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Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

Also called: Environmental Programs Specialist, Environmental Protection Specialist, Environmental Scientist, Environmental Specialist

Conduct research or perform investigation for the purpose of identifying, abating, or eliminating sources of pollutants or hazards that affect either the environment or public health. Using knowledge of various scientific disciplines, may collect, synthesize, study, report, and recommend action based on data derived from measurements or observations of air, food, soil, water, and other sources.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$82,220
Openings a year BLS, 2025–357,300
Typical education to start BLSBachelor's degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 Very high
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +6.1%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 21 of its 22 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 6.1% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

BLS figures cover the broader occupation “Environmental scientists and specialists, including health”, which includes this one and others.

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 2.0% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 48% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 75% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$57k$133knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$72,490$52,750 to $85,350870
Alaska$91,960$76,290 to $114,400860
Arizona$80,600$64,420 to $103,0101,970
Arkansas$57,220$44,930 to $88,710270
California$106,510$81,480 to $132,77012,490
Colorado$85,990$65,670 to $106,6902,580
Connecticut$82,070$70,200 to $107,380620
Delaware$64,690$57,130 to $76,990290
District of Columbia$132,620$98,410 to $161,4701,270
Florida$60,830$48,870 to $81,6005,950
Georgia$85,710$67,200 to $115,5901,750
Guam$68,640$47,860 to $88,61080
Hawaii$79,510$60,650 to $92,620670
Idaho$70,350$61,880 to $85,650670
Illinois$81,590$60,790 to $121,0401,550
Indiana$64,700$52,580 to $94,9101,290
Iowa$78,780$62,080 to $91,070690
Kansas$78,210$64,070 to $106,800590
Kentucky$71,040$56,070 to $78,8501,000
Louisiana$69,820$58,500 to $95,4301,600
Maine$66,480$56,470 to $78,060530
Maryland$84,190$65,850 to $106,8601,760
Massachusetts$100,640$79,890 to $127,3102,930
Michigan$76,080$61,120 to $94,5203,100
Minnesota$88,000$61,570 to $105,8502,260
Mississippi$57,780$47,010 to $77,600390
Missouri$61,050$55,000 to $72,8801,380
Montana$80,260$66,300 to $93,140570
Nebraska$64,040$55,320 to $79,970510
Nevada$83,050$65,370 to $105,530490
New Hampshire$80,810$66,560 to $100,170480
New Jersey$79,210$62,150 to $102,4403,150
New Mexico$86,630$76,080 to $104,250940
New York$82,160$67,040 to $104,3103,700
North Carolina$74,130$61,820 to $93,9904,150
North Dakota$84,570$67,020 to $92,340240
Ohio$78,540$62,210 to $95,1202,460
Oklahoma$75,910$59,840 to $89,670520
Oregon$97,440$76,870 to $113,3201,370
Pennsylvania$76,110$60,420 to $95,9103,020
Puerto Rico$53,030$38,020 to $81,330390
Rhode Island$100,730$79,770 to $123,180330
South Carolina$74,910$57,030 to $100,320490
South Dakota$68,230$62,910 to $79,880240
Tennessee$76,840$62,670 to $99,2001,230
Texas$92,000$66,640 to $128,3805,630
Utah$90,710$71,200 to $124,9901,020
Vermont$77,460$63,630 to $97,430490
Virgin Islands$53,830$44,240 to $70,71040
Virginia$82,230$68,030 to $102,7502,850
Washington$98,300$79,950 to $127,7704,470
West Virginia$82,100$63,950 to $102,420250
Wisconsin$72,820$62,560 to $86,610920
Wyoming$74,050$61,780 to $85,020410

Nationally: $82,220. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on 21 of its 22 tasks

