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Environmental Scientists and Specialists in California

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Environmental Scientists and Specialists in California

Want to work in California as an Environmental Scientist or Specialist? Read this first!

11.8% Jobs Projection
$87,080 Median Salary
1,630 Job Openings

You’re in luck! Jobs for Environmental Scientists and Specialists in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

  • Projected employment for Environmental Scientists and Specialists in California is growing faster than average.

  • Environmental Scientists and Specialists in California earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

How Many Environmental Scientists and Specialists Work in California?

In 2018, there were 12,750 Environmental Scientists and Specialists working in the state.

There were 12,820 Environmental Scientists and Specialists employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 70 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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The typical state has 850 Environmental Scientists and Specialists working in it, which means California has more Environmental Scientists and Specialists than average.

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Job Projections for California

Jobs for Environmental Scientists and Specialists in this state are growing at a rate of 11.8% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 11.1%.

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California Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 1,630 annual job openings, and a total of 17,000 jobs for California Environmental Scientists and Specialists in 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 9,500 annual jobs and 99,400 total jobs in 2026.

What do Environmental Scientists and Specialists Make in California?

In 2018 wages for Environmental Scientists and Specialists ranged from $51,700 to $138,120 with $87,080 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $24.86 to $66.4. The median hourly rate was $41.87.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $39.27 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $2.60.

The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top California Metros for Environmental Scientists and Specialists

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Environmental Scientists and Specialists.

Metro Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,060 $89,260
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA 2,640 $87,520
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,600 $101,900
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 1,130 $78,440
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 700 $85,460
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 290 $100,390
Fresno, CA 280 $81,310
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 230 $90,130
Santa Rosa, CA 220 $93,620
Bakersfield, CA 190 $79,150
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 160 $88,120
Stockton-Lodi, CA 140 $75,700
Redding, CA 80 $81,320
Visalia-Porterville, CA 70 $69,660
Salinas, CA 70 $91,440
Napa, CA 70 $81,330
Chico, CA 60 $72,360
Madera, CA 50 n/a
Modesto, CA 50 $75,120
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 40 $76,360

Top States for Environmental Scientists and Specialists Employment

The table below shows the states where most Environmental Scientists and Specialists work.

State Number Employed Annual Median Salary
California 12,750 $87,080
Florida 4,920 $49,500
New York 4,400 $73,600
Texas 4,170 $74,800
North Carolina 3,790 $58,600
Virginia 3,150 $75,060
Colorado 2,930 $86,190
Washington 2,880 $78,230
Michigan 2,780 $63,970
New Jersey 2,670 $77,190
Maryland 2,560 $71,820
Pennsylvania 2,050 $66,110
Ohio 2,000 $74,890
Massachusetts 1,950 $77,280
Minnesota 1,780 $68,060
Illinois 1,690 $74,850
District of Columbia 1,600 $118,400
Arizona 1,420 $63,810
Tennessee 1,410 $65,300
Georgia 1,300 $66,420

Below are the states where Environmental Scientists and Specialists get paid the most:

State Annual Median Salary
District of Columbia $118,400
California $87,080
Colorado $86,190
Rhode Island $80,700
Washington $78,230
Oregon $77,330
Massachusetts $77,280
New Jersey $77,190
Alaska $75,550
Connecticut $75,430

You may also be interested in the following careers:

Occupation CA Employment Total

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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