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Best states for an environmental program manager
Quoted expert
Murray Borrello
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for environmental program managers in the United States. Environmental program manager positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for environmental program managers.In order to help you decide which state is the best for environmental program managers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for environmental program manager jobs.
In order to get you the best states for environmental program managers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as an environmental program manager, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for environmental program managers in 2026
1. California
Total environmental program manager jobs: 5,147 Average annual salary: $107,496 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
2. Oregon
Total environmental program manager jobs: 708 Average annual salary: $88,613 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
3. District of Columbia
Total environmental program manager jobs: 478 Average annual salary: $88,829 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.97
4. Virginia
Total environmental program manager jobs: 1,592 Average annual salary: $86,407 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
5. West Virginia
Total environmental program manager jobs: 199 Average annual salary: $87,747 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
6. Connecticut
Total environmental program manager jobs: 650 Average annual salary: $78,643 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
7. Arizona
Total environmental program manager jobs: 896 Average annual salary: $80,697 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
8. Pennsylvania
Total environmental program manager jobs: 1,340 Average annual salary: $85,900 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
9. Texas
Total environmental program manager jobs: 2,509 Average annual salary: $81,465 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
10. Washington
Total environmental program manager jobs: 2,703 Average annual salary: $73,720 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 2.55
Environmental program manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an environmental program manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an environmental program manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $107,496 | $77,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,147 |
| 2 | Oregon | $88,613 | $62,000 | 4,142,776 | 708 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $88,829 | $63,000 | 693,972 | 478 |
| 4 | Virginia | $86,407 | $62,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,592 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $87,747 | $61,000 | 1,815,857 | 199 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $78,643 | $55,000 | 3,588,184 | 650 |
| 7 | Arizona | $80,697 | $57,000 | 7,016,270 | 896 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $85,900 | $60,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,340 |
| 9 | Texas | $81,465 | $57,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,509 |
| 10 | Washington | $73,720 | $51,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,703 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $83,173 | $68,000 | 1,427,538 | 150 |
| 12 | Nevada | $80,634 | $56,000 | 2,998,039 | 264 |
| 13 | New York | $75,667 | $53,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,448 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $79,613 | $57,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,163 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $76,585 | $53,000 | 2,088,070 | 297 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $83,483 | $58,000 | 4,684,333 | 298 |
| 17 | Alaska | $81,014 | $67,000 | 739,795 | 106 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $78,143 | $55,000 | 2,984,100 | 237 |
| 19 | Maryland | $78,433 | $56,000 | 6,052,177 | 872 |
| 20 | Idaho | $71,626 | $48,000 | 1,716,943 | 261 |
| 21 | Delaware | $70,827 | $50,000 | 961,939 | 193 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $72,560 | $50,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,271 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $71,153 | $50,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,278 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $74,180 | $51,000 | 3,930,864 | 292 |
| 25 | Alabama | $71,653 | $51,000 | 4,874,747 | 493 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $63,800 | $44,000 | 1,342,795 | 289 |
| 27 | Michigan | $64,422 | $43,000 | 9,962,311 | 955 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $66,856 | $47,000 | 6,715,984 | 582 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $61,480 | $43,000 | 3,004,279 | 348 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $58,153 | $39,000 | 579,315 | 118 |
| 31 | Utah | $60,482 | $41,000 | 3,101,833 | 521 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $64,087 | $44,000 | 4,454,189 | 374 |
| 33 | Georgia | $62,821 | $45,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,315 |
| 34 | Illinois | $61,355 | $41,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,661 |
| 35 | Colorado | $61,567 | $42,000 | 5,607,154 | 896 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $64,147 | $45,000 | 1,059,639 | 125 |
| 37 | Maine | $52,510 | $37,000 | 1,335,907 | 235 |
| 38 | Indiana | $60,999 | $41,000 | 6,666,818 | 682 |
| 39 | Montana | $50,385 | $34,000 | 1,050,493 | 215 |
| 40 | Kansas | $60,011 | $40,000 | 2,913,123 | 325 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $52,234 | $35,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,024 |
| 42 | Ohio | $57,617 | $39,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,147 |
| 43 | Florida | $57,440 | $41,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,962 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $50,554 | $34,000 | 1,920,076 | 342 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $60,166 | $43,000 | 5,024,369 | 401 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $51,187 | $34,000 | 5,795,483 | 739 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $42,964 | $30,000 | 755,393 | 160 |
| 48 | Iowa | $52,750 | $36,000 | 3,145,711 | 406 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $47,055 | $32,000 | 869,666 | 113 |
| 50 | Vermont | $49,979 | $34,000 | 623,657 | 61 |
| 51 | Missouri | $47,919 | $32,000 | 6,113,532 | 545 |
Highest paying states for environmental program managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Environmental Program Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $107,496 |
| 2 | Oregon | $88,613 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $88,829 |
| 4 | Virginia | $86,407 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $87,747 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $78,643 |
| 7 | Arizona | $80,697 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $85,900 |
| 9 | Texas | $81,465 |
| 10 | Washington | $73,720 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $83,173 |
| 12 | Nevada | $80,634 |
| 13 | New York | $75,667 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $79,613 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $76,585 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $83,483 |
| 17 | Alaska | $81,014 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $78,143 |
| 19 | Maryland | $78,433 |
| 20 | Idaho | $71,626 |
| 21 | Delaware | $70,827 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $72,560 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $71,153 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $74,180 |
| 25 | Alabama | $71,653 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $63,800 |
| 27 | Michigan | $64,422 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $66,856 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $61,480 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $58,153 |
| 31 | Utah | $60,482 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $64,087 |
| 33 | Georgia | $62,821 |
| 34 | Illinois | $61,355 |
| 35 | Colorado | $61,567 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $64,147 |
| 37 | Maine | $52,510 |
| 38 | Indiana | $60,999 |
| 39 | Montana | $50,385 |
| 40 | Kansas | $60,011 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $52,234 |
| 42 | Ohio | $57,617 |
| 43 | Florida | $57,440 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $50,554 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $60,166 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $51,187 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $42,964 |
| 48 | Iowa | $52,750 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $47,055 |
| 50 | Vermont | $49,979 |
| 51 | Missouri | $47,919 |
Expert opinions on the best states for environmental program managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for environmental program managers to find work opportunities?
Murray Borrello
Director and Chair, Alma College
I would say that this question may be asked, "are there any good places in the U.S. or good areas in the job market..." First, let's look at places...I am finding that students who are looking in areas that are "high-quality living" regions, like in the Rocky Mountains (Boulder, Denver, Colorado Springs) or coastal areas such as Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, San Francisco - there are jobs, but there is also a lot of competition for those jobs. Where openings occur changes quite a bit, depending on population migration and the area that the work entails. For example, if you are interested in water resources (finding water, water quality issues), the Plains States and Southwest U.S. is where you are likely to find work. Actually, larger communities anywhere along the Colorado or Rio Grande River systems are pretty good bets. But in general, the kind of work will determine where you find employment. My advice to students ready to graduate is this:
Make a list of areas you want to work in. The list should be divided into three tiers - where you absolutely would love to live, where you wouldn't mind living, and an area or region where the job dictates where you live. Remember, most "first" jobs are not long-term commitments. Employees move around a lot now.
But, for those graduates who are looking for work in 2021 - 2023, I would say that environmental health is going to be the area with the most positions. Anything that can be tied with the Coronavirus, tracking infections, general statistics, and epidemiology - these skill sets and knowledge will be hugely beneficial in getting employment. Even those students who are finishing up their senior year, it might be wise to explore environmental health classes or public health classes.
Environmental program manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025