Environmental Engineers Salary
In Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC, environmental engineers earn $102,110 at the median, or about $49.09 an hour. The range runs from $67K at the entry level to $139K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.94), that's roughly $104,258 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,713/month, or 26.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $102K get you in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk’s Regional Price Parity (97.94). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Environmental engineers pay in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk tracks closely to the national median, $102K locally vs. $107K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,713/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for environmental engineers in metros near Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $101K | $103K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $121K | $111K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $98K | $93K |
| Knoxville | $87K | $93K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
Entry-level environmental engineers (10th percentile) start around $67K. Mid-career wages sit at $102K. Top earners bring in $139K or more, a $72K 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a environmental engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Yes — at the median salary of $102K, rent takes 27.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,713/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for environmental engineers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental engineers typically earn — is $67K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,009/month. At HUD’s $1,713/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $102K locally vs. $107K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk compare to the national average for environmental engineers?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pays $102K median vs. the U.S. average of $107K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $104K — below the national median.
How much do environmental engineers make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?
The median is $102,110 a year, that works out to about $49 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $66,820, and experienced environmental engineers can clear $139,030. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $102K enough to live in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,239/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,713/month, which eats 27.5% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk has a Regional Price Parity of 97.94 (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 $104,258 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.