Environmental Engineers Salary
In Texas, environmental engineers earn $123,060 at the median, or about $59.17 an hour. The range runs from $77K at the entry level to $178K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $134,507 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,415/month, or 17.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $123K actually covers in Texas, month by month
About environmental engineers
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What this looks like in Texas
Texas sits well above the national pay line for environmental engineers, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $107K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,415/month, 17.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Texas offers a genuinely strong financial position for environmental engineers at the median.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level environmental engineers (10th percentile) start around $77K. Mid-career wages sit at $123K. Top earners bring in $178K or more, a $101K spread from bottom to top.
Environmental Engineers salary by metro in Texas
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $135K | +10% | 80 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $127K | +3% | 690 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $127K | +3% | 370 |
| Corpus Christi | $125K | +2% | 30 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $124K | +1% | 160 |
| Midland | $123K | +0% | 60 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $99K | -20% | 210 |
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a environmental engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
Yes — at the median salary of $123K, rent takes 17.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for environmental engineers in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental engineers typically earn — is $77K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,184/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 27% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is environmental engineer a high-paying job in Texas?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $123K here vs. $107K nationally.
How does Texas compare to the national average for environmental engineers?
Texas pays $123K median vs. the U.S. average of $107K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $135K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do environmental engineers make in Texas?
The median is $123,060 a year, that works out to about $59 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $76,510, and experienced environmental engineers can clear $177,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $123K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,905/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 17.9% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $134,507 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.