Environmental scientist demographics and statistics in the US
Environmental scientist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates environmental scientist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our environmental scientist estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about environmental scientists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 71,661 environmental scientists currently employed in the United States.
- 38.3% of all environmental scientists are women, while 61.7% are men.
- The average environmental scientist age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of environmental scientists is White (81.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.2%), Asian (5.0%) and Unknown (3.7%).
- Environmental scientists are most in-demand in Saint Paul, MN.
- The technology industry is the highest-paying for environmental scientists.
- Novato, CA pays an annual average wage of $85,764, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women environmental scientists earned 95% of what men earned.
- 16% of all environmental scientists are LGBT.
- Oregon is the best state for environmental scientists to live.
- Environmental scientists are 62% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Environmental scientist demographics by:
Environmental scientist gender statistics
38.3% of environmental scientists are women and 61.7% of environmental scientists are men.
- Male, 61.7%
- Female, 38.3%
Environmental scientist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 61.7% |
| Female | 38.3% |
Environmental scientist gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$64,501
Female income
$60,958
Environmental scientist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in environmental scientist positions over time. Currently, 38.3% of environmental scientists are female.
Environmental scientist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 77.96% | 22.04% |
| 2011 | 77.48% | 22.52% |
| 2012 | 75.94% | 24.06% |
| 2013 | 74.98% | 25.02% |
| 2014 | 76.48% | 23.52% |
| 2015 | 75.61% | 24.39% |
| 2016 | 75.60% | 24.40% |
| 2017 | 74.19% | 25.81% |
| 2018 | 64.90% | 35.10% |
| 2019 | 63.89% | 36.11% |
| 2020 | 58.07% | 41.93% |
| 2021 | 61.67% | 38.33% |
Environmental scientist related jobs gender ratio
We compared environmental scientists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, seismologist and optical scientist have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Aerologist | 11% | 89% |
| Senior Advocate | 33% | 67% |
| Environmental Scientist | 62% | 38% |
| Remote Sensing Engineer | 91% | 9% |
| Optical Scientist | 91% | 9% |
| Seismologist | 94% | 6% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Environmental scientist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among environmental scientists is White, which makes up 81.2% of all environmental scientists. Comparatively, 6.2% of environmental scientists are Hispanic or Latino and 5.0% of environmental scientists are Asian.
- White, 81.2%
- Hispanic or Latino, 6.2%
- Asian, 5.0%
- Unknown, 3.7%
- Black or African American, 3.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
Environmental scientist race
| Environmental scientist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 81.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.2% |
| Asian | 5.0% |
| Unknown | 3.7% |
| Black or African American | 3.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
Environmental scientist race and ethnicity over time
See how environmental scientist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Environmental scientist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 87.92% | 2.19% | 4.14% | 4.83% |
| 2011 | 86.57% | 2.32% | 4.52% | 3.91% |
| 2012 | 88.20% | 2.45% | 2.90% | 3.45% |
| 2013 | 86.52% | 1.71% | 4.43% | 4.63% |
| 2014 | 86.51% | 2.09% | 5.70% | 3.37% |
| 2015 | 87.11% | 2.47% | 5.27% | 3.03% |
| 2016 | 87.67% | 2.26% | 3.70% | 4.42% |
| 2017 | 86.70% | 2.20% | 4.07% | 4.95% |
| 2018 | 83.82% | 2.74% | 4.93% | 6.30% |
| 2019 | 86.81% | 1.28% | 3.62% | 4.68% |
| 2020 | 79.69% | 2.83% | 5.40% | 4.88% |
| 2021 | 81.24% | 3.09% | 5.03% | 6.19% |
Environmental scientist wage gap by race
According to our data, black or african american environmental scientists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White environmental scientists have the lowest average salary at $62,737.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $64,405 |
| White | $62,737 |
| Black or African American | $66,326 |
| Asian | $64,899 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $64,191 |
Average environmental scientist age
See how the average age of environmental scientists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Environmental scientist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| White | 37 | 36 |
| Black or African American | 40 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 | 34 |
Environmental scientist age breakdown
The average age of environmental scientists is 40+ years years old, representing 44% of the environmental scientist population.
Environmental scientist age breakdown
| Environmental Scientist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 44% |
| 30-40 years | 36% |
| 20-30 years | 20% |
Environmental scientist educational attainment
The most common degree for environmental scientists is bachelor's degree, with 81% of environmental scientists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 5%.
- Bachelor's, 81%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Environmental scientists by degree level
| Environmental scientist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 81% |
| Master's | 12% |
| Associate | 5% |
| Doctorate | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Environmental scientist jobs you might like
Environmental scientist wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $66,904 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,031 |
Environmental scientist employment statistics
Most environmental scientists work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where environmental scientists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where environmental scientists work.
Environmental scientist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 19% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 30% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 11% |
Environmental scientist jobs by company type
Employees with the environmental scientist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most environmental scientists prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Environmental scientist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 14% |
| Private | 62% |
| Government | 23% |
Environmental scientist jobs by industry
The most common industries for environmental scientists are professional, government and technology.
Environmental scientist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 28% |
| Government | 22% |
| Technology | 11% |
| Construction | 8% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Energy | 4% |
| Utilities | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
Environmental scientist turnover and employment statistics
Environmental scientist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for environmental scientists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Environmental scientist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Environmental scientist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.40% |
| 2011 | 3.59% |
| 2012 | 2.76% |
| 2013 | 3.54% |
| 2014 | 2.58% |
| 2015 | 3.12% |
| 2016 | 2.97% |
| 2017 | 2.32% |
| 2018 | 2.11% |
| 2019 | 1.69% |
| 2020 | 2.00% |
| 2021 | 1.74% |
Average environmental scientist tenure
The average environmental scientist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 5,380 environmental scientists resumes in Zippia's database.
Environmental scientist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 16% |
| 1-2 years | 37% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 10% |
Environmental scientist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of environmental scientists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Geophysicist | 4.45% | 287 |
| Food Chemist | 5.26% | 61,028 |
| Remote Sensing Scientist | 8.32% | 59,563 |
| Environmental Scientist | 15.61% | - |
Similar environmental scientist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Geophysicist | 4.45% | 287 |
| Food Chemist | 5.26% | 61,028 |
| Remote Sensing Scientist | 8.32% | 59,563 |
Foreign languages spoken by environmental scientists
The most common foreign language among environmental scientists is Spanish at 52.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 13.2% and German is the third-most popular at 4.7%.
- Spanish, 52.1%
- French, 13.2%
- German, 4.7%
- Italian, 4.7%
- Arabic, 3.2%
- Other, 22.1%
Environmental scientist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 52.1% |
| French | 13.2% |
| German | 4.7% |
| Italian | 4.7% |
| Arabic | 3.2% |
| Other | 22.1% |
