Best states for an environmental planner

Q: What is the best state for environmental planners?

The best state to be an environmental planner is Virginia based on environmental planner salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for environmental planners?

The highest paying state for environmental planners is Florida based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for environmental planners?

The worst state for environmental planners is Missouri, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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It seems like environmental planners are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for environmental planners aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Our research found that Virginia is the best state for environmental planners, while West Virginia and California are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Virginia has a median salary of $83,956 and West Virginia has the highest median salary among all 50 states for environmental planners.

To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for environmental planners.Virginia is the best state, and Morgantown is the city with the highest pay for environmental planners.

10 best states for environmental planners in 2026

1. Virginia
Total environmental planner jobs: 484
Average annual salary: $83,956
Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000
Location Quotient:
1.2
Environmental planner jobs in Virginia
2. Connecticut
Total environmental planner jobs: 229
Average annual salary: $82,321
Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000
Location Quotient:
1.61
Environmental planner jobs in Connecticut
3. Massachusetts
Total environmental planner jobs: 450
Average annual salary: $82,938
Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000
Location Quotient:
1.14
Environmental planner jobs in Massachusetts
4. West Virginia
Total environmental planner jobs: 52
Average annual salary: $88,323
Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000
Location Quotient:
0.79
Environmental planner jobs in West Virginia
5. California
Total environmental planner jobs: 1,521
Average annual salary: $86,871
Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000
Location Quotient:
1.21
Environmental planner jobs in California
6. New Hampshire
Total environmental planner jobs: 85
Average annual salary: $79,248
Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000
Location Quotient:
1.13
Environmental planner jobs in New Hampshire
7. District of Columbia
Total environmental planner jobs: 94
Average annual salary: $87,535
Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000
Location Quotient:
1.3
Environmental planner jobs in District of Columbia
8. Washington
Total environmental planner jobs: 369
Average annual salary: $80,594
Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000
Location Quotient:
1.18
Environmental planner jobs in Washington
9. Oregon
Total environmental planner jobs: 147
Average annual salary: $83,862
Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000
Location Quotient:
0.83
Environmental planner jobs in Oregon
10. Colorado
Total environmental planner jobs: 229
Average annual salary: $81,061
Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000
Location Quotient:
0.9
Environmental planner jobs in Colorado

Environmental planner jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be an environmental planner

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for an environmental planner

