Science
What you can do with Environmental Science
Ecosystems and human impact, aimed at protecting the environment and public health.
- Careers
- 10
- Early career
- $50,000
- Mid-career
- $80,000
- Growing fast
- 1 of 10
How these numbers work: A major does not have its own salary. Early and mid-career pay is what people who hold this degree earn at the start of their careers and midway through them. Career pay comes from the 10 careers an Environmental Science degree commonly leads to, and counts everyone in those jobs, including people who have been doing them for thirty years. The two answer different questions, which is why they do not match.
The New York Fed does not report Environmental Science on its own. Its early and mid-career figures here are for Environmental Studies, the broader group it places this major in.
1 of 10 careers this degree leads to is projected to grow faster than average from 2024 to 2034. Of those, Soil / Plant Scientist has the most openings, about 1,700 a year.
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10 careers this degree leads to
Environmental Engineer
$107,110Engineer solutions to pollution, water quality, and waste problems that protect both people and ecosystems.
- Middle half of workers
- $83,570 to $134,420
- Growth
- About average
- Openings a year
- 3,000
Work-life47Remote67- Environmental Remediation
- Water Treatment Design
- Regulatory Compliance
- Monitoring
Geographer
$102,040Study the land, its features and the people on it, and turn that into maps and analysis for planning and policy.
- Middle half of workers
- $80,290 to $121,870
- Growth
- Declining
- Openings a year
- 100
- Spatial Analysis
- GIS
- Research
- Data Analysis
Geologist
$101,920Study the composition, structure, and processes of the Earth to understand geological phenomena and assess natural resources.
- Middle half of workers
- $75,110 to $139,380
- Growth
- About average
- Openings a year
- 2,000
Work-life55Remote25Satisfaction74- Geological Mapping
- GIS
- Fieldwork
- Rock and Mineral Analysis
Hydrologist
$96,600Track how water moves through the earth and atmosphere, protecting supplies and predicting floods.
- Middle half of workers
- $77,210 to $122,830
- Growth
- Slower than average
- Openings a year
- 500
Work-life52Remote58- Hydrologic Modeling
- Field Sampling
- GIS Mapping
- Science
Environmental Scientist
$82,220Conduct research and advise on protecting the environment and human health.
- Middle half of workers
- $64,490 to $107,970
- Growth
- About average
- Openings a year
- 8,500
Work-life68Remote42Satisfaction75- Environmental Assessment
- Data Analysis
- GIS
- Fieldwork
Landscape Architect
$79,870Design the outdoor spaces people live in, from parks and campuses to streetscapes and restored habitats.
- Middle half of workers
- $64,170 to $104,090
- Growth
- About average
- Openings a year
- 1,700
Work-life55Remote67- Site Design
- CAD and GIS Tools
- Planting Design
- Grading and Drainage
Soil / Plant Scientist
$78,850Research how crops and plants grow and how to keep soil productive, for farms, industry and the environment.
- Middle half of workers
- $61,660 to $103,740
- Growth
- Faster than average
- Openings a year
- 1,700
- Research
- Lab Techniques
- Data Analysis
- Agronomy
Zoologist / Wildlife Biologist
$76,780Study animals in the wild and the lab, informing conservation and how species and habitats are managed.
- Middle half of workers
- $61,180 to $96,100
- Growth
- Slower than average
- Openings a year
- 1,400
Work-life51Remote58- Field Research
- Species Identification
- Data Collection
- Science
Forester
$76,400Manage forest land for timber, wildlife, recreation and long-term health, including fire risk.
- Middle half of workers
- $62,710 to $91,640
- Growth
- Slower than average
- Openings a year
- 1,100
- Forest Management
- Fieldwork
- GIS
- Planning
Conservation Scientist
$73,010Manage forests, rangelands, and natural resources so they stay productive without being destroyed.
- Middle half of workers
- $57,700 to $91,560
- Growth
- About average
- Openings a year
- 2,500
Work-life51Remote17- Land Management
- GIS Mapping
- Field Assessment
- Science
Related majors
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Where these pay figures come from
Early and mid-career pay is the median annual wage of full-time workers who hold a bachelor's degree in that major, ages 22 to 27 and ages 35 to 45, from 2024 data. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (IPUMS). Published as Outcomes by Major by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.