California · SOC 17-2081
Environmental Engineer Salary in California
VerifiedPublished wages for environmental engineers in California, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Environmental Engineers in California earn a median of $127,660 per year ($127,730 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $100,680–$147,100; the top 10% earn $172,480. That is 23% above the national median of $104,170, ranking California #2 of 51 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$127,660
+23% vs national
Top 10% earn
$172,480
90th percentile
Employed in state
4,770
Reliability Moderate (12% RSE)
Environmental Engineer pay distribution — California vs national
Every figure below is a published BLS percentile. Bars share one scale, so the two distributions compare directly.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $81,520 | +26% |
| 25th percentile | $100,680 | +25% |
| Median50th percentile | $127,660 | +23% |
| 75th percentile | $147,100 | +12% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $172,480 | +7% |
| Meanaverage | $127,730 | +16% |
Where environmental engineers earn most in California
Metro areas in California where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 17-2081. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| San FranciscoSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $142,000 | $203,960 | 580 |
| ReddingRedding, CA | $137,810 | $169,510 | 40 |
| OxnardOxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $134,700 | $184,720 | 90 |
| SacramentoSacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $130,830 | $172,480 | 1,200 |
| San JoseSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $130,260 | $190,280 | 180 |
| San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $126,850 | $167,160 | 50 |
| San DiegoSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $125,890 | $162,480 | 460 |
| SalinasSalinas, CA | $124,180 | $182,900 | 30 |
| Santa RosaSanta Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $123,960 | $168,390 | 80 |
| Santa MariaSanta Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $120,290 | $160,600 | 50 |
| Los AngelesLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $119,780 | $172,480 | 1,270 |
| FresnoFresno, CA | $118,760 | $160,670 | 120 |
| BakersfieldBakersfield-Delano, CA | $118,560 | $166,260 | 60 |
| RiversideRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $109,830 | $157,480 | 240 |
| Santa CruzSanta Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $106,760 | $170,300 | 40 |
California engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
1.07
Jobs per 1,000
0.26
State rank (pay)
#2 of 51
All engineering roles
$154,208
A location quotient of 1.07 means California employs environmental engineers at roughly the national rate.
Frequently asked questions
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2081 (Environmental Engineers), California (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →