Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Salary
In El Centro, CA, environmental scientists and specialists, including healths earn $95,630 at the median, or about $45.98 an hour. The range runs from $72K at the entry level to $116K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.17), that's roughly $100,483 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,362/month, or 22.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $96K get you in El Centro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by El Centro’s Regional Price Parity (95.17). 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 scientists and specialists, including healths
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What this looks like in El Centro
El Centro sits well above the national pay line for environmental scientists and specialists, including health, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $82K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,362/month, 23.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.17) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, El Centro offers a genuinely strong financial position for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths in metros near El Centro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $108K | $102K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $105K | $93K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $127K | $110K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $106K | $95K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, El Centro, CA
Entry-level environmental scientists and specialists, including healths (10th percentile) start around $72K. Mid-career wages sit at $96K. Top earners bring in $116K or more, a $44K spread from bottom to top.
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $133K | +61% | 1,270 |
| California | $107K | +30% | 12,490 |
| Rhode Island | $101K | +23% | 330 |
| Massachusetts | $101K | +22% | 2,930 |
| Washington | $98K | +20% | 4,470 |
| Oregon | $97K | +19% | 1,370 |
| Texas | $92K | +12% | 5,630 |
| Alaska | $92K | +12% | 860 |
| Utah | $91K | +10% | 1,020 |
| Minnesota | $88K | +7% | 2,260 |
| New Mexico | $87K | +5% | 940 |
| Colorado | $86K | +5% | 2,580 |
| Georgia | $86K | +4% | 1,750 |
| North Dakota | $85K | +3% | 240 |
| Maryland | $84K | +2% | 1,760 |
| Nevada | $83K | +1% | 490 |
| Virginia | $82K | +0% | 2,850 |
| New York | $82K | -0% | 3,700 |
| West Virginia | $82K | -0% | 250 |
| Connecticut | $82K | -0% | 620 |
| Illinois | $82K | -1% | 1,550 |
| New Hampshire | $81K | -2% | 480 |
| Arizona | $81K | -2% | 1,970 |
| Montana | $80K | -2% | 570 |
| Hawaii | $80K | -3% | 670 |
| New Jersey | $79K | -4% | 3,150 |
| Iowa | $79K | -4% | 690 |
| Ohio | $79K | -4% | 2,460 |
| Kansas | $78K | -5% | 590 |
| Vermont | $77K | -6% | 490 |
| Tennessee | $77K | -7% | 1,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $76K | -7% | 3,020 |
| Michigan | $76K | -7% | 3,100 |
| Oklahoma | $76K | -8% | 520 |
| South Carolina | $75K | -9% | 490 |
| North Carolina | $74K | -10% | 4,150 |
| Wyoming | $74K | -10% | 410 |
| Wisconsin | $73K | -11% | 920 |
| Alabama | $72K | -12% | 870 |
| Kentucky | $71K | -14% | 1,000 |
| Idaho | $70K | -14% | 670 |
| Louisiana | $70K | -15% | 1,600 |
| South Dakota | $68K | -17% | 240 |
| Maine | $66K | -19% | 530 |
| Indiana | $65K | -21% | 1,290 |
| Delaware | $65K | -21% | 290 |
| Nebraska | $64K | -22% | 510 |
| Missouri | $61K | -26% | 1,380 |
| Florida | $61K | -26% | 5,950 |
| Mississippi | $58K | -30% | 390 |
| Arkansas | $57K | -30% | 270 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a environmental scientists and specialists, including health afford a 2BR apartment alone in El Centro?
Yes — at the median salary of $96K, rent takes 23.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,362/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths in El Centro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental scientists and specialists, including healths typically earn — is $72K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,340/month. At HUD’s $1,362/month FMR, rent would take 31% 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 El Centro?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $96K here vs. $82K nationally.
How does El Centro compare to the national average for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths?
El Centro pays $96K median vs. the U.S. average of $82K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $100K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do environmental scientists and specialists, including healths make in El Centro, CA?
The median is $95,630 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $72,330, and experienced environmental scientists and specialists, including healths can clear $116,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $96K enough to live in El Centro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,886/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,362/month, which eats 23.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a environmental scientists and specialists, including health salary go in El Centro?
El Centro has a Regional Price Parity of 95.17 (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 scientists and specialists, including health salary is worth about $100,483 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.