Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Salary
In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, environmental scientists and specialists, including healths earn $95,170 at the median, or about $45.75 an hour. The range runs from $61K at the entry level to $161K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $96,492 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,573/month, or 24.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $95K get you in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands’s Regional Price Parity (98.63). 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands 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. Rent runs $1,573/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.63) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Waco | $85K | $91K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $85K | $83K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $93K | $95K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $92K | $97K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Entry-level environmental scientists and specialists, including healths (10th percentile) start around $61K. Mid-career wages sit at $95K. Top earners bring in $161K or more, a $100K 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Yes — at the median salary of $95K, rent takes 25.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental scientists and specialists, including healths typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,650/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $95K here vs. $82K nationally.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $95K median vs. the U.S. average of $82K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $96K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do environmental scientists and specialists, including healths make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $95,170 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,840, and experienced environmental scientists and specialists, including healths can clear $160,530. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $95K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,278/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 25.1% 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has a Regional Price Parity of 98.63 (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 $96,492 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.