Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Salary
In California, environmental scientists and specialists, including healths earn $106,510 at the median, or about $51.21 an hour. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $162K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $100,349 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 37.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $107K get you in California?
About environmental scientists and specialists, including healths
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What this looks like in California
California sits well above the national pay line for environmental scientists and specialists, including health, local pay runs about 30% higher than the U.S. median of $82K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 38.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level environmental scientists and specialists, including healths (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $107K. Top earners bring in $162K or more, a $97K spread from bottom to top.
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health salary by metro in California
23 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $127K | +19% | 1,320 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $110K | +4% | 170 |
| Napa | $110K | +3% | 40 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $110K | +3% | 190 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $108K | +2% | 3,520 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $107K | +0% | 340 |
| Yuba City | $107K | +0% | 60 |
| Redding | $107K | +0% | 130 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $106K | -0% | 1,140 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $106K | -1% | 210 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $105K | -1% | 2,520 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $105K | -1% | 130 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $104K | -2% | 670 |
| Modesto | $104K | -3% | 40 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $104K | -3% | 90 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $103K | -3% | 160 |
| Salinas | $102K | -5% | 90 |
| Fresno | $97K | -9% | 380 |
| Vallejo | $96K | -10% | 110 |
| El Centro | $96K | -10% | 40 |
| Chico | $91K | -14% | 60 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $81K | -24% | 220 |
| Visalia | $80K | -25% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 23 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a environmental scientists and specialists, including health afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $107K, rent takes 38.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental scientists and specialists, including healths typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,921/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is environmental scientists and specialists, including health a high-paying job in California?
Local pay is 30% above the national median — $107K here vs. $82K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does California compare to the national average for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths?
California pays $107K median vs. the U.S. average of $82K — that’s +30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $100K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do environmental scientists and specialists, including healths make in California?
The median is $106,510 a year, that works out to about $51 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $65,350, and experienced environmental scientists and specialists, including healths can clear $161,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $107K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,439/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 38.4% 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 scientists and specialists, including health salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median environmental scientists and specialists, including health salary is worth about $100,349 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do environmental scientists and specialists, 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.