How to hire an associate environmental scientist

How to hire an associate environmental scientist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step associate environmental scientist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an associate environmental scientist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new associate environmental scientist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an associate environmental scientist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the associate environmental scientist you need to hire. Certain associate environmental scientist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an associate environmental scientist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an associate environmental scientist that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of associate environmental scientist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Associate Environmental Scientist	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate Environmental Scientist	Environmental scientists and specialists use their knowledge of the natural sciences to protect the environment and human health. They may clean up polluted areas, advise policymakers, or work with industry to reduce waste.	$18-39
   Scientist	A scientist is responsible for researching and analyzing the nature and complexities of the physical world to identify discoveries that would improve people's lives and ignite scientific knowledge for society. Scientists' duties differ in their different areas of expertise, but all of them must have a broad comprehension of scientific disciplines and methods to support their experiments and investigations... Show more	$32-67
   Field Scientist	The duties of a field scientist depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In general, their responsibilities typically include conducting studies and scientific research, visiting various sites to observe and gather samples, performing laboratory analyses and experiments, maintaining records of all operations, and coming up with conclusions from the research findings... Show more	$25-53

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Cleanliness
   • Patient Rooms
   • MSDS
   • Environmental Compliance
   • PPE
   • EHS
   • OSHA
   • Hazardous Waste
   • Safety Inspections
   • EPA
   • Technical Reports
   • Environmental Monitoring
   • Sops

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Conduct or manage all OSHA require emergency equipment require to be inspect on a monthly/weekly basis.
   • Lead cross-functional teams, leveraging EHS capabilities throughout organization.
   • Track chemical usage to ensure production laboratories are abiding by all applicable EPA and OSHA regulations.
   • Flag targeted species, enter GPS waypoints and complete datasheets.
   • Provide customer support and resolutions for issues that arise for both EPA and commercial laboratories.
   • Perform advance GIS tasks on a daily basis and serve as the sole GIS analyst on several projects.

   More associate environmental scientist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the associate environmental scientist job description is a good way to get more applicants. An associate environmental scientist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an associate environmental scientist in Mississippi may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level associate environmental scientist. Additionally, an associate environmental scientist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average associate environmental scientist salary

   $57,206yearly

   $27.50 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate environmental scientist salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average associate environmental scientist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$90,699	$44
   2	California	$88,399	$43
   3	Illinois	$66,654	$32
   4	New York	$66,362	$32
   5	Connecticut	$65,482	$31
   6	Colorado	$64,019	$31
   7	Maryland	$63,727	$31
   8	West Virginia	$60,696	$29
   9	Virginia	$60,218	$29
   10	Indiana	$54,301	$26
   11	Ohio	$54,065	$26
   12	Pennsylvania	$52,961	$25
   13	North Carolina	$50,638	$24
   14	Georgia	$49,026	$24
   15	Wisconsin	$47,152	$23
   16	Texas	$46,984	$23
   17	Arizona	$45,007	$22
   18	Alabama	$40,011	$19
   19	South Carolina	$37,277	$18

   Average associate environmental scientist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	National Grid plc	$73,902	$35.53
   2	Mayo Clinic	$71,520	$34.38	38
   3	Parsons	$67,750	$32.57	42
   4	Liberty Mutual Insurance	$67,573	$32.49	5
   5	Columbia University in the City of New York	$63,371	$30.47	1
   6	Henkel	$62,785	$30.19	26
   7	Beacon Health Options	$62,085	$29.85	3
   8	ERM	$59,286	$28.50	76
   9	Wsp USA Buildings Inc.	$57,442	$27.62	98
   10	Georgia-Pacific	$56,241	$27.04	2
   11	Calvary Hospital	$56,039	$26.94
   12	CAMS	$55,305	$26.59	2
   13	Eurofins	$55,258	$26.57	70
   14	City of Austin	$54,929	$26.41	1
   15	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$54,706	$26.30
   16	Cogent Communications	$54,587	$26.24
   17	University of Colorado Boulder	$54,242	$26.08	1
   18	SLCH President	$54,209	$26.06	1
   19	Matthews International	$53,939	$25.93	1
   20	Catholic Health Initiatives - Colorado	$53,575	$25.76	66

4. Writing an associate environmental scientist job description

   An associate environmental scientist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an associate environmental scientist job description:

   Associate environmental scientist job description example

   Current MES Employees who are interested in applying for this position must visit the Internal MES Careers Page by going to their Workday Dashboard, clicking on the Career icon and selecting Find Jobs.
   
   This is an exciting opportunity to join a leading team that provides environmental solutions to the public and private sectors throughout the State of Maryland.
   Job Description:
   Maryland Environmental Service has an opening for a Safety and Environmental Compliance Associate II within the Safety and Environmental Compliance Group at our Headquarters facility in Millersville, MD. This position assists with the implementation of the Service's safety and environmental compliance programs at MES facilities located statewide. Supports the Chief of Safety and Environmental Compliance to conduct employee training and planning, developing, and managing programs to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal safety and environmental laws and regulations.
   
   Estimated Pay Range:
   $53,011.31 - $76,000
   
   Benefits:
   Health Insurance with choice of medical plan and prescription, dental, vision, and life and disability insurance options, along with flexible spending accounts 401K retirement savings program with generous agency match Paid vacation, personal and sick leave Ten paid holidays per year Tuition assistance
   
   Minimum Requirements:
   Associate's Degree in safety, public health, or a related environmental compliance field, plus two years of experience in the safety and health and/or environmental regulatory field. Applicants may substitute additional experience as defined above for the required education at the rate of one year of experience to one year of education, for up to two years of the required education. Must have a valid driver's license with less than 5 points, and must be able to obtain and maintain certification in the American Red Cross CPR/First Aid/AED Instructor Certification.
   
   The last day to apply for this position is October 25th, 2022.
   
   Maryland Environmental Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. MES does not participate in programs that require sponsorship for work visas.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find associate environmental scientists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your associate environmental scientist job on Zippia to find and recruit associate environmental scientist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit associate environmental scientists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new associate environmental scientist

   Once you've found the associate environmental scientist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new associate environmental scientist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an associate environmental scientist?