Environmental Engineers Salary
In Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY, environmental engineers earn $95,740 at the median, or about $46.03 an hour. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $142K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.84), that's roughly $99,896 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,343/month, or 22.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $96K get you in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Buffalo-Cheektowaga’s Regional Price Parity (95.84). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About environmental engineers
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What this looks like in Buffalo-Cheektowaga
Pay for environmental engineers in Buffalo-Cheektowaga runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $107K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,343/month, 22.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.84) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Buffalo-Cheektowaga can be a reasonable trade-off for environmental engineerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for environmental engineers in metros near Buffalo-Cheektowaga, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $108K | $96K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $97K | $97K |
| Syracuse | $94K | $99K |
| Rochester | $98K | $101K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
Entry-level environmental engineers (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $96K. Top earners bring in $142K or more, a $77K spread from bottom to top.
Environmental Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Environmental Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $131K | +22% | 340 |
| California | $130K | +22% | 4,550 |
| Oregon | $127K | +19% | 650 |
| Washington | $125K | +17% | 1,920 |
| Texas | $123K | +15% | 1,940 |
| Nebraska | $121K | +13% | 270 |
| Idaho | $118K | +10% | 400 |
| Florida | $117K | +9% | 1,800 |
| Massachusetts | $116K | +8% | 1,880 |
| Minnesota | $116K | +8% | 1,080 |
| Connecticut | $115K | +7% | 450 |
| Ohio | $113K | +6% | 730 |
| Alaska | $110K | +3% | 260 |
| Nevada | $110K | +2% | 290 |
| New Mexico | $108K | +1% | 500 |
| Illinois | $108K | +1% | 940 |
| Hawaii | $108K | +1% | 150 |
| Kentucky | $108K | +0% | 350 |
| Colorado | $107K | -0% | 1,320 |
| Wyoming | $106K | -1% | 200 |
| Michigan | $105K | -2% | 810 |
| Virginia | $105K | -2% | 1,010 |
| Utah | $103K | -3% | 410 |
| Pennsylvania | $103K | -4% | 1,750 |
| Alabama | $103K | -4% | 780 |
| New Jersey | $103K | -4% | 990 |
| New York | $101K | -5% | 3,170 |
| Rhode Island | $101K | -6% | 200 |
| Montana | $100K | -7% | 300 |
| North Carolina | $99K | -7% | N/A |
| South Dakota | $99K | -8% | 90 |
| Missouri | $98K | -8% | 510 |
| Maryland | $98K | -9% | 1,030 |
| Tennessee | $97K | -9% | 540 |
| Georgia | $97K | -10% | 830 |
| South Carolina | $96K | -10% | 560 |
| Delaware | $96K | -11% | 150 |
| Iowa | $95K | -11% | 150 |
| Kansas | $94K | -12% | 320 |
| Arizona | $94K | -12% | 690 |
| Maine | $94K | -12% | 220 |
| Vermont | $93K | -14% | 110 |
| Indiana | $92K | -14% | 520 |
| Oklahoma | $92K | -14% | 530 |
| North Dakota | $91K | -15% | 90 |
| Mississippi | $91K | -15% | 260 |
| Wisconsin | $90K | -16% | 890 |
| New Hampshire | $89K | -17% | 210 |
| Arkansas | $85K | -20% | 210 |
| West Virginia | $83K | -22% | 370 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track environmental engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Buffalo-Cheektowaga numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a environmental engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Yes — at the median salary of $96K, rent takes 22.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,343/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for environmental engineers in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental engineers typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,899/month. At HUD’s $1,343/month FMR, rent would take 34% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is environmental engineer a high-paying job in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $96K here vs. $107K nationally.
How does Buffalo-Cheektowaga compare to the national average for environmental engineers?
Buffalo-Cheektowaga pays $96K median vs. the U.S. average of $107K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.84), the purchasing-power equivalent is $100K — below the national median.
How much do environmental engineers make in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
The median is $95,740 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,990, and experienced environmental engineers can clear $141,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $96K enough to live in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,920/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,343/month, which eats 22.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a environmental engineers salary go in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Buffalo-Cheektowaga has a Regional Price Parity of 95.84 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median environmental engineers salary is worth about $99,896 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do environmental engineers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.