Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health Salary
In McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX, environmental science and protection technicians, including healths earn $44,490 at the median, or about $21.39 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.89), which stretches that salary to about $51,799 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,060/month, about 33.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $44K get you in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by McAllen-Edinburg-Mission’s Regional Price Parity (85.89). 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 science and protection technicians, including healths
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What this looks like in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission
Pay for environmental science and protection technicians, including health in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $55K. Rent runs $1,060/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for environmental science and protection technicians, including healths in metros near McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $49K | $50K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $54K | $52K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $53K | $54K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $51K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
Entry-level environmental science and protection technicians, including healths (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $32K spread from bottom to top.
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $67K | +22% | 850 |
| Nebraska | $66K | +20% | 140 |
| Connecticut | $66K | +20% | N/A |
| Minnesota | $65K | +19% | 450 |
| Rhode Island | $65K | +18% | 90 |
| New York | $62K | +13% | 1,960 |
| New Mexico | $62K | +13% | 500 |
| North Dakota | $61K | +12% | 140 |
| California | $61K | +11% | 6,010 |
| Colorado | $61K | +11% | 740 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | +10% | 1,180 |
| Montana | $61K | +10% | 70 |
| Nevada | $60K | +10% | 390 |
| Illinois | $60K | +9% | 980 |
| Massachusetts | $59K | +8% | 330 |
| Oregon | $59K | +7% | 440 |
| Utah | $58K | +6% | 270 |
| Arizona | $58K | +5% | 590 |
| Hawaii | $57K | +3% | 260 |
| Tennessee | $57K | +3% | 320 |
| Ohio | $56K | +2% | 770 |
| Idaho | $55K | +1% | 200 |
| Wisconsin | $55K | +0% | 380 |
| Alaska | $55K | +0% | 440 |
| Vermont | $55K | +0% | 50 |
| Maryland | $55K | +0% | 580 |
| New Hampshire | $54K | -2% | 80 |
| West Virginia | $53K | -5% | 750 |
| New Jersey | $52K | -5% | 830 |
| Iowa | $52K | -6% | 470 |
| Maine | $52K | -6% | 150 |
| North Carolina | $52K | -6% | 1,100 |
| Michigan | $51K | -7% | 600 |
| Texas | $51K | -8% | 3,350 |
| Missouri | $50K | -9% | 380 |
| Wyoming | $49K | -10% | 150 |
| Virginia | $49K | -10% | 1,450 |
| Indiana | $49K | -11% | 780 |
| Florida | $49K | -11% | 2,090 |
| South Carolina | $49K | -12% | 500 |
| Arkansas | $48K | -12% | 160 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -13% | 360 |
| Georgia | $48K | -13% | 1,110 |
| Kansas | $48K | -13% | 340 |
| Kentucky | $47K | -15% | 560 |
| Delaware | $46K | -17% | 150 |
| Alabama | $45K | -18% | 410 |
| South Dakota | $44K | -20% | 60 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -36% | 250 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track environmental science and protection technicians, including health salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a environmental science and protection technicians, including health afford a 2BR apartment alone in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 33.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,060/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for environmental science and protection technicians, including healths in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental science and protection technicians, including healths typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,779/month. At HUD’s $1,060/month FMR, rent would take 60% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is environmental science and protection technicians, including health a high-paying job in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $44K here vs. $55K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does McAllen-Edinburg-Mission compare to the national average for environmental science and protection technicians, including healths?
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do environmental science and protection technicians, including healths make in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?
The median is $44,490 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,650, and experienced environmental science and protection technicians, including healths can clear $61,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,149/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,060/month, which eats 33.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a environmental science and protection technicians, including health salary go in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission has a Regional Price Parity of 85.89 (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 science and protection technicians, including health salary is worth about $51,799 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do environmental science and protection technicians, including healths 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.