Environmental Engineer salary
From 685 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 17-2081: Environmental Engineers
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 35% of Environmental Engineer filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Geosyntec Consultants. 39 filings (6% of the total), median $101,234.
- Median up 33% since FY2020. From $75,190 in FY2020 to $100,200 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Environmental Engineer H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 685 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Environmental Engineer jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 17-2081, Environmental Engineers). The median base salary is $98,373, 20% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $81,000 and $118,435. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 35% of filings. New York, NY has the most filings (67), and Geosyntec Consultants is the employer that files the most (39).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Environmental Engineer
WSP23 filings · 3%$107,078
Carollo Engineers21 filings · 3%$93,660
Stantec Consulting Services18 filings · 3%$104,967
California Air Resources Board16 filings · 2%$106,692
AECOM Technical Services15 filings · 2%$97,000
Jacobs Engineering Group15 filings · 2%$110,000
UChicago Argonne15 filings · 2%$94,486
Langan Engineering and Environmental Services12 filings · 2%$81,487
Arcadis10 filings · 1%$88,847
Employers with the most Environmental Engineer filings. Bar: share of all Environmental Engineer filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 34% of filings
Mid-level · 35% of filings
Senior · 19% of filings
Expert · 11% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $77,064 | 209 |
| Level II · Qualified | $99,999 | 217 |
| Level III · Experienced | $123,247 | 119 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $145,300 | 68 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Environmental Engineer pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 18 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $94,349 | 67 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $103,854 | 51 |
| San Francisco, CA | $115,000 | 51 |
| Houston, TX | $118,264 | 46 |
| Chicago, IL | $109,717 | 30 |
| Atlanta, GA | $93,509 | 27 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $81,120 | 23 |
| Washington, DC | $111,510 | 18 |
| Boston, MA | $83,140 | 17 |
| Austin, TX | $113,000 | 16 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $97,950 | 16 |
| Seattle, WA | $117,725 | 16 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $89,990 | 15 |
| Sacramento, CA | $101,874 | 14 |
| San Jose, CA | $135,475 | 14 |
| Denver, CO | $94,827 | 13 |
| Raleigh, NC | $107,452 | 13 |
| Riverside, CA | $109,362 | 10 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Environmental Engineer does
Research, design, plan, or perform engineering duties in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental hazards using various engineering disciplines. Work may include waste treatment, site remediation, or pollution control technology.
Typical tasks
- Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality.
- Assess the existing or potential environmental impact of land use projects on air, water, or land.
- Collaborate with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, experts in law or business, or other specialists to address environmental problems.
- Advise corporations or government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment.
- Develop proposed project objectives and targets and report to management on progress in attaining them.
- Monitor progress of environmental improvement programs.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Environmental Engineers (17-2081.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Environmental Engineers), the median annual wage was $107,110 in May 2025, with 38,340 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $98,373, 8% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $70,429 | $69,990 |
| 25th percentile | $81,000 | $83,570 |
| Median | $98,373 | $107,110 |
| 75th percentile | $118,435 | $134,420 |
| 90th percentile | $141,954 | $162,220 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $70,429 |
| 25th | $81,000 |
| 50th (median) | $98,373 |
| 75th | $118,435 |
| 90th | $141,954 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $75,190 | $65,004 | $95,000 | 521 |
| FY2021 | $79,955 | $67,000 | $95,000 | 435 |
| FY2022 | $85,000 | $72,000 | $105,851 | 477 |
| FY2023 | $90,002 | $78,456 | $110,026 | 387 |
| FY2024 | $89,336 | $76,000 | $109,512 | 333 |
| FY2025 | $96,221 | $80,720 | $115,619 | 422 |
| FY2026 | $100,200 | $82,268 | $122,936 | 263 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Environmental Engineer make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Environmental Engineer jobs is $98,373 (685 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $81,000 and $118,435.
What does an entry-level Environmental Engineer earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $77,064. Level I accounts for 34% of Environmental Engineer filings.
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Environmental Engineers?
Geosyntec Consultants (39), WSP (23) and Carollo Engineers (21) filed the most Environmental Engineer LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Environmental Engineers earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($98,373) is 8% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($107,110, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.