explaining results to the public, companies, and government officials.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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