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Virginia	$83,956	$61,000	8,470,020	484
2	Connecticut	$82,321	$59,000	3,588,184	229
3	Massachusetts	$82,938	$60,000	6,859,819	450
4	West Virginia	$88,323	$64,000	1,815,857	52
5	California	$86,871	$63,000	39,536,653	1,521
6	New Hampshire	$79,248	$58,000	1,342,795	85
7	District of Columbia	$87,535	$63,000	693,972	94
8	Washington	$80,594	$60,000	7,405,743	369
9	Oregon	$83,862	$62,000	4,142,776	147
10	Colorado	$81,061	$59,000	5,607,154	229
11	Idaho	$79,877	$59,000	1,716,943	48
12	North Carolina	$76,453	$55,000	10,273,419	376
13	Texas	$77,323	$56,000	28,304,596	741
14	New York	$77,565	$56,000	19,849,399	812
15	Louisiana	$79,344	$57,000	4,684,333	75
16	Maine	$72,708	$53,000	1,335,907	93
17	Alaska	$74,529	$59,000	739,795	64
18	Michigan	$75,182	$55,000	9,962,311	254
19	Arizona	$74,822	$54,000	7,016,270	221
20	Nevada	$72,937	$52,000	2,998,039	92
21	Wyoming	$75,504	$55,000	579,315	15
22	Mississippi	$75,086	$54,000	2,984,100	58
23	Maryland	$77,802	$56,000	6,052,177	295
24	Oklahoma	$74,883	$54,000	3,930,864	69
25	Minnesota	$72,198	$53,000	5,576,606	313
26	New Mexico	$72,401	$52,000	2,088,070	74
27	Illinois	$73,451	$54,000	12,802,023	459
28	Iowa	$67,890	$49,000	3,145,711	180
29	Hawaii	$71,165	$56,000	1,427,538	57
30	New Jersey	$71,817	$52,000	9,005,644	341
31	Pennsylvania	$66,744	$48,000	12,805,537	559
32	Indiana	$67,383	$49,000	6,666,818	246
33	Alabama	$68,691	$49,000	4,874,747	130
34	Tennessee	$66,168	$48,000	6,715,984	211
35	Kansas	$68,842	$50,000	2,913,123	87
36	Wisconsin	$64,924	$47,000	5,795,483	294
37	Nebraska	$65,333	$48,000	1,920,076	110
38	Rhode Island	$69,136	$50,000	1,059,639	43
39	North Dakota	$62,474	$46,000	755,393	78
40	Vermont	$69,395	$50,000	623,657	25
41	Montana	$69,691	$52,000	1,050,493	27
42	Delaware	$70,460	$51,000	961,939	28
43	Ohio	$61,443	$45,000	11,658,609	404
44	Kentucky	$65,354	$47,000	4,454,189	119
45	South Dakota	$65,734	$48,000	869,666	19
46	Arkansas	$61,349	$44,000	3,004,279	95
47	Utah	$62,223	$45,000	3,101,833	106
48	Florida	$53,230	$37,000	20,984,400	648
49	South Carolina	$57,215	$41,000	5,024,369	167
50	Georgia	$59,914	$43,000	10,429,379	370
51	Missouri	$54,125	$39,000	6,113,532	194

Highest paying states for environmental planners

Rank	State	Avg. Environmental Planner Salary
1	Virginia	$83,956
2	Connecticut	$82,321
3	Massachusetts	$82,938
4	West Virginia	$88,323
5	California	$86,871
6	New Hampshire	$79,248
7	District of Columbia	$87,535
8	Washington	$80,594
9	Oregon	$83,862
10	Colorado	$81,061
11	Idaho	$79,877
12	North Carolina	$76,453
13	Texas	$77,323
14	New York	$77,565
15	Louisiana	$79,344
16	Maine	$72,708
17	Alaska	$74,529
18	Michigan	$75,182
19	Arizona	$74,822
20	Nevada	$72,937
21	Wyoming	$75,504
22	Mississippi	$75,086
23	Maryland	$77,802
24	Oklahoma	$74,883
25	Minnesota	$72,198
26	New Mexico	$72,401
27	Illinois	$73,451
28	Iowa	$67,890
29	Hawaii	$71,165
30	New Jersey	$71,817
31	Pennsylvania	$66,744
32	Indiana	$67,383
33	Alabama	$68,691
34	Tennessee	$66,168
35	Kansas	$68,842
36	Wisconsin	$64,924
37	Nebraska	$65,333
38	Rhode Island	$69,136
39	North Dakota	$62,474
40	Vermont	$69,395
41	Montana	$69,691
42	Delaware	$70,460
43	Ohio	$61,443
44	Kentucky	$65,354
45	South Dakota	$65,734
46	Arkansas	$61,349
47	Utah	$62,223
48	Florida	$53,230
49	South Carolina	$57,215
50	Georgia	$59,914
51	Missouri	$54,125

Environmental planner best states FAQs

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What is the highest paying state for environmental planners?

What is the worst state for environmental planners?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

Search for environmental planner jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total environmental planner jobs:	484
Average annual salary:	$83,956
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$61,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$115,000
Location Quotient:	1.2

Best states for an environmental planner

10 best states for environmental planners in 2026

1. Virginia

2. Connecticut

3. Massachusetts

4. West Virginia

5. California

6. New Hampshire

7. District of Columbia

8. Washington

9. Oregon

10. Colorado