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Environmental engineer salary
Average environmental engineer salary
$75,718
Understanding Environmental Engineer Salaries
The salary of an environmental engineer can vary based on multiple factors. In October 2025, the average annual salary stands at $75,718. This figure reflects the importance of the role in addressing environmental challenges, such as pollution control and sustainable resource management.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions typically offer lower salaries, while seasoned professionals can earn significantly more. For instance, engineers with over ten years of experience may see salaries exceeding $90,000.
Top Paying States
Geographical location also plays a vital role in determining salary. States known for high demand, like California and Texas, often offer competitive salaries. Research indicates that environmental engineers in these states earn up to $95,000 annually.
Job Opportunities
With a growing focus on sustainability, job prospects for environmental engineers are expected to increase. Industries including construction, consulting, and governmental agencies are actively seeking skilled professionals to lead environmental initiatives.
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Where can an Environmental Engineer earn more?
Environmental engineer salaries by experience level
Environmental engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average environmental engineer salary by state
The average environmental engineer salary in Louisiana, California, and Texas are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average environmental engineer salary states are Maine, Montana, and Vermont.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for environmental engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $83,734 | $40.26 |
| 2 | California | $87,258 | $41.95 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $85,428 | $41.07 |
| 4 | Texas | $86,167 | $41.43 |
| 5 | Arizona | $75,696 | $36.39 |
| 6 | Oregon | $75,357 | $36.23 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $84,570 | $40.66 |
| 8 | Virginia | $73,179 | $35.18 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $73,116 | $35.15 |
| 10 | Maryland | $75,608 | $36.35 |
| 11 | Louisiana | $87,885 | $42.25 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $79,038 | $38.00 |
| 13 | Nevada | $75,739 | $36.41 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $76,764 | $36.91 |
| 15 | Washington | $67,603 | $32.50 |
| 16 | Florida | $69,592 | $33.46 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $69,593 | $33.46 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $71,764 | $34.50 |
| 19 | Delaware | $68,047 | $32.71 |
| 20 | Alabama | $70,155 | $33.73 |
| 21 | New York | $67,917 | $32.65 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $71,481 | $34.37 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $66,881 | $32.15 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $69,166 | $33.25 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $66,030 | $31.75 |
| 26 | Michigan | $61,413 | $29.53 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $64,940 | $31.22 |
| 28 | Georgia | $63,780 | $30.66 |
| 29 | Idaho | $62,804 | $30.19 |
| 30 | Colorado | $60,053 | $28.87 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $59,564 | $28.64 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $62,011 | $29.81 |
| 33 | Ohio | $56,281 | $27.06 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $55,243 | $26.56 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $59,105 | $28.42 |
| 36 | Illinois | $58,322 | $28.04 |
| 37 | Maine | $49,271 | $23.69 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | $59,092 | $28.41 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $57,870 | $27.82 |
| 40 | Kansas | $57,388 | $27.59 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $49,806 | $23.95 |
| 42 | Indiana | $51,953 | $24.98 |
| 43 | Utah | $52,867 | $25.42 |
| 44 | Iowa | $51,668 | $24.84 |
| 45 | Minnesota | $50,389 | $24.23 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $43,274 | $20.80 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $49,361 | $23.73 |
| 48 | Montana | $49,067 | $23.59 |
| 49 | Vermont | $47,462 | $22.82 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $46,909 | $22.55 |
| 51 | Missouri | $44,515 | $21.40 |
Highest paying cities for environmental engineers
The highest-paying cities for environmental engineers are San Francisco, CA, New Orleans, LA, and Pasadena, TX.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $90,583 | $43.55 |
| 2 | New Orleans, LA | $88,542 | $42.57 |
| 3 | Pasadena, TX | $87,873 | $42.25 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $85,437 | $41.08 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $75,606 | $36.35 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $75,555 | $36.32 |
| 7 | Portland, OR | $73,098 | $35.14 |
| 8 | Richmond, VA | $72,975 | $35.08 |
| 9 | Albuquerque, NM | $71,196 | $34.23 |
| 10 | Miami, FL | $70,315 | $33.81 |
| 11 | Edison, NJ | $69,442 | $33.39 |
| 12 | New York, NY | $69,175 | $33.26 |
| 13 | Seattle, WA | $68,530 | $32.95 |
| 14 | Pittsburgh, PA | $67,214 | $32.31 |
| 15 | Raleigh, NC | $66,608 | $32.02 |
| 16 | Boston, MA | $66,489 | $31.97 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $63,360 | $30.46 |
| 18 | Detroit, MI | $62,417 | $30.01 |
| 19 | Denver, CO | $59,554 | $28.63 |
| 20 | Chicago, IL | $58,338 | $28.05 |
Environmental engineer salary details
An environmental engineer's salary ranges from $58,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $98,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an environmental engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $98,000 | $8,167 | $47 |
| 75th Percentile | $86,000 | $7,167 | $41 |
| Average | $75,718 | $6,310 | $36 |
| 25th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
Highest paying environmental engineer jobs
The highest paying types of environmental engineers are engineer, chemical engineer, and environmental health safety manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Project Coordinator | $73,371 | $6,114 | $35.27 | 112,985 |
| Engineering Coordinator | $57,153 | $4,763 | $27.48 | 68,514 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Chemical Engineer | $89,449 | $7,454 | $43.00 | 42,176 |
| Environmental Health Safety Manager | $85,594 | $7,133 | $41.15 | 76,277 |
| Project Engineer | $75,050 | $6,254 | $36.08 | 176,689 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for environmental engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Shannon Farrell Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Top companies hiring environmental engineers now:
Which companies pay environmental engineers the most?
