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Best states for a staff environmental scientist
Quoted expert
Dorceta Taylor
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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- 41 - 51
Do you want to become a staff environmental scientist at RGA Environmental, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for staff environmental scientists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for staff environmental scientists. We found that Virginia is the best state in the nation for staff environmental scientists, and people in Windsor earn the most in the field.
In order to get you the best states for staff environmental scientists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a staff environmental scientist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for staff environmental scientists in 2025
1. Virginia
Total staff environmental scientist jobs: 1,865 Average annual salary: $74,316 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
2. California
Total staff environmental scientist jobs: 5,466 Average annual salary: $81,188 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
3. Massachusetts
Total staff environmental scientist jobs: 1,667 Average annual salary: $73,138 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
4. Nevada
Total staff environmental scientist jobs: 363 Average annual salary: $72,269 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
5. Connecticut
Total staff environmental scientist jobs: 635 Average annual salary: $70,668 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
6. District of Columbia
Total staff environmental scientist jobs: 235 Average annual salary: $89,515 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
7. New York
Total staff environmental scientist jobs: 2,713 Average annual salary: $70,132 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
8. Oregon
Total staff environmental scientist jobs: 738 Average annual salary: $69,462 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
9. Washington
Total staff environmental scientist jobs: 1,121 Average annual salary: $72,022 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
10. West Virginia
Total staff environmental scientist jobs: 203 Average annual salary: $70,585 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
Staff environmental scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a staff environmental scientist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a staff environmental scientist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $74,316 | $50,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,865 |
| 2 | California | $81,188 | $54,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,466 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $73,138 | $51,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,667 |
| 4 | Nevada | $72,269 | $48,000 | 2,998,039 | 363 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $70,668 | $49,000 | 3,588,184 | 635 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $89,515 | $61,000 | 693,972 | 235 |
| 7 | New York | $70,132 | $48,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,713 |
| 8 | Oregon | $69,462 | $47,000 | 4,142,776 | 738 |
| 9 | Washington | $72,022 | $49,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,121 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $70,585 | $47,000 | 1,815,857 | 203 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $66,643 | $47,000 | 1,342,795 | 296 |
| 12 | Maryland | $67,256 | $45,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,433 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $65,977 | $45,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,023 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $62,282 | $43,000 | 1,059,639 | 254 |
| 15 | Delaware | $66,171 | $45,000 | 961,939 | 203 |
| 16 | Illinois | $64,520 | $43,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,148 |
| 17 | Ohio | $64,160 | $43,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,499 |
| 18 | Idaho | $64,519 | $44,000 | 1,716,943 | 254 |
| 19 | Montana | $61,851 | $42,000 | 1,050,493 | 202 |
| 20 | Colorado | $66,287 | $45,000 | 5,607,154 | 844 |
| 21 | Michigan | $63,178 | $43,000 | 9,962,311 | 967 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $55,876 | $38,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,719 |
| 23 | Indiana | $61,484 | $41,000 | 6,666,818 | 882 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $58,398 | $40,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,874 |
| 25 | Alaska | $58,342 | $47,000 | 739,795 | 148 |
| 26 | Utah | $58,259 | $39,000 | 3,101,833 | 534 |
| 27 | Kansas | $59,019 | $40,000 | 2,913,123 | 437 |
| 28 | Texas | $59,854 | $40,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,818 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $57,123 | $38,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,587 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $58,254 | $45,000 | 1,427,538 | 151 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $58,541 | $39,000 | 6,715,984 | 760 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $60,800 | $41,000 | 3,930,864 | 300 |
| 33 | Maine | $51,195 | $37,000 | 1,335,907 | 318 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $54,555 | $36,000 | 2,088,070 | 335 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $52,050 | $36,000 | 579,315 | 104 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $52,039 | $35,000 | 755,393 | 164 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $53,308 | $36,000 | 5,795,483 | 855 |
| 38 | Georgia | $57,553 | $38,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,331 |
| 39 | Vermont | $51,316 | $37,000 | 623,657 | 151 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $54,455 | $36,000 | 4,684,333 | 437 |
| 41 | Arizona | $52,815 | $35,000 | 7,016,270 | 796 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $50,777 | $35,000 | 869,666 | 148 |
| 43 | Missouri | $50,663 | $34,000 | 6,113,532 | 899 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $49,775 | $34,000 | 1,920,076 | 317 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $49,673 | $33,000 | 3,004,279 | 338 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $48,382 | $32,000 | 4,454,189 | 410 |
| 47 | Iowa | $48,274 | $32,000 | 3,145,711 | 465 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $48,637 | $32,000 | 2,984,100 | 182 |
| 49 | Florida | $41,491 | $27,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,184 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $45,452 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 565 |
| 51 | Alabama | $40,391 | $27,000 | 4,874,747 | 566 |
Highest paying states for staff environmental scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. Staff Environmental Scientist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $74,316 |
| 2 | California | $81,188 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $73,138 |
| 4 | Nevada | $72,269 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $70,668 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $89,515 |
| 7 | New York | $70,132 |
| 8 | Oregon | $69,462 |
| 9 | Washington | $72,022 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $70,585 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $66,643 |
| 12 | Maryland | $67,256 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $65,977 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $62,282 |
| 15 | Delaware | $66,171 |
| 16 | Illinois | $64,520 |
| 17 | Ohio | $64,160 |
| 18 | Idaho | $64,519 |
| 19 | Montana | $61,851 |
| 20 | Colorado | $66,287 |
| 21 | Michigan | $63,178 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $55,876 |
| 23 | Indiana | $61,484 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $58,398 |
| 25 | Alaska | $58,342 |
| 26 | Utah | $58,259 |
| 27 | Kansas | $59,019 |
| 28 | Texas | $59,854 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $57,123 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $58,254 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $58,541 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $60,800 |
| 33 | Maine | $51,195 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $54,555 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $52,050 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $52,039 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $53,308 |
| 38 | Georgia | $57,553 |
| 39 | Vermont | $51,316 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $54,455 |
| 41 | Arizona | $52,815 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $50,777 |
| 43 | Missouri | $50,663 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $49,775 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $49,673 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $48,382 |
| 47 | Iowa | $48,274 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $48,637 |
| 49 | Florida | $41,491 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $45,452 |
| 51 | Alabama | $40,391 |
Expert opinions on the best states for staff environmental scientists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for staff environmental scientists to find work opportunities?
Dorceta Taylor
Professor of Environmental Justice, Yale University professor
Traditionally, students have been able to find jobs in the Boston-Northern Virginia corridor, in the Southeast, in urban parts of the Midwest, and in the Pacific region. These areas will continue to be places where environmental jobs are found.
Staff environmental scientist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025