Environmental Economists: Career Profile
Conduct economic analysis related to environmental protection and use of the natural environment, such as water, air, land, and renewable energy resources. Evaluate and quantify benefits, costs, incentives, and impacts of alternative options using economic principles and statistical techniques.
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What Do Environmental Economists Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of environmental economists span:
- Write technical documents or academic articles to communicate study results or economic forecasts.
- Conduct research on economic and environmental topics, such as alternative fuel use, public and private land use, soil conservation, air and water pollution control, and endangered species protection.
- Collect and analyze data to compare the environmental implications of economic policy or practice alternatives.
- Assess the costs and benefits of various activities, policies, or regulations that affect the environment or natural resource stocks.
- Prepare and deliver presentations to communicate economic and environmental study results, to present policy recommendations, or to raise awareness of environmental consequences.
- Develop programs or policy recommendations to achieve environmental goals in cost-effective ways.
- Develop economic models, forecasts, or scenarios to predict future economic and environmental outcomes.
- Demonstrate or promote the economic benefits of sound environmental regulations.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful environmental economists draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Environmental Economists Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Agricultural Economist
- Ecological Economist
- Energy Economist
- Environment and Natural Resources Economics Researcher
- Environmental Economist
- Environmental Protection Economist
- Marine Resource Economist
- Natural Resource Economist
How Many Environmental Economists Are There?
There are roughly 71,569 environmental economists working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +8.5% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Environmental Economists Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $86,726 |
| Hourly median | $41.70 |
| 10th percentile | $52,452 |
| 25th percentile | $69,589 |
| 75th percentile | $103,863 |
| 90th percentile | $121,000 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Environmental Economists Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $162,610 |
| Virginia | $148,010 |
| New York | $142,300 |
| Maryland | $137,610 |
| Georgia | $127,220 |
| Ohio | $117,750 |
| Washington | $116,390 |
| Missouri | $115,520 |
| Kansas | $115,100 |
| Pennsylvania | $113,300 |
| Illinois | $112,790 |
| North Carolina | $111,770 |
| Oregon | $111,660 |
| Colorado | $111,540 |
| Tennessee | $110,320 |
| Alaska | $108,960 |
| Minnesota | $107,470 |
| Texas | $106,200 |
| Alabama | $103,400 |
| Connecticut | $103,200 |
| Massachusetts | $103,170 |
| New Jersey | $102,350 |
| California | $100,510 |
| Arizona | $96,390 |
| Montana | $95,990 |
| Indiana | $95,830 |
| Michigan | $94,850 |
| Iowa | $92,750 |
| Florida | $89,250 |
| Louisiana | $89,010 |
| Nevada | $84,540 |
| New Mexico | $82,490 |
| Oklahoma | $82,330 |
| Hawaii | $81,740 |
| Maine | $80,670 |
| Idaho | $78,770 |
| Wisconsin | $76,940 |
| Puerto Rico | $68,180 |
| Nebraska | $66,690 |
| Kentucky | $65,470 |
| South Carolina | $51,980 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for environmental economists vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $147,964 | 36.9% | 22.92 |
| Southwest | $106,200 | 4.1% | 0.44 |
| Plains States | $104,323 | 4.5% | 0.70 |
| Far Western US | $103,964 | 15.1% | 0.94 |
| Southeast | $103,312 | 19.8% | 1.62 |
| New England | $101,865 | 6.8% | 1.80 |
| Great Lakes | $100,396 | 9.1% | 0.82 |
| Rocky Mountains | $85,496 | 3.2% | 0.91 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $168,850 | 730 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $157,980 | 4,300 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $134,410 | 440 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | TX | $131,160 | 160 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $129,280 | 250 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $127,220 | 310 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $125,630 | 200 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | VA | $124,780 | 40 |
Top Industries Employing Environmental Economists
Most environmental economists work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3,970 | $113,300 |
| Finance and Insurance | 1,500 | $165,960 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 530 | $100,900 |
| Educational Services | 360 | $87,020 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 310 | $135,100 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 160 | $107,780 |
| Utilities | 140 | $130,400 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 110 | $90,460 |
Environmental Economists work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Development environment software: C (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C# (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft SQL Server (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Microsoft Visual Basic (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for environmental economists tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Spend Time Sitting
Education and Training
The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Sustainability Specialists (Supplemental)
- Financial Risk Specialists (Supplemental)
- Financial Quantitative Analysts (Supplemental)
- Statisticians (Primary-Long)
- Data Scientists (Primary-Short)
- Soil and Plant Scientists (Supplemental)
- Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists (Supplemental)
- Biologists (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future environmental economists commonly pursue programs in:
Social Sciences
7 programs across 2 majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
4 programs across 4 majors
- Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
- Mathematical Economics
- Economics and Computer Science
- Economics and Foreign Language/Literature
Mathematics and Statistics
1 programs across 1 majors
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
Natural Resources and Conservation
1 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 19-3011.01 (Economists).
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