Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health Salary
In Roanoke, VA, environmental science and protection technicians, including healths earn $42,850 at the median, or about $20.6 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.62), which stretches that salary to about $45,770 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,254/month, about 42.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $43K get you in Roanoke?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Roanoke’s Regional Price Parity (93.62). 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 Roanoke
Pay for environmental science and protection technicians, including health in Roanoke runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,254/month, which is 43.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.62 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for environmental science and protection technicians, including healths.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for environmental science and protection technicians, including healths in metros near Roanoke, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $49K | $50K |
| Richmond | $46K | $47K |
| Charlottesville | $67K | $67K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $57K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Roanoke, VA
Entry-level environmental science and protection technicians, including healths (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $24K 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 |
| Maryland | $55K | +0% | 580 |
| Vermont | $55K | +0% | 50 |
| 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 with published data
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 Roanoke?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 43.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,254/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 Roanoke?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental science and protection technicians, including healths typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,101/month. At HUD’s $1,254/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 Roanoke?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $43K here vs. $55K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Roanoke compare to the national average for environmental science and protection technicians, including healths?
Roanoke pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.62), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — below the national median.
How much do environmental science and protection technicians, including healths make in Roanoke, VA?
The median is $42,850 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,010, and experienced environmental science and protection technicians, including healths can clear $59,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Roanoke?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,877/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,254/month, which eats 43.6% 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 Roanoke?
Roanoke has a Regional Price Parity of 93.62 (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 $45,770 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.