Environmental Scientist salary in Los Angeles, CA
Based on 32 certified H-1B filings in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Irvine, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Vernon, Santa Monica.
Also listed as: Environmental Specialist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $71,846 |
| 25th | $86,736 |
| 50th (median) | $104,000 |
| 75th | $132,250 |
| 90th | $144,600 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $66,200 | $57,990 | $89,714 | 16 |
| FY2021 | $90,728 | $61,640 | $98,000 | 11 |
| FY2022 | $86,300 | $77,584 | $96,000 | 14 |
| FY2023 | $82,701 | $75,250 | $107,152 | 14 |
| FY2024 | $78,000 | $64,189 | $135,000 | 17 |
| FY2025 | $93,530 | $84,342 | $104,250 | 12 |
| FY2026 | $108,056 | $86,736 | $139,500 | 20 |
Cost of living
Los Angeles's median Environmental Scientist salary of $104,000 is worth about $91,600 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Los Angeles = 113.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in the Los Angeles, CA area earned a median of $105,340 in May 2025 (2,520 employed). The H-1B median here is $104,000, 1% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Sequoia Climate Foundation | too few | 5 |
| AECOM Technical Services | too few | 3 |
| Ascent Environmental | too few | 2 |
| California Bioenergy | too few | 2 |
| Michael Baker International | too few | 2 |
| Ramboll Americas Engineering Solutions | too few | 2 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | too few | 4 |
| Senior · Level III | too few | 2 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 5 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.