Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Salary
In Salinas, CA, environmental scientists and specialists, including healths earn $101,560 at the median, or about $48.83 an hour. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $160K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.04), so that salary is closer to $93,140 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,684/month, about 42.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $102K get you in Salinas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salinas’s Regional Price Parity (109.04). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Salinas
Salinas sits well above the national pay line for environmental scientists and specialists, including health, local pay runs about 24% 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 $2,684/month, which is 43.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.04), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths in metros near Salinas, 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, Salinas, CA
Entry-level environmental scientists and specialists, including healths (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $102K. Top earners bring in $160K or more, a $94K 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)
Track environmental scientists and specialists, including health salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Salinas numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a environmental scientists and specialists, including health afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salinas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $102K, rent takes 43.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,684/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 Salinas?
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 $2,684/month FMR, rent would take 68% 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 Salinas?
Local pay is 24% above the national median — $102K here vs. $82K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 9% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Salinas compare to the national average for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths?
Salinas pays $102K median vs. the U.S. average of $82K — that’s +24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.04), the purchasing-power equivalent is $93K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do environmental scientists and specialists, including healths make in Salinas, CA?
The median is $101,560 a year, that works out to about $49 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $65,350, and experienced environmental scientists and specialists, including healths can clear $159,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $102K enough to live in Salinas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,188/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,684/month, which eats 43.4% 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 Salinas?
Salinas has a Regional Price Parity of 109.04 (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 $93,140 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.