Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Salary
In Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, environmental scientists and specialists, including healths earn $62,680 at the median, or about $30.14 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.89), that's roughly $62,127 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,977/month, about 45.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $63K get you in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater’s Regional Price Parity (100.89). 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
Pay for environmental scientists and specialists, including health in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $82K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,977/month, which is 45.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.89) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths in metros near Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $69K | $60K |
| Tallahassee | $54K | $57K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $65K | $64K |
| Jacksonville | $60K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Entry-level environmental scientists and specialists, including healths (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $64K 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 45.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,977/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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental scientists and specialists, including healths typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,521/month. At HUD’s $1,977/month FMR, rent would take 78% 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $63K here vs. $82K nationally.
How does Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater compare to the national average for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths?
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $82K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — below the national median.
How much do environmental scientists and specialists, including healths make in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
The median is $62,680 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,020, and experienced environmental scientists and specialists, including healths can clear $106,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,367/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,977/month, which eats 45.3% 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater has a Regional Price Parity of 100.89 (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 $62,127 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.