How to hire an environmental consultant

How to hire an environmental consultant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step environmental consultant hiring guide:

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

What does an environmental consultant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The environmental consultant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An environmental consultant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, environmental consultants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of environmental consultants and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Environmental Consultant	Description	Hourly rate
   Environmental Consultant	Environmental engineers use the principles of engineering, soil science, biology, and chemistry to develop solutions to environmental problems. They are involved in efforts to improve recycling, waste disposal, public health, and water and air pollution control.	$26-47
   Engineering Coordinator	An engineering coordinator organizes and oversees engineering projects. They typically perform administrative support tasks such as conducting extensive research and analysis, arranging schedules with clients, handling calls and correspondence, liaising with internal and external parties, reviewing contracts and other documentation, and managing the flow of documents and information across different teams... Show more	$19-37
   Engineering Project Coordinator	An engineering project coordinator works with project managers and specialists to ensure that all aspects of the project are carried out and cared for. They make sure that work is done according to schedule, the staff is doing their job per timeframe, the budget is allocated for, and expenditures are accounted for... Show more	$25-48

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Environmental Compliance
   • OSHA
   • Technical Reports
   • Project Management
   • EPA
   • Due Diligence
   • Asbestos
   • Business Development
   • EHS
   • Data Collection
   • Environmental Regulations
   • ASTM
   • Environmental Projects
   • Environmental Site Assessments

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop and implement SPCC regulations, and manage and coordinate routine policy audits for oil and gas industry operators.
   • Manage a project for the U.S.EPA Superfund program that evaluate flexible methods to distribute Superfund monies to state and tribal governments.
   • Manage environmental restoration waste site characterization activities in support of CERCLA cleanup.
   • Audit EHS programs for deficiencies, prepare reports with recommend corrective actions.
   • Prepare SPCC plans and other documentation associate with storage of large volumes of fuel oil.
   • Collect GPS points in the field to produce GIS maps of trees inventory and upload marks to database.

   More environmental consultant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the environmental consultant job description is a good way to get more applicants. An environmental consultant 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 environmental consultant in Florida may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level environmental consultant. Additionally, an environmental consultant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average environmental consultant salary

   $74,913yearly

   $36.02 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level environmental consultant salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 27, 2025

   Average environmental consultant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$93,766	$45
   2	Texas	$90,467	$43
   3	Arizona	$84,760	$41
   4	Louisiana	$83,990	$40
   5	District of Columbia	$83,133	$40
   6	Virginia	$80,556	$39
   7	Washington	$79,360	$38
   8	Nevada	$78,590	$38
   9	New Mexico	$74,491	$36
   10	Massachusetts	$72,665	$35
   11	Colorado	$70,255	$34
   12	New York	$69,097	$33
   13	Georgia	$67,630	$33
   14	Illinois	$66,825	$32
   15	Kansas	$61,718	$30
   16	North Carolina	$60,374	$29
   17	Iowa	$60,325	$29
   18	Utah	$58,426	$28
   19	Ohio	$57,362	$28
   20	Florida	$56,740	$27

   Average environmental consultant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	ConocoPhillips	$105,450	$50.70
   2	WEC Energy Group	$96,969	$46.62
   3	Sandia National Labs	$94,768	$45.56
   4	Pacific Gas and Electric	$93,548	$44.98
   5	Stantec	$87,906	$42.26	233
   6	RS&H	$84,116	$40.44	21
   7	Tetra Tech	$81,887	$39.37	38
   8	GEI Consultants	$80,941	$38.91	3
   9	Ramboll	$80,649	$38.77	5
   10	Wsp USA Buildings Inc.	$80,163	$38.54	95
   11	ERM	$79,540	$38.24	71
   12	SRK Consulting	$78,826	$37.90
   13	Chubb	$78,036	$37.52	4
   14	CDC Foundation	$75,184	$36.15
   15	Clerysys	$74,523	$35.83
   16	Marsh & McLennan Companies	$73,785	$35.47
   17	Orbis Sibro	$73,275	$35.23	3
   18	Wake County	$73,191	$35.19	1
   19	Trinity Consultants	$72,463	$34.84
   20	Gallagher	$70,688	$33.98

4. Writing an environmental consultant job description

   A good environmental consultant job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an environmental consultant job description:

   Environmental consultant job description example

   • Requires an accredited Bachelors degree in planning, aviation, environmental science, or related field
   • Understanding of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal environmental laws and regulations, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Orders associated with compliance with federal laws and regulations
   • Minimum of 7 years of experience in preparing NEPA documentation (Categorical Exclusions, Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Statements) for airport or DOT related improvement projects
   • Strong verbal, written, and presentation skills
   • Working knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) is essential for use in completing assignments
   • Working knowledge of ESRI ArcGIS is desired
   • Ability to work in a collaborative, team environment and responsive to deadlines
   • Understanding of or strong interest in working in an airport/airfield environment
   • Demonstrated project management skills
   • Ability to work on multiple projects at one time
   • Desired Completed Coursework: ecology, geology, biology, water resources/hydrology, environmental regulation/law/policy, urban and regional planning, noise and air quality analyses, and stakeholder engagement/public outreach

   Benefits:

   • Holiday Pay
   • Paid Time Off
   • 401K
   • Medical and Dental
   • Click Here for Full Benefits Information

   #LI-PW1 Enviormental Consultant; NEPA; ESRI ArcGIS

   The Team

   Joining our Aviation team means an opportunity to explore your potential and apply your diverse skills to serve the large and small airports of the aviation industry as a trusted advisor. You can do this in a collaborative and team-oriented environment among other driven professionals. Service areas include airfields, buildings, facility planning, environmental planning, and environmental stewardship & resiliency. Join RS&H to define and master challenges, advance professionally, and build strong and lasting relationships.

   
   

   The Company

   RS&H provides fully integrated architecture, engineering, and consulting services to help clients realize their most complex facility and infrastructure projects for land, air, and space. We are committed to bringing extraordinary solutions to our clients through the promise of imagination, ingenuity, and innovation. With a tradition of excellence that began in 1941, we are consistently ranked among the nation's top 100 design firms. We attribute our success to an unwavering commitment to our core values of: integrity, quality service, business success and valuing associates.

   An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

   Pursuant to the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, RS&H will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories.

   Please view Equal Employment Opportunity Posters provided by OFCCP here.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right environmental consultant for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your environmental consultant job on Zippia to find and recruit environmental consultant 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 environmental consultants, 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 environmental consultant

   Once you've decided on a perfect environmental consultant candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new environmental consultant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 environmental consultant?