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Best states for an environmental protection specialist
Quoted expert
Dorceta Taylor
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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- 41 - 51
Do you want to become an environmental protection specialist at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for environmental protection specialists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for environmental protection specialist jobs.
In order to get you the best states for environmental protection specialists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that District of Columbia is the best state for environmental protection specialist jobs, whereas Alabama is the worst.
10 best states for environmental protection specialists in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total environmental protection specialist jobs: 160 Average annual salary: $88,333 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
2. California
Total environmental protection specialist jobs: 2,870 Average annual salary: $81,340 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
3. Nevada
Total environmental protection specialist jobs: 236 Average annual salary: $68,424 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
4. Connecticut
Total environmental protection specialist jobs: 334 Average annual salary: $71,513 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
5. New York
Total environmental protection specialist jobs: 1,321 Average annual salary: $70,491 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
6. West Virginia
Total environmental protection specialist jobs: 142 Average annual salary: $67,149 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
7. Virginia
Total environmental protection specialist jobs: 843 Average annual salary: $72,950 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
8. Washington
Total environmental protection specialist jobs: 718 Average annual salary: $66,459 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
9. Massachusetts
Total environmental protection specialist jobs: 748 Average annual salary: $72,944 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
10. New Hampshire
Total environmental protection specialist jobs: 158 Average annual salary: $65,170 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
Environmental protection specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an environmental protection specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an environmental protection specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $88,333 | $55,000 | 693,972 | 160 |
| 2 | California | $81,340 | $52,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,870 |
| 3 | Nevada | $68,424 | $43,000 | 2,998,039 | 236 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $71,513 | $45,000 | 3,588,184 | 334 |
| 5 | New York | $70,491 | $44,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,321 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $67,149 | $42,000 | 1,815,857 | 142 |
| 7 | Virginia | $72,950 | $45,000 | 8,470,020 | 843 |
| 8 | Washington | $66,459 | $44,000 | 7,405,743 | 718 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $72,944 | $47,000 | 6,859,819 | 748 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $65,170 | $42,000 | 1,342,795 | 158 |
| 11 | Oregon | $64,519 | $42,000 | 4,142,776 | 401 |
| 12 | Idaho | $60,635 | $39,000 | 1,716,943 | 178 |
| 13 | Delaware | $65,989 | $41,000 | 961,939 | 112 |
| 14 | Maryland | $66,503 | $41,000 | 6,052,177 | 594 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $62,928 | $40,000 | 3,930,864 | 257 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $62,983 | $40,000 | 1,059,639 | 103 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $58,852 | $37,000 | 4,684,333 | 314 |
| 18 | Montana | $57,521 | $38,000 | 1,050,493 | 148 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $59,291 | $38,000 | 6,715,984 | 498 |
| 20 | Alaska | $56,877 | $46,000 | 739,795 | 139 |
| 21 | Ohio | $60,601 | $38,000 | 11,658,609 | 839 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $56,596 | $36,000 | 2,088,070 | 222 |
| 23 | Michigan | $60,389 | $38,000 | 9,962,311 | 640 |
| 24 | Colorado | $63,052 | $41,000 | 5,607,154 | 488 |
| 25 | Georgia | $59,184 | $37,000 | 10,429,379 | 921 |
| 26 | Kansas | $57,829 | $38,000 | 2,913,123 | 262 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $58,329 | $49,000 | 1,427,538 | 148 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $55,569 | $35,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,044 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $60,741 | $40,000 | 5,576,606 | 524 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $55,617 | $35,000 | 10,273,419 | 839 |
| 31 | Indiana | $57,238 | $37,000 | 6,666,818 | 496 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $58,577 | $37,000 | 9,005,644 | 669 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $48,754 | $32,000 | 579,315 | 89 |
| 34 | Arizona | $54,247 | $35,000 | 7,016,270 | 536 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $47,911 | $32,000 | 755,393 | 136 |
| 36 | Maine | $48,689 | $32,000 | 1,335,907 | 162 |
| 37 | Utah | $55,777 | $35,000 | 3,101,833 | 269 |
| 38 | Texas | $52,611 | $33,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,816 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $51,721 | $33,000 | 3,004,279 | 229 |
| 40 | Illinois | $57,207 | $37,000 | 12,802,023 | 936 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $49,332 | $32,000 | 5,795,483 | 512 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $52,000 | $33,000 | 2,984,100 | 177 |
| 43 | Vermont | $49,493 | $32,000 | 623,657 | 71 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $46,764 | $31,000 | 1,920,076 | 229 |
| 45 | Iowa | $44,724 | $29,000 | 3,145,711 | 393 |
| 46 | Missouri | $49,244 | $32,000 | 6,113,532 | 495 |
| 47 | Florida | $42,682 | $26,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,759 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $46,561 | $31,000 | 869,666 | 86 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $46,147 | $29,000 | 4,454,189 | 251 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $45,549 | $28,000 | 5,024,369 | 336 |
| 51 | Alabama | $42,385 | $27,000 | 4,874,747 | 360 |
Highest paying states for environmental protection specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Environmental Protection Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $88,333 |
| 2 | California | $81,340 |
| 3 | Nevada | $68,424 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $71,513 |
| 5 | New York | $70,491 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $67,149 |
| 7 | Virginia | $72,950 |
| 8 | Washington | $66,459 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $72,944 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $65,170 |
| 11 | Oregon | $64,519 |
| 12 | Idaho | $60,635 |
| 13 | Delaware | $65,989 |
| 14 | Maryland | $66,503 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $62,928 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $62,983 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $58,852 |
| 18 | Montana | $57,521 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $59,291 |
| 20 | Alaska | $56,877 |
| 21 | Ohio | $60,601 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $56,596 |
| 23 | Michigan | $60,389 |
| 24 | Colorado | $63,052 |
| 25 | Georgia | $59,184 |
| 26 | Kansas | $57,829 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $58,329 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $55,569 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $60,741 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $55,617 |
| 31 | Indiana | $57,238 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $58,577 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $48,754 |
| 34 | Arizona | $54,247 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $47,911 |
| 36 | Maine | $48,689 |
| 37 | Utah | $55,777 |
| 38 | Texas | $52,611 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $51,721 |
| 40 | Illinois | $57,207 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $49,332 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $52,000 |
| 43 | Vermont | $49,493 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $46,764 |
| 45 | Iowa | $44,724 |
| 46 | Missouri | $49,244 |
| 47 | Florida | $42,682 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $46,561 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $46,147 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $45,549 |
| 51 | Alabama | $42,385 |
Expert opinions on the best states for environmental protection specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for environmental protection specialists to find work opportunities?
Dorceta Taylor
Professor of Environmental Justice, Yale University professor
Traditionally, students have been able to find jobs in the Boston-Northern Virginia corridor, in the Southeast, in urban parts of the Midwest, and in the Pacific region. These areas will continue to be places where environmental jobs are found.
Environmental protection specialist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025