11 · AI alone could halve the time 10 · AI + software built on it could 1 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
AI + software Communicate scientific or technical information to the public, organizations, or internal audiences through oral briefings, written documents, workshops, conferences, training sessions, or public hearings. Not published
AI alone Provide scientific or technical guidance, support, coordination, or oversight to governmental agencies, environmental programs, industry, or the public. under 0.01%
AI alone Prepare charts or graphs from data samples, providing summary information on the environmental relevance of the data. Not published
AI + software Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements. Not published
AI alone Provide advice on proper standards and regulations or the development of policies, strategies, or codes of practice for environmental management. Not published
AI + software Process and review environmental permits, licenses, or related materials. Not published
See all 22 tasks
AI alone Monitor effects of pollution or land degradation and recommend means of prevention or control. Not published
AI + software Collect, synthesize, analyze, manage, and report environmental data, such as pollution emission measurements, atmospheric monitoring measurements, meteorological or mineralogical information, or soil or water samples. Not published
Not much Supervise or train students, environmental technologists, technicians, or other related staff. Not published
AI + software Conduct environmental audits or inspections or investigations of violations. Not published
AI alone Analyze data to determine validity, quality, and scientific significance and to interpret correlations between human activities and environmental effects. Not published
AI alone Research sources of pollution to determine their effects on the environment and to develop theories or methods of pollution abatement or control. Not published
AI alone Investigate and report on accidents affecting the environment. Not published
AI + software Monitor environmental impacts of development activities. Not published
AI + software Evaluate violations or problems discovered during inspections to determine appropriate regulatory actions or to provide advice on the development and prosecution of regulatory cases. Not published
AI alone Determine data collection methods to be employed in research projects or surveys. Not published
AI + software Develop the technical portions of legal documents, administrative orders, or consent decrees. 0.01%
AI alone Develop methods to minimize the impact of production processes on the environment, based on the study and assessment of industrial production, environmental legislation, and physical, biological, and social environments. Not published
AI alone Conduct applied research on environmental topics, such as waste control or treatment or pollution abatement methods. Not published
AI + software Design or direct studies to obtain technical environmental information about planned projects. Not published
AI alone Plan or develop research models, using knowledge of mathematical and statistical concepts. Not published
AI + software Develop programs designed to obtain the most productive, non-damaging use of land. Not published

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 2 of the 22 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 22 tasks fall under 15 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up21 of 22 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most3 of 15 activities
  • #5 Provide information or assistance to the public
  • #20 Present research or technical information
  • #33 Compile records, documentation, or other data
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Investigate the environmental impact of industrial or development activities 1.35#221 0.38#222
Develop research plans or methodologies 4.23#139 1.03#168
Advise others on environmental sustainability or green practices 1.38#219 5.30#83
Develop plans for managing or preserving natural resources 0.40#278 0.20#241
Assess compliance with environmental standards or regulations 0.26#291 0.20#242
Provide information or assistance to the public 356#5 1,375#2
Present research or technical information 100#20 339#6
Compile records, documentation, or other data 52#33 33#37
Show all 15 activities
Examine materials or documentation for accuracy or compliance 22#53 12#64
Advise others on legal or regulatory matters 8.33#101 22#45
Develop scientific or mathematical theories or models 5.05#126 1.09#163
Prepare legal or regulatory documents 3.40#156 0.50#204
Direct scientific or technical activities 1.24#227 1.58#137
Develop sustainable organizational or business policies or practices 0.72#254 0.33#231
Supervise personnel activities 0.56#266 0.05#283
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Investigate the environmental impact of industrial or development activities” holds 6 tasks rated AI + software or AI alone, yet people asked AI for help with it in 1.35 of every 10,000 conversations, #221 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • An explanation or answer69%
  • A document or report8%
  • A chart or visualization8%
  • Teaching material3%
  • An analysis or summary1%

How they worked with Claude

18% handed the task off82% worked on it together

25% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.

How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for environmental scientists and specialists, including health specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Environmental scientists and specialists, including health: +6.1%Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Environmental scientists and specialists, including health: +6.1%Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved next

of 16,147 moves out

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 14%
  2. 2 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 7%
  3. 3 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 3%
  4. 4 Environmental Engineers Very high +6.3% 3%
  5. 5 Occupational Health and Safety Specialists High +18.5% 3%

Where people moved in from

of 19,110 moves in

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 12%
  2. 2 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 5%
  3. 3 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
  4. 4 Compliance Officers Very high +3.8% 2%
  5. 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 2%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

O*NET survey of workers in this occupation

  • 1% some college
  • 47% bachelor's
  • 13% post-bachelor's certificate
  • 14% master's
  • 4% research doctorate
  • 21% not published

O*NET marks 21% of the answers as too uncertain to publish, so the parts shown don't add up to 100%.

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 35 people answered.

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 67% bachelor's
  • 27% master's
  • 1% professional degree
  • 5% doctorate

Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 628 people surveyed.

Why the two can differ

O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide

Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
11 programs, such as Environmental Studies, Environmental Science and Toxicology.
See all
  • Environmental Studies
  • Environmental Science
  • Toxicology
  • Molecular Toxicology
  • Environmental Toxicology
  • Marine Sciences
  • Sustainability Studies
  • Environmental Geosciences
  • Geography and Environmental Studies
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Environmental Health

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

68.2% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
a license16.7%19.1%
a certification2.1%5.8%
an educational certificate<0.5%2.8%

Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

  • Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
  • Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
  • License Finder ↗ licenses by state
  • Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYST). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health” there.

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)

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