National Salary Info » Environmental Scientists and Geoscientists

Highest Paying Industries for Environmental Scientists and Geoscientists

The top 100 highest paying industries for environmental scientists and geoscientists (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $126,870, oil and gas extraction is the highest paying industry for environmental scientists and geoscientists. It is followed by mining industry (average annual salary $121,640). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of environmental scientists and geoscientists in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Environmental Scientists and Geoscientists

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Oil and Gas Extraction	$126,870	$52,560	8,940
2	Mining	$121,640	$53,370	11,150
3	Support Activities for Mining	$120,050	$54,490	1,580
4	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$115,920	$60,130	2,340
5	Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	$110,850	$50,950	220
6	Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing	$106,850	$46,750	40
7	Pipeline Transportation	$103,280	$48,690	390
8	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$102,290	$62,310	1,050
9	Transportation and Warehousing	$98,150	$49,440	490
10	Natural Gas Distribution	$95,810	$58,480	480
11	Federal government, including USPS	$93,650	$62,400	9,440
12	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$93,650	$62,350	9,430
13	Other Pipeline Transportation	$92,830	$67,950	50
14	Manufacturing	$91,620	$50,100	1,940
15	Utilities	$89,780	$57,030	1,740
16	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$88,620	$56,890	1,110
17	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$86,550	$54,920	30
18	Metal Ore Mining	$86,120	$56,790	540
19	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$84,770	$55,980	620
20	Paper Manufacturing	$84,240	$50,810	40
21	Water, Sewage and Other Systems	$83,580	$53,850	150
22	Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas	$81,010	$42,220	120
23	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$80,810	$46,120	3,500
24	Scientific Research and Development Services	$80,520	$45,170	3,750
25	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	$80,030	$50,310	60
26	Commercial and Industrial Machinery Equipment (except Auto and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance	$79,860	$43,410	n/a
27	Repair and Maintenance	$79,860	$43,410	n/a
28	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$79,560	$52,550	70
29	Outpatient Care Centers	$79,440	$53,300	210
30	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$79,130	$45,360	100
31	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$79,130	$45,360	100
32	Temporary Help Services	$78,230	$46,170	560
33	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$77,700	$49,030	240
34	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$77,580	$42,600	440
35	Administrative and Support Services	$76,620	$42,360	880
36	Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities	$75,220	$32,260	250
37	Scheduled Air Transportation	$75,030	$50,710	n/a
38	Air Transportation	$75,030	$50,710	n/a
39	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$74,400	$51,060	60
40	Wholesale Trade	$74,010	$48,170	150
41	Employment Services	$73,920	$42,130	700
42	Remediation and Other Waste Management Services	$72,910	$35,720	900
43	Engineering Services	$72,690	$43,720	16,810
44	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$71,820	$43,660	130
45	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$71,570	$38,100	2,550
46	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$70,880	$40,880	54,360
47	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$70,670	$41,000	21,950
48	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$69,980	$40,450	27,870
49	Nonresidential Building Construction	$69,890	$50,110	n/a
50	Construction of Buildings	$69,890	$50,110	n/a
51	Chemical Manufacturing	$69,570	$41,030	320
52	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$69,450	$35,940	1,670
53	Construction	$68,660	$41,090	260
54	Waste Treatment and Disposal	$68,150	$36,700	680
55	Primary Metal Manufacturing	$68,140	$46,460	120
56	Utility System Construction	$67,880	$43,870	n/a
57	Social Assistance	$67,830	$34,640	60
58	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$67,180	$43,200	60
59	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$66,670	$39,300	4,330
60	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$66,640	$40,710	90
61	Educational Services - State government owned	$66,570	$39,280	4,340
62	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$66,000	$39,430	5,040
63	Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing	$65,820	$47,640	70
64	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$65,780	$41,040	45,480
65	Federal, State, and Local Government	$65,780	$41,040	45,480
66	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$65,730	$40,690	50,030
67	Educational Services	$65,690	$39,420	5,110
68	Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$64,240	$42,010	270
69	Educational Services - Privately owned	$63,120	$40,500	720
70	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$63,070	$40,460	710
71	Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	$62,040	$46,120	30
72	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$62,000	$40,300	12,710
73	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$61,700	$39,920	12,880
74	State government, including schools and hospitals	$60,340	$39,350	27,720
75	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$59,830	$39,360	23,340
76	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$58,900	$46,190	40
77	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$58,900	$46,190	40
78	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$58,730	$37,340	120
79	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	$57,530	$32,510	50
80	Educational Services - Local government owned	$57,090	$39,090	50
81	Food Manufacturing	$56,580	$40,590	30
82	Testing Laboratories	$55,760	$31,400	3,340
83	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$55,460	$31,990	1,690
84	Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations	$55,190	$31,840	1,660
85	Social Advocacy Organizations	$54,310	$31,620	1,560
86	Waste Collection	$53,880	$34,950	90
87	Health Care and Social Assistance	$49,040	$32,310	1,730
88	Hospitals - State government owned	$48,420	$41,000	30
89	Hospitals - Privately owned	$47,020	$32,620	1,280
90	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$45,610	$32,380	1,170
91	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$45,570	$31,940	1,430
92	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$44,090	$31,710	n/a
93	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$33,860	$26,430	120
94	Hospitals - Local government owned	$33,860	$26,430	120
95	Finance and Insurance	$29,690	$25,790	n/a