Environmental Engineers Salary
In Columbus, OH, environmental engineers earn $127,190 at the median, or about $61.15 an hour. The range runs from $76K at the entry level to $147K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.47), that's roughly $133,225 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,430/month, or 18.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $127K get you in Columbus?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbus’s Regional Price Parity (95.47). 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 Columbus
Columbus sits well above the national pay line for environmental engineers, local pay runs about 19% higher than the U.S. median of $107K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,430/month, 18.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.47) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Columbus offers a genuinely strong financial position for environmental engineerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for environmental engineers in metros near Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | $114K | $119K |
| Cleveland | $116K | $123K |
| Akron | $114K | $122K |
| Toledo | $99K | $108K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbus, OH
Entry-level environmental engineers (10th percentile) start around $76K. Mid-career wages sit at $127K. Top earners bring in $147K or more, a $71K 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 Columbus numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a environmental engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbus?
Yes — at the median salary of $127K, rent takes 18.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,430/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for environmental engineers in Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental engineers typically earn — is $76K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,580/month. At HUD’s $1,430/month FMR, rent would take 31% 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 Columbus?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $127K here vs. $107K nationally.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for environmental engineers?
Columbus pays $127K median vs. the U.S. average of $107K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.47), the purchasing-power equivalent is $133K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do environmental engineers make in Columbus, OH?
The median is $127,190 a year, that works out to about $61 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $76,330, and experienced environmental engineers can clear $147,250. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $127K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,889/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,430/month, which eats 18.1% 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 Columbus?
Columbus has a Regional Price Parity of 95.47 (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 $133,225 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.