Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Salary
In Florida, environmental scientists and specialists, including healths earn $60,830 at the median, or about $29.24 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $109K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.58), that's roughly $61,706 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,658/month, about 39.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Florida. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $61K get you in Florida?
About environmental scientists and specialists, including healths
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What this looks like in Florida
Pay for environmental scientists and specialists, including health in Florida runs about 26% below the U.S. median of $82K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,658/month, which is 39.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.58) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florida
Entry-level environmental scientists and specialists, including healths (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $109K or more, a $67K spread from bottom to top.
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health salary by metro in Florida
19 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildwood-The Villages | $77K | +27% | 40 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $72K | +19% | 70 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $69K | +13% | 1,080 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $65K | +8% | 50 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $65K | +7% | 650 |
| Naples-Marco Island | $65K | +6% | 70 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $64K | +5% | 220 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $63K | +4% | 200 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $63K | +3% | 880 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $61K | +0% | 250 |
| Jacksonville | $60K | -1% | 550 |
| Punta Gorda | $59K | -3% | 40 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $58K | -5% | 140 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $57K | -6% | 130 |
| Gainesville | $56K | -8% | 170 |
| Port St. Lucie | $55K | -9% | 130 |
| Tallahassee | $54K | -11% | 650 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $52K | -15% | 180 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | $51K | -16% | 30 |
Showing 1–10 of 19 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florida numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a environmental scientists and specialists, including health afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florida?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 39.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,658/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Florida?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental scientists and specialists, including healths typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,556/month. At HUD’s $1,658/month FMR, rent would take 65% 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 Florida?
Local pay runs 26% below the national median — $61K here vs. $82K nationally.
How does Florida compare to the national average for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths?
Florida pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $82K — that’s -26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — below the national median.
How much do environmental scientists and specialists, including healths make in Florida?
The median is $60,830 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,600, and experienced environmental scientists and specialists, including healths can clear $109,290. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Florida?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,243/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,658/month, which eats 39.1% 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 Florida?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity of 98.58 (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 $61,706 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.