How to hire a senior environmental scientist

How to hire a senior environmental scientist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior environmental scientist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior environmental scientist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior environmental scientist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a senior environmental scientist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your senior environmental scientist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a senior environmental scientist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A senior environmental scientist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior environmental scientists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents senior environmental scientist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Senior Environmental Scientist	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Environmental Scientist	Environmental scientists and specialists use their knowledge of the natural sciences to protect the environment and human health. They may clean up polluted areas, advise policymakers, or work with industry to reduce waste.	$28-54
   Scientist	A scientist is responsible for researching and analyzing the nature and complexities of the physical world to identify discoveries that would improve people's lives and ignite scientific knowledge for society. Scientists' duties differ in their different areas of expertise, but all of them must have a broad comprehension of scientific disciplines and methods to support their experiments and investigations... Show more	$32-67
   Field Scientist	The duties of a field scientist depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In general, their responsibilities typically include conducting studies and scientific research, visiting various sites to observe and gather samples, performing laboratory analyses and experiments, maintaining records of all operations, and coming up with conclusions from the research findings... Show more	$25-53

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Environmental Compliance
   • Oversight
   • Project Management
   • Regulatory Agencies
   • Environmental Regulations
   • OSHA
   • Environmental Issues
   • Data Collection
   • Regulatory Compliance
   • Business Development
   • EPA
   • Renewable Energy
   • Technical Reports
   • GIS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop and manage equipment handling training seminars for EPA personnel.
   • Develop and manage company EHS compliance processes in accordance with current and upcoming regulatory mandates.
   • Provide oversight of and time-critical technical support for emergency/disaster response calls, and train and supervise staff.
   • Lead a team that perform groundwater remediation on DoD facilities.
   • Lead interdisciplinary teams in gaining ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 compliance/certification.
   • Supervise the design and installation of a slurry wall and soil vapor extraction system.

   More senior environmental scientist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior environmental scientist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A senior environmental scientist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, senior environmental scientists' average salary in florida is 51% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior environmental scientists 47% less than senior-level senior environmental scientists.
   • Certifications. A senior environmental scientist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a senior environmental scientist's salary.

   Average senior environmental scientist salary

   $82,812yearly

   $39.81 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior environmental scientist salary

   $60,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average senior environmental scientist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$113,966	$55
   2	District of Columbia	$105,978	$51
   3	New Jersey	$99,162	$48
   4	Washington	$96,001	$46
   5	Oregon	$89,650	$43
   6	Maryland	$88,439	$43
   7	Texas	$87,463	$42
   8	New York	$87,279	$42
   9	Massachusetts	$87,175	$42
   10	Georgia	$83,453	$40
   11	Illinois	$83,265	$40
   12	Michigan	$81,306	$39
   13	North Carolina	$80,851	$39
   14	New Mexico	$78,433	$38
   15	Colorado	$76,427	$37
   16	Minnesota	$76,025	$37
   17	Arizona	$73,188	$35
   18	Utah	$72,328	$35
   19	Pennsylvania	$71,437	$34
   20	Alaska	$71,321	$34

   Average senior environmental scientist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Technip USA Corporation	$106,617	$51.26
   2	Valley Metro	$101,555	$48.82
   3	Parsons	$100,314	$48.23	32
   4	Merck	$100,184	$48.17	133
   5	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$100,031	$48.09	133
   6	Southern California Edison	$96,185	$46.24	2
   7	The Washington Post	$95,333	$45.83
   8	Burns & McDonnell	$95,067	$45.71	111
   9	The Dow Chemical Company	$93,762	$45.08	7
   10	Encompass Health	$93,538	$44.97	104
   11	Stantec	$92,592	$44.52	252
   12	SoCalGas	$92,574	$44.51
   13	HollyFrontier	$92,397	$44.42
   14	HBK Engineering	$91,412	$43.95
   15	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	$91,066	$43.78	54
   16	French & Parrello Associates	$91,063	$43.78
   17	Woods Services	$90,944	$43.72
   18	Freese and Nichols	$90,836	$43.67	9
   19	Fuss & O'Neill	$90,433	$43.48	2
   20	Sargent & Lundy	$90,319	$43.42	3

4. Writing a senior environmental scientist job description

   A senior environmental scientist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a senior environmental scientist job description:

   Senior environmental scientist job description example

   • Bachelor or Master of Environmental Science, Biology, Zoology, Environmental/Civil Engineering or other professionally recognized equivalent discipline from an accredited university
   • At least 12 years of experience within the environmental transportation field with project management experience
   • NEPA process and environmental permitting experience as it relates to transportation projects in South Florida
   • Skilled using software applications including Microsoft Office applications; ArcGIS and MicroStation experience a plus
   • Ability to work independently with general supervision
   • Ability to work collaboratively in the client's office as necessary
   • Strong work ethic aligning with the company's mission and core values

   The Team

   From managed toll lanes and long-range corridor plans to complex interchanges, major roadway, and segmental bridge designs, our teams provide the highest quality planning, environmental and engineering design solutions to our clients. Each day, we partner with transportation agencies and local governments across the country to keep our communities moving and improving the overall quality of life. By joining our team, you too can lead the evolution of transportation.

   RS&H

   The Company

   RS&H provides fully integrated architecture, engineering, and consulting services to help clients realize their most complex facility and infrastructure projects for land, air, and space. We are committed to bringing extraordinary solutions to our clients through the promise of imagination, ingenuity, and innovation. With a tradition of excellence that began in 1941, we are consistently ranked among the nation's top 100 design firms. We attribute our success to an unwavering commitment to our core values of: integrity, quality service, business success and valuing associates.

   An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

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   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right senior environmental scientist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior environmental scientist job on Zippia to find and recruit senior environmental scientist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit senior environmental scientists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior environmental scientist

   Once you've found the senior environmental scientist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a senior environmental scientist?