How long does the training take?

Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train for this work?

987 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

🎓 My University View

Home › Careers › Environmental scientists and specialists, including health

Environmental scientists and specialists, including health: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Science · SOC 19-2041

$82,220US median pay, 2025

+6.1%Projected growth, 2025–35

7,300Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Bachelor's degree
Work in: environmental scientists and specialists, including health

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Environmental Science	CIP 03.0104	591
Environmental Studies	CIP 03.0103	463
Sustainability Studies	CIP 30.3301	213
Environmental Health	CIP 51.2202	81
Geography and Environmental Studies	CIP 30.4401	39
Marine Sciences	CIP 30.3201	32
Toxicology	CIP 26.1004	27
Environmental Geosciences	CIP 30.4101	13
Environmental Toxicology	CIP 26.1006	11
Environmental Chemistry	CIP 40.0509	6
Molecular Toxicology	CIP 26.1005	1

See the 987 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do environmental scientists and specialists, including health make?: The US median is $82,220 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?: 987 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

Related careers in Science

Occupational health and safety specialists · Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other · Medical scientists, except epidemiologists · Biological technicians · Chemical technicians · Chemists · Environmental science and protection technicians, including health · Social science research assