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Environmental planner salary
Average environmental planner salary
$71,174
Understanding Environmental Planner Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for an Environmental Planner stands at $71,174 per year. This figure can reflect variations based on factors like geographic location, level of experience, and industry specialization. For instance, Environmental Planners with several years of experience may command higher salaries compared to entry-level positions.
In terms of location, states such as California and New York frequently offer more competitive compensation due to higher living costs and demand for environmental expertise. Additionally, job roles that focus on regulatory compliance or impact assessments may provide salary enhancements.
Job Opportunities and Growth
Environmental planning is a growing field, with opportunities in both the public and private sectors. Organizations often seek professionals who can navigate environmental regulations and contribute to sustainable development projects. As awareness of climate change and environmental issues rises, the demand for skilled Environmental Planners is expected to increase.
To maximize earning potential, consider pursuing advanced certifications or specializations within the field. Investing in your education and skills can lead to better job prospects and salary advancements.
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Where can an Environmental Planner earn more?
Environmental planner salaries by experience level
Environmental planner salary estimates from across the web
Average environmental planner salary by state
The highest-paying states for environmental planners are West Virginia, California, and Virginia. The lowest average environmental planner salary states are Ohio, Arkansas, and Georgia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for environmental planners
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $83,956 | $40.36 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $82,321 | $39.58 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $82,938 | $39.87 |
| 4 | West Virginia | $88,323 | $42.46 |
| 5 | California | $86,871 | $41.76 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $79,248 | $38.10 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $87,535 | $42.08 |
| 8 | Washington | $80,594 | $38.75 |
| 9 | Oregon | $83,862 | $40.32 |
| 10 | Colorado | $81,061 | $38.97 |
| 11 | Idaho | $79,877 | $38.40 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $76,453 | $36.76 |
| 13 | Texas | $77,323 | $37.17 |
| 14 | New York | $77,565 | $37.29 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $79,344 | $38.15 |
| 16 | Maine | $72,708 | $34.96 |
| 17 | Alaska | $74,529 | $35.83 |
| 18 | Michigan | $75,182 | $36.15 |
| 19 | Arizona | $74,822 | $35.97 |
| 20 | Nevada | $72,937 | $35.07 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $75,504 | $36.30 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $75,086 | $36.10 |
| 23 | Maryland | $77,802 | $37.40 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $74,883 | $36.00 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $72,198 | $34.71 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $72,401 | $34.81 |
| 27 | Illinois | $73,451 | $35.31 |
| 28 | Iowa | $67,890 | $32.64 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $71,165 | $34.21 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $71,817 | $34.53 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $66,744 | $32.09 |
| 32 | Indiana | $67,383 | $32.40 |
| 33 | Alabama | $68,691 | $33.02 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $66,168 | $31.81 |
| 35 | Kansas | $68,842 | $33.10 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $64,924 | $31.21 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $65,333 | $31.41 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | $69,136 | $33.24 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $62,474 | $30.04 |
| 40 | Vermont | $69,395 | $33.36 |
| 41 | Montana | $69,691 | $33.51 |
| 42 | Delaware | $70,460 | $33.88 |
| 43 | Ohio | $61,443 | $29.54 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $65,354 | $31.42 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $65,734 | $31.60 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $61,349 | $29.49 |
| 47 | Utah | $62,223 | $29.91 |
| 48 | Florida | $53,230 | $25.59 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $57,215 | $27.51 |
| 50 | Georgia | $59,914 | $28.80 |
| 51 | Missouri | $54,125 | $26.02 |
Highest paying cities for environmental planners
The highest-paying cities for environmental planners are San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, and Portland, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $89,211 | $42.89 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $87,621 | $42.13 |
| 3 | Portland, OR | $83,492 | $40.14 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $82,818 | $39.82 |
| 5 | Vancouver, WA | $81,998 | $39.42 |
| 6 | Denver, CO | $81,012 | $38.95 |
| 7 | Concord, NH | $78,781 | $37.88 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $77,851 | $37.43 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $77,812 | $37.41 |
| 10 | Oklahoma City, OK | $75,017 | $36.07 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $74,810 | $35.97 |
| 12 | Lansing, MI | $74,793 | $35.96 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $73,647 | $35.41 |
| 14 | Albuquerque, NM | $72,276 | $34.75 |
| 15 | Minneapolis, MN | $72,222 | $34.72 |
| 16 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $71,219 | $34.24 |
| 17 | Overland Park, KS | $68,690 | $33.02 |
| 18 | Des Moines, IA | $67,756 | $32.58 |
| 19 | Indianapolis, IN | $67,248 | $32.33 |
| 20 | Harrisburg, PA | $66,704 | $32.07 |
Environmental planner salary details
An environmental planner's salary ranges from $52,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $95,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an environmental planner's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
| 75th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| Average | $71,174 | $5,931 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
| 10th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
Highest paying environmental planner jobs
The highest paying types of environmental planners are senior environmental engineer, environmental engineering manager, and environmental program manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Coordinator | $57,153 | $4,763 | $27.48 | 68,514 |
| Engineering Project Coordinator | $73,371 | $6,114 | $35.27 | 112,985 |
| Planner | $63,161 | $5,263 | $30.37 | 15,269 |
| Environmental Engineering Internship | $36,235 | $3,020 | $17.42 | 112,274 |
| Environmental Coordinator | $61,529 | $5,127 | $29.58 | 25,334 |
| Environmental Supervisor | $60,646 | $5,054 | $29.16 | 17,155 |
Top companies hiring environmental planners now:
Which companies pay environmental planners the most?
Environmental planner salaries at Santa Clara Valley Water District and Booz Allen Hamilton are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average environmental planner salary at companies like Jacobs Engineering Group and Dover are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara Valley Water District | $104,741 | $50.36 |
| 2 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $94,498 | $45.43 |
| 3 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $85,338 | $41.03 |
| 4 | Dover | $83,389 | $40.09 |
| 5 | CDM Smith | $82,747 | $39.78 |
| 6 | ERM | $82,490 | $39.66 |
| 7 | Burns & McDonnell | $81,279 | $39.08 |
| 8 | STV Group | $80,199 | $38.56 |
| 9 | Woods Services | $79,694 | $38.31 |
| 10 | ICF | $78,917 | $37.94 |
| 11 | Environmental Science Associates | $78,545 | $37.76 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania State Treasurer | $78,545 | $37.76 |
| 13 | URS E&C Holdings Inc | $78,545 | $37.76 |
| 14 | Amec Foster Wheeler | $78,545 | $37.76 |
| 15 | Jacobs Enterprises | $78,543 | $37.76 |
| 16 | Executive Alliance | $78,131 | $37.56 |
| 17 | Xcel Energy | $78,119 | $37.56 |
| 18 | HDR | $77,520 | $37.27 |
| 19 | Wsp USA Buildings Inc. | $76,907 | $36.97 |
| 20 | Stantec | $76,770 | $36.91 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Environmental Planner salary by industry
The average environmental planner salary varies across industries:
- The average environmental planner salary in the retail industry is $78,605, the highest of any industry.
- The average environmental planner salary in the finance industry is $77,365.
- Environmental planners in the government industry earn an average salary of $72,959, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for environmental planners
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail | $78,605 | $37.79 |
| 2 | Technology | $77,365 | $37.19 |
| 3 | Professional | $73,423 | $35.30 |
| 4 | Government | $72,959 | $35.08 |
High paying environmental planner jobs
Environmental planner salary trends
The average environmental planner salary has risen by $10,098 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average environmental planner earned $61,076 annually, but today, they earn $71,174 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for environmental planners over the last decade.
Compare environmental planner salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average environmental planner salary over time
Compare environmental planner salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Environmental planner salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $71,200 | $34.22 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $68,700 | $33.01 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $67,700 | $32.55 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | $67,100 | $32.24 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $65,600 | $31.53 | +0.4% |
Recently added environmental planner salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HNTB | New Grad Environmental Planner I-WED (FOR Current/Previous Hntb Interns Only) | Los Angeles, CA | 06/30/2025 | $70,627 |
| Gannett Fleming | Senior Nepa Environmental Planner | Raleigh, NC | 06/29/2025 | $110,000 |
| Nirvana Mechanical Services | Nepa Environmental Planner | South Burlington, VT | 06/29/2025 | $85,000 |
| Actalent | Environmental Planner | Ontario, CA | 06/25/2025 | $81,393 |
| Environmental Science Associates | Environmental Planner | Seattle, WA | 06/22/2025 | $82,075 |
| Swca Inc. | Project Environmental Planner | Albuquerque, NM | 06/18/2025 | $58,427 |
| WSP USA | Lead Environmental Planner | Durango, CO | 06/17/2025 | $84,700 |
| WSP | Lead Environmental Planner | Albuquerque, NM | 06/16/2025 | $84,700 |
| Vanasse Hangen Brustlin | Senior Aviation Environmental Planner | Raleigh, NC | 06/10/2025 | $125,000 |
| GI Partners | Senior Environmental Planner | Los Angeles, CA | 06/09/2025 | $80,800 |
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