Environmental Scientist and Health Specialist Salary Information in California

The average annual salaries for environmental scientists and health specialists in the state of California are shown in Table 1. The comparison of the salary statistics of environmental scientists and health specialists among California areas is shown in Table 2. The salary statistics are based on the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1 & 2. Annual Salary of Environmental Scientists and Health Specialists in California (2022 Survey)

Percentile bracketAverage annual salary
10th Percentile Wage
$59,780
25th Percentile Wage
$76,330
50th Percentile Wage
$95,100
75th Percentile Wage
$122,410
90th Percentile Wage
$149,260

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for environmental scientists and health specialists in California in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $149,260. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $95,100. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $59,780.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of environmental scientists and health specialists from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$95,100
6.62% 20.37%
2021
$88,800
-3.87% -
2020
$92,240
5.29% -
2019
$87,360
0.32% -
2018
$87,080
6.20% -
2017
$81,680
3.18% -
2016
$79,080
-0.57% -
2015
$79,530
0.06% -
2014
$79,480
-0.38% -
2013
$79,780
5.08% -
2012
$75,730
- -

Table 3. Median Annual Salary of Environmental Scientists and Health Specialists in California Cities (2022 Survey)

Table 3 shows the median annual salary of environmental scientists and health specialists in some California cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of environmental scientists and health specialists in state of California ranges from $61,510 to $111,780. The highest paying area for environmental scientists and health specialists in California is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara with a median annual salary of $111,780. The second highest paying city/area in California State is San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City (mean annual salary $106,900). The lowest paying area is Merced with a median annual salary of $61,510.

Cities/Areas Median Annual Salary
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
$111,780
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City
$106,900
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
$105,380
Chico
$100,900
Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville
$100,290
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward
$96,810
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
$95,370
Fresno
$95,100
Modesto
$95,100
Napa
$95,100
Salinas
$95,100
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
$95,100
Redding
$95,100
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
$95,100
El Centro
$95,100
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
$94,030
Stockton
$92,980
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
$90,110
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$85,030
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$84,710
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos
$84,340
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
$84,320
Visalia-Porterville
$84,200
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana
$82,200
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale
$82,170
Bakersfield-Delano
$81,950
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine
$80,520
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
$80,310
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$79,550
Vallejo-Fairfield
$77,840
North Valley Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$77,590
Madera-Chowchilla
$76,180
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta
$72,420
Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$68,900
Eastern Sierra Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$65,600
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$64,100
Merced
$61,510