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Best states for an environmental, safety, & health engineer
Quoted expert
Murray Borrello
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for environmental, safety, & health engineers? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for environmental, safety, & health engineer jobs.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, safety, & health engineer jobs.
We figured that the best places for environmental, safety, & health engineer jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.California is the best state, and Lake Charles is the city with the highest pay for environmental, safety, & health engineers.
10 best states for environmental, safety, & health engineers in 2025
1. California
Total environmental, safety, & health engineer jobs: 5,468 Average annual salary: $82,421 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
2. Louisiana
Total environmental, safety, & health engineer jobs: 488 Average annual salary: $88,437 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
3. District of Columbia
Total environmental, safety, & health engineer jobs: 342 Average annual salary: $82,616 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
4. Ohio
Total environmental, safety, & health engineer jobs: 1,561 Average annual salary: $79,279 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
5. North Dakota
Total environmental, safety, & health engineer jobs: 160 Average annual salary: $74,763 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
6. Arkansas
Total environmental, safety, & health engineer jobs: 475 Average annual salary: $69,331 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
7. Texas
Total environmental, safety, & health engineer jobs: 2,616 Average annual salary: $74,322 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
8. Connecticut
Total environmental, safety, & health engineer jobs: 281 Average annual salary: $79,176 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 0.64
9. Michigan
Total environmental, safety, & health engineer jobs: 1,588 Average annual salary: $66,652 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.55
10. Pennsylvania
Total environmental, safety, & health engineer jobs: 666 Average annual salary: $79,436 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 0.43
Environmental, safety, & health engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an environmental, safety, & health engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an environmental, safety, & health engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $82,421 | $58,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,468 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $88,437 | $58,000 | 4,684,333 | 488 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $82,616 | $58,000 | 693,972 | 342 |
| 4 | Ohio | $79,279 | $55,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,561 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $74,763 | $53,000 | 755,393 | 160 |
| 6 | Arkansas | $69,331 | $48,000 | 3,004,279 | 475 |
| 7 | Texas | $74,322 | $50,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,616 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $79,176 | $56,000 | 3,588,184 | 281 |
| 9 | Michigan | $66,652 | $47,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,588 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $79,436 | $56,000 | 12,805,537 | 666 |
| 11 | Alabama | $67,869 | $45,000 | 4,874,747 | 759 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $72,701 | $51,000 | 1,342,795 | 215 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $75,566 | $53,000 | 6,859,819 | 735 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $66,621 | $47,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,243 |
| 15 | New York | $76,713 | $54,000 | 19,849,399 | 883 |
| 16 | Maryland | $69,505 | $49,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,111 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $73,174 | $50,000 | 2,088,070 | 119 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $72,131 | $50,000 | 6,715,984 | 284 |
| 19 | Colorado | $69,847 | $49,000 | 5,607,154 | 847 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $65,198 | $46,000 | 579,315 | 95 |
| 21 | Virginia | $68,248 | $47,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,490 |
| 22 | Vermont | $69,228 | $49,000 | 623,657 | 53 |
| 23 | Oregon | $71,283 | $52,000 | 4,142,776 | 281 |
| 24 | Indiana | $58,875 | $41,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,360 |
| 25 | Washington | $62,109 | $46,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,532 |
| 26 | Arizona | $61,464 | $43,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,002 |
| 27 | Nevada | $64,284 | $44,000 | 2,998,039 | 253 |
| 28 | Idaho | $59,974 | $43,000 | 1,716,943 | 297 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $59,079 | $41,000 | 4,454,189 | 587 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $64,239 | $52,000 | 1,427,538 | 150 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $57,565 | $39,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,746 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $68,765 | $49,000 | 9,005,644 | 507 |
| 33 | Delaware | $62,235 | $44,000 | 961,939 | 179 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $60,136 | $41,000 | 3,930,864 | 436 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $59,657 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 282 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $59,672 | $42,000 | 1,059,639 | 153 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $55,986 | $37,000 | 5,024,369 | 768 |
| 38 | Missouri | $55,407 | $39,000 | 6,113,532 | 993 |
| 39 | Kansas | $55,707 | $39,000 | 2,913,123 | 416 |
| 40 | Iowa | $54,413 | $38,000 | 3,145,711 | 617 |
| 41 | Illinois | $61,091 | $43,000 | 12,802,023 | 756 |
| 42 | Alaska | $58,440 | $50,000 | 739,795 | 89 |
| 43 | Florida | $59,591 | $38,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,220 |
| 44 | Utah | $55,466 | $39,000 | 3,101,833 | 359 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $53,786 | $38,000 | 869,666 | 110 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $50,196 | $35,000 | 5,795,483 | 928 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $50,389 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 297 |
| 48 | Georgia | $52,716 | $35,000 | 10,429,379 | 714 |
| 49 | Maine | $51,182 | $36,000 | 1,335,907 | 136 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $50,516 | $35,000 | 1,815,857 | 92 |
| 51 | Montana | $51,632 | $37,000 | 1,050,493 | 63 |
Highest paying states for environmental, safety, & health engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Environmental, Safety, & Health Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $82,421 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $88,437 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $82,616 |
| 4 | Ohio | $79,279 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $74,763 |
| 6 | Arkansas | $69,331 |
| 7 | Texas | $74,322 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $79,176 |
| 9 | Michigan | $66,652 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $79,436 |
| 11 | Alabama | $67,869 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $72,701 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $75,566 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $66,621 |
| 15 | New York | $76,713 |
| 16 | Maryland | $69,505 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $73,174 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $72,131 |
| 19 | Colorado | $69,847 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $65,198 |
| 21 | Virginia | $68,248 |
| 22 | Vermont | $69,228 |
| 23 | Oregon | $71,283 |
| 24 | Indiana | $58,875 |
| 25 | Washington | $62,109 |
| 26 | Arizona | $61,464 |
| 27 | Nevada | $64,284 |
| 28 | Idaho | $59,974 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $59,079 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $64,239 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $57,565 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $68,765 |
| 33 | Delaware | $62,235 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $60,136 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $59,657 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $59,672 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $55,986 |
| 38 | Missouri | $55,407 |
| 39 | Kansas | $55,707 |
| 40 | Iowa | $54,413 |
| 41 | Illinois | $61,091 |
| 42 | Alaska | $58,440 |
| 43 | Florida | $59,591 |
| 44 | Utah | $55,466 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $53,786 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $50,196 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $50,389 |
| 48 | Georgia | $52,716 |
| 49 | Maine | $51,182 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $50,516 |
| 51 | Montana | $51,632 |
Expert opinions on the best states for environmental, safety, & health engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for environmental, safety, & health engineers 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, safety, & health engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025