Environmental engineer salaries at Google and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average environmental engineer salary at companies like ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66 are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $127,909 | $61.49 | |
| 2 | Apple | $116,329 | $55.93 |
| 3 | ConocoPhillips | $107,780 | $51.82 |
| 4 | Phillips 66 | $107,024 | $51.45 |
| 5 | Chevron | $105,681 | $50.81 |
| 6 | Exxon Mobil | $103,032 | $49.53 |
| 7 | Azul | $99,134 | $47.66 |
| 8 | Intel | $98,497 | $47.35 |
| 9 | CF Industries | $97,599 | $46.92 |
| 10 | FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies | $96,159 | $46.23 |
| 11 | C.C. FORBES LLC | $95,667 | $45.99 |
| 12 | Eli Lilly and Company | $95,628 | $45.98 |
| 13 | Applied Materials | $95,108 | $45.73 |
| 14 | Cargill | $94,968 | $45.66 |
| 15 | PBF Energy | $94,134 | $45.26 |
| 16 | CVR Energy | $93,983 | $45.18 |
| 17 | Bayer | $93,664 | $45.03 |
| 18 | Lord & Taylor | $93,362 | $44.89 |
| 19 | Micron Technology | $93,354 | $44.88 |
| 20 | Occidental Petroleum | $91,759 | $44.11 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Environmental Engineer salary by industry
The average environmental engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average environmental engineer salary in the energy industry is $85,138, the highest of any industry.
- The average environmental engineer salary in the finance industry is $77,266.
- Environmental engineers in the government industry earn an average salary of $61,043, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for environmental engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $85,138 | $40.93 |
| 2 | Construction | $77,266 | $37.15 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $77,099 | $37.07 |
| 4 | Technology | $76,893 | $36.97 |
| 5 | Professional | $75,214 | $36.16 |
| 6 | Hospitality | $73,124 | $35.16 |
| 7 | Government | $61,043 | $29.35 |
High paying environmental engineer jobs
Environmental engineer salary trends
The average environmental engineer salary has risen by $10,743 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average environmental engineer earned $64,975 annually, but today, they earn $75,718 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for environmental engineers over the last decade.
Compare environmental engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average environmental engineer salary over time
Compare environmental engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Environmental engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $75,700 | $36.40 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $73,000 | $35.11 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $72,000 | $34.62 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | $71,300 | $34.30 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $69,800 | $33.55 | +0.4% |
Recently added environmental engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windstream Communications | Environmental Engineer II | Juneau, AK | 06/30/2025 | $63,400 |
| Windstream Communications | Environmental Permitting Engineer II | Charleston, WV | 06/30/2025 | $63,400 |
| Windstream Communications | Permitting Environmental Engineer II | Concord, NH | 06/30/2025 | $63,400 |
| Windstream Communications | Environmental Permitting Engineer II | Montgomery, AL | 06/30/2025 | $63,400 |
| Windstream Communications | Permitting Environmental Engineer II | Little Rock, AR | 06/30/2025 | $63,400 |
| Windstream Communications | Environmental Engineer II, Permitting | Helena, MT | 06/30/2025 | $63,400 |
| Windstream Communications | Environmental Permitting Engineer II | Providence, RI | 06/30/2025 | $63,400 |
| Windstream Communications | Permitting Environmental Engineer II | Dover, DE | 06/30/2025 | $63,400 |
| Windstream Communications | Environmental Engineer II-Permitting and Compliance | Washington, DC | 06/30/2025 | $63,400 |
| Windstream Communications | Permitting Environmental Engineer II | Pierre, SD | 06/30/2025 | $63,400 |
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