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Senior environmental engineer salary
Average senior environmental engineer salary
$84,515
Average Senior Environmental Engineer Salary
The average salary for a Senior Environmental Engineer is approximately $84,515 per year, translating to about $41 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry of employment. For example, industries focused on environmental consulting, waste management, or renewable energy often offer higher compensation packages.
Where Can You Earn More?
States such as California, Texas, and New York are among the highest-paying regions for Senior Environmental Engineers. For instance, in California, salaries can reach upwards of $95,000, reflecting the demand for environmental expertise in densely populated and industrialized areas. Additionally, obtaining advanced certifications or specializing in niche areas can enhance earning potential.
Job Outlook
As environmental regulations become more stringent, the demand for skilled engineers in this field is expected to grow. Professionals can enhance their career prospects by staying updated on industry trends and pursuing continuous education. With a focus on sustainability and environmental protection, Senior Environmental Engineers are positioned to play a pivotal role in shaping a healthier future.
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Where can a Senior Environmental Engineer earn more?
Senior environmental engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average senior environmental engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior environmental engineers are West Virginia, California, and Virginia. The lowest average senior environmental engineer salary states are Nebraska, Vermont, and Montana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior environmental engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $93,258 | $44.84 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $96,915 | $46.59 |
| 3 | Oregon | $90,447 | $43.48 |
| 4 | California | $95,240 | $45.79 |
| 5 | Texas | $93,224 | $44.82 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $95,925 | $46.12 |
| 7 | Alaska | $87,561 | $42.10 |
| 8 | Maryland | $85,936 | $41.32 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $86,854 | $41.76 |
| 10 | Arizona | $84,249 | $40.50 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $87,338 | $41.99 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $90,831 | $43.67 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $84,591 | $40.67 |
| 14 | Delaware | $77,616 | $37.32 |
| 15 | Nevada | $83,335 | $40.06 |
| 16 | Washington | $76,010 | $36.54 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $79,410 | $38.18 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $80,941 | $38.91 |
| 19 | New York | $79,355 | $38.15 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $83,838 | $40.31 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $81,307 | $39.09 |
| 22 | Alabama | $76,217 | $36.64 |
| 23 | Idaho | $73,884 | $35.52 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $78,393 | $37.69 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $78,642 | $37.81 |
| 26 | Michigan | $72,930 | $35.06 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $70,208 | $33.75 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $69,261 | $33.30 |
| 29 | Colorado | $67,328 | $32.37 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $70,994 | $34.13 |
| 31 | Indiana | $67,631 | $32.51 |
| 32 | Georgia | $66,514 | $31.98 |
| 33 | Illinois | $68,254 | $32.81 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $59,528 | $28.62 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $68,907 | $33.13 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $64,882 | $31.19 |
| 37 | Florida | $62,004 | $29.81 |
| 38 | Utah | $60,805 | $29.23 |
| 39 | Maine | $55,520 | $26.69 |
| 40 | Ohio | $64,246 | $30.89 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $56,493 | $27.16 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $63,515 | $30.54 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $54,297 | $26.10 |
| 44 | Kansas | $64,516 | $31.02 |
| 45 | Minnesota | $55,250 | $26.56 |
| 46 | Iowa | $57,054 | $27.43 |
| 47 | Vermont | $52,790 | $25.38 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $43,978 | $21.14 |
| 49 | Montana | $52,404 | $25.19 |
| 50 | Missouri | $52,194 | $25.09 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $49,344 | $23.72 |
Highest paying cities for senior environmental engineers
The highest-paying cities for senior environmental engineers are San Francisco, CA, Houston, TX, and Hillsboro, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $99,723 | $47.94 |
| 2 | Houston, TX | $94,136 | $45.26 |
| 3 | Hillsboro, OR | $89,116 | $42.84 |
| 4 | Horsham, PA | $88,218 | $42.41 |
| 5 | Raleigh, NC | $85,735 | $41.22 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $84,238 | $40.50 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $80,713 | $38.80 |
| 8 | Albuquerque, NM | $80,630 | $38.76 |
| 9 | Boston, MA | $78,891 | $37.93 |
| 10 | Elizabeth, NJ | $78,455 | $37.72 |
| 11 | Seattle, WA | $77,335 | $37.18 |
| 12 | Pueblo, CO | $73,937 | $35.55 |
| 13 | Holland, MI | $68,630 | $33.00 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $68,479 | $32.92 |
| 15 | Indianapolis, IN | $68,437 | $32.90 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $66,242 | $31.85 |
| 17 | Overland Park, KS | $64,313 | $30.92 |
| 18 | Cincinnati, OH | $63,627 | $30.59 |
| 19 | Miami, FL | $62,099 | $29.86 |
| 20 | Salt Lake City, UT | $59,743 | $28.72 |
Senior environmental engineer salary details
A senior environmental engineer's salary ranges from $65,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $109,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior environmental engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $109,000 | $9,083 | $52 |
| 75th Percentile | $96,000 | $8,000 | $46 |
| Average | $84,515 | $7,043 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
| 10th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
Highest paying senior environmental engineer jobs
The highest paying types of senior environmental engineers are senior engineer, engineer, and environmental health safety manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Project Coordinator | $73,371 | $6,114 | $35.27 | 112,985 |
| Engineering Coordinator | $57,153 | $4,763 | $27.48 | 68,514 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Environmental Health Safety Manager | $85,594 | $7,133 | $41.15 | 76,277 |
| Environmental Consultant | $74,913 | $6,243 | $36.02 | 21,723 |
| Environmental Supervisor | $60,646 | $5,054 | $29.16 | 17,155 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for senior environmental engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Shannon Farrell Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Top companies hiring senior environmental engineers now:
Which companies pay senior environmental engineers the most?
Senior environmental engineer salaries at Microsoft and ConocoPhillips are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior environmental engineer salary at companies like Phillips 66 and PBF Energy are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | $122,236 | $58.77 |
| 2 | ConocoPhillips | $111,067 | $53.40 |
| 3 | Phillips 66 | $108,086 | $51.96 |
| 4 | PBF Energy | $105,653 | $50.79 |
| 5 | Intel | $103,458 | $49.74 |
| 6 | Regeneron | $102,709 | $49.38 |
| 7 | Valero Energy | $102,582 | $49.32 |
| 8 | Watson Pharma Pvt Ltd | $102,056 | $49.07 |
| 9 | Carollo Engineers | $94,304 | $45.34 |
| 10 | Battelle | $93,108 | $44.76 |
| 11 | Burns & McDonnell | $92,883 | $44.66 |
| 12 | Teva Pharmaceuticals | $92,781 | $44.61 |
| 13 | Stantec | $92,293 | $44.37 |
| 14 | Parsons | $91,405 | $43.94 |
| 15 | MWH Americas Inc | $90,670 | $43.59 |
| 16 | Fuss & O'Neill | $89,590 | $43.07 |
| 17 | DAAR Engineering | $89,003 | $42.79 |
| 18 | TÜV SÜD America | $88,811 | $42.70 |
| 19 | Hargrove Engineers + Constructors | $88,617 | $42.60 |
| 20 | Woods Services | $87,466 | $42.05 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Environmental Engineer salary by industry
The average senior environmental engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average senior environmental engineer salary in the energy industry is $90,509, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior environmental engineer salary in the finance industry is $85,119.
- Senior environmental engineers in the retail industry earn an average salary of $78,127, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior environmental engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $90,509 | $43.51 |
| 2 | Technology | $85,119 | $40.92 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $82,261 | $39.55 |
| 4 | Professional | $78,893 | $37.93 |
| 5 | Retail | $78,127 | $37.56 |
High paying senior environmental engineer jobs
Senior environmental engineer salary trends
The average senior environmental engineer salary has risen by $11,991 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior environmental engineer earned $72,524 annually, but today, they earn $84,515 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for senior environmental engineers over the last decade.
Compare senior environmental engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior environmental engineer salary over time
Compare senior environmental engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior environmental engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $84,500 | $40.63 | +3.5% |
| 2025 | $81,500 | $39.19 | +1.4% |
| 2024 | $80,400 | $38.65 | +0.9% |
| 2023 | $79,600 | $38.29 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $77,900 | $37.44 | +0.4% |
Recently added senior environmental engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farallon Consulting | Principal/Senior Environmental Engineer | Irvine, CA | 06/30/2025 | $120,000 |
| Kennedy/Jenks Consultants | Senior Environmental Engineer | Portland, OR | 06/28/2025 | $130,000 |
| Corning | SR. Engineer, Environmental | Painted Post, NY | 06/27/2025 | $73,310 |
| Kennedy/Jenks Consultants | Senior Environmental Engineer | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 06/26/2025 | $130,000 |
| Kennedy/Jenks Consultants | Senior Environmental Engineer | Federal Way, WA | 06/24/2025 | $130,000 |
| Samsung Electronics America | Senior Environmental Engineer | Austin, TX | 06/20/2025 | $101,136 |
| Division of Financial Institutions | Engineer Senior-DEP-Environmental Protection-Fayette CO. | Fayetteville, WV | 06/20/2025 | $70,311 |
| TRC Companies, Inc. | Mid To Senior Environmental Engineer/Geologist | Bellevue, WA | 06/19/2025 | $99,403 |
| Cesiumastro | Senior Environmental Test Engineer I | Westminster, CO | 06/18/2025 | $98,000 |
| Jabil Inc. | SR. Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Engineer | Gurnee, IL | 06/14/2025 | $83,400 |
Senior environmental engineer salary FAQs
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