Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
SOC Code: 19-2041 Job Zone 4: Considerable Preparation Needed
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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Prevailing Wage Levels (National)
DOL/OFLC prevailing wage thresholds for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health. Hourly rates x 2,080 = annual.
FY2027 Weighted Lottery Impact
| Level | Lottery Entries | Est. Selection Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Level I (Entry) | 1 entry | ~16% |
| Level II (Qualified) | 2 entries | ~31% |
| Level III (Experienced) | 3 entries | ~45% |
| Level IV (Expert) | 4 entries | ~61% |
Prevailing Wages by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinesville, GA | $62,046 | $102,648 | $143,250 | $183,851 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $55,307 | $95,659 | $136,011 | $176,363 |
| East Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $54,600 | $87,173 | $119,746 | $152,318 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | $56,971 | $87,298 | $117,603 | $147,930 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $73,715 | $96,533 | $119,330 | $142,147 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $78,083 | $99,320 | $120,536 | $141,773 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $71,510 | $93,246 | $114,962 | $136,698 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $69,576 | $91,187 | $112,798 | $134,410 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $74,214 | $93,912 | $113,589 | $133,286 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $65,416 | $86,736 | $108,056 | $129,376 |
H-1B Filing Data
Top H-1B Employers
| Employer | Filings | Avg Wage |
|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan | 7 | $61,951 |
| AECOM Technical Services, Inc. | 1 | $92,060 |
| The Water Institute of the Gulf | 1 | $125,000 |
| University of Idaho | 1 | $56,472 |
Filing Trend
| Year | Filings | Avg Wage |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | $56,373 |
| 2024 | 3 | $59,348 |
| 2025 | 6 | $78,795 |
Key Skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 | |
| Science | 4.0 | |
| Speaking | 4.0 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.0 | |
| Writing | 4.0 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 | |
| Active Learning | 3.8 | |
| Coordination | 3.6 | |
| Monitoring | 3.6 |
Knowledge Areas
| Knowledge | Importance |
|---|---|
| English Language | 4.5 |
| Biology | 3.9 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.7 |
| Law and Government | 3.5 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.4 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.3 |
| Chemistry | 3.2 |
| Administrative | 3.1 |
Education Requirements
| Education Level | % of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 47.5% |
| High school diploma | 21.3% |
| Doctoral degree | 13.8% |
| Master's degree | 12.7% |
| Post-first professional | 4.0% |
Typical Tasks
- Conduct environmental audits or inspections or investigations of violations.
- Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements.
- Provide advice on proper standards and regulations or the development of policies, strategies, or codes of practice for environmental management.
- Prepare charts or graphs from data samples, providing summary information on the environmental relevance of the data.
- Monitor environmental impacts of development activities.
- Research sources of pollution to determine their effects on the environment and to develop theories or methods of pollution abatement or control.
- Monitor effects of pollution or land degradation and recommend means of prevention or control.
- 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.
Technology Skills
Green = Hot Technology in demand
Adobe Acrobat Adobe Illustrator Autodesk AutoCAD Bentley MicroStation C++ ESRI ArcGIS software IBM SPSS Statistics Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Project Microsoft Visual Basic Microsoft Word
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