Environmental Engineer salary

Q: How much do entry-level environmental engineers make?

Entry-level environmental engineers (0–2 years) earn about $81,500 per year, rising to roughly $112,500 at mid-level and $140,500+ at the principal/staff level. These by-experience figures are modeled estimates based on typical engineering career progression.

Q: Do environmental engineers make good money?

Yes. The median environmental engineer salary of $104,170 is 13% below the roughly $120,395 median across engineering occupations, and experienced environmental engineers can earn $161,910 or more.

Q: Which cities pay environmental engineers the most?

Estimated environmental engineer pay is highest in San Francisco ($142,000), Kennewick ($138,090), Sacramento ($130,830). These are cost-of-labor estimates that adjust the national baseline by local wage levels — not direct BLS metro wages.

Verified

Updated March 2025

Environmental engineers use engineering, soil science, biology, and chemistry to solve problems in waste management, water quality, and pollution control.

Median pay

$104,170

U.S. typical

Top earners

$161,910

90th percentile

Entry level

$81,500

0–2 yrs

Senior

$140,500

15+ yrs

The median environmental engineer salary in the U.S. is about $104,170 per year. Entry-level pay starts near $64,950, while top earners (90th percentile) make $161,910 or more. Add your city and experience for a sharper, local number.

Median annual wage

$104,170

Mean

$110,570

10th pct · $64,95090th pct · $161,910

What environmental engineers do

Design systems for water/wastewater treatment, air-quality control, and remediation, and prepare environmental compliance reports.

Environmental engineers use engineering, soil science, biology, and chemistry to solve problems in waste management, water quality, and pollution control.

What affects environmental engineer pay

▹Public sector vs. private consulting
▹PE license
▹Specialty (water, air, remediation, sustainability)
▹Years of experience
▹Metro and state cost of labor

Environmental Engineer salary by experience

Pay typically climbs from about $81,500 for entry level engineers to $140,500+ at the principal / staff level.

Entry level 0–2 yrs

$81,500

Early career 3–5 yrs

$98,000

Mid level 6–9 yrs

$112,500

Senior 10–14 yrs

$127,000

Principal / Staff 15+ yrs

$140,500

Your actual offer depends on company, location, and specialization — run the calculator for a tailored range.

Highest-paying cities for environmental engineers

Published environmental engineer pay in the top-paying U.S. metro areas, vs the national benchmark.

15results

Metro	State	Median	90th pct	vs U.S.	Data
San Francisco California	CA	$142,000	$203,960	+36%	Verified
Kennewick Washington	WA	$138,090	$181,290	+33%	Verified
Sacramento California	CA	$130,830	$172,480	+26%	Verified
San Diego California	CA	$125,890	$162,480	+21%	Verified
Washington, D.C. District of Columbia	DC	$125,240	$203,970	+20%	Verified
Portland Oregon	OR	$122,290	$187,170	+17%	Verified
Los Angeles California	CA	$119,780	$172,480	+15%	Verified
Boston Massachusetts	MA	$116,980	$163,300	+12%	Verified
Seattle Washington	WA	$115,770	$170,470	+11%	Verified
Cincinnati Ohio	OH	$115,070	$151,110	+10%	Verified
Houston Texas	TX	$110,500	$190,190	+6%	Verified
Riverside California	CA	$109,830	$157,480	+5%	Verified
Dallas Texas	TX	$108,560	$156,720	+4%	Verified
Minneapolis Minnesota	MN	$108,380	$133,110	+4%	Verified
Hartford Connecticut	CT	$107,810	$152,030	+3%	Verified

Environmental Engineer salary by state

All 51 states with published environmental engineer wage data, ranked highest to lowest. Open a state for its full metro-level breakdown.

Rank	State	Median	90th pct
1	Oregon	$130,370	$179,060
2	California	$127,660	$172,480
3	District of Columbia	$125,980	$153,340
4	Louisiana	$123,210	$178,200
5	Massachusetts	$116,980	$163,300
6	Washington	$115,770	$172,110
7	Alaska	$113,800	$157,930
8	Nevada	$112,330	$171,690
9	Texas	$108,560	$173,040
10	Connecticut	$108,100	$157,800
11	Illinois	$107,550	$150,070
12	Rhode Island	$106,620	$142,110
13	Ohio	$106,070	$140,770
14	Hawaii	$105,230	$167,050
15	Minnesota	$104,980	$130,000
16	Kentucky	$104,770	$155,790
17	Wyoming	$104,540	$134,670
18	North Carolina	$104,040	$144,470
19	New Mexico	$103,770	$213,870
20	Virginia	$103,480	$203,260
21	Michigan	$100,090	$144,440
22	Alabama	$100,060	$145,490
23	West Virginia	$99,830	$163,490
24	Delaware	$99,820	$181,950
25	Utah	$99,180	$141,430
26	South Carolina	$99,040	$156,000
27	New Jersey	$98,980	$171,120
28	Colorado	$98,170	$150,660
29	New York	$97,870	$157,690
30	Montana	$96,320	$134,970
31	Iowa	$95,980	$136,320
32	Indiana	$95,630	$165,840
33	Georgia	$94,950	$142,060
34	Pennsylvania	$94,880	$153,470
35	Maryland	$94,830	$162,530
36	Kansas	$93,540	$136,530
37	Arizona	$91,520	$130,900
38	South Dakota	$91,320	$120,860
39	Nebraska	$91,100	$146,910
40	Florida	$89,850	$148,330
41	Wisconsin	$89,270	$137,430
42	Tennessee	$87,920	$149,300
43	Oklahoma	$87,840	$134,980
44	North Dakota	$87,590	≥$239,200
45	Missouri	$87,360	$123,180
46	Vermont	$85,950	$126,510
47	Idaho	$85,390	$161,150
48	Maine	$85,050	$127,670
49	Arkansas	$84,600	$157,150
50	New Hampshire	$83,880	$130,720
51	Mississippi	$81,780	$130,460

Figures are published state wage data, not modeled. States without published data for this occupation are not listed. See Source details for provenance.

Environmental Engineer salary — frequently asked questions

How much does an environmental engineer make?

The median environmental engineer salary in the U.S. is about $104,170 per year. Most environmental engineers earn between $64,950 and $161,910, and top earners (90th percentile) make $161,910 or more. These national figures come from published U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS) wage data.

What is the highest environmental engineer salary?

Top-earning environmental engineers (90th percentile) make about $161,910 or more nationally. In the highest-paying metros, estimated pay can run even higher — for example around $142,000 in San Francisco. Metro figures are cost-of-labor estimates, not direct BLS metro data.

How much do entry-level environmental engineers make?

Entry-level environmental engineers (0–2 years) earn about $81,500 per year, rising to roughly $112,500 at mid-level and $140,500+ at the principal/staff level. These by-experience figures are modeled estimates based on typical engineering career progression.

Do environmental engineers make good money?

Yes. The median environmental engineer salary of $104,170 is 13% below the roughly $120,395 median across engineering occupations, and experienced environmental engineers can earn $161,910 or more.

Which cities pay environmental engineers the most?

Estimated environmental engineer pay is highest in San Francisco ($142,000), Kennewick ($138,090), and Sacramento ($130,830). These are cost-of-labor estimates that adjust the national baseline by local wage levels — not direct BLS metro wages.

How can an environmental engineer earn more?

Environmental Engineer pay rises most with public sector vs. private consulting, pe license, and specialty (water, air, remediation, sustainability). Moving to a higher-cost metro, specializing, and taking on senior or lead scope are the biggest levers — the salary calculator lets you model each one.

Source details

Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2081 (Environmental Engineers), national.

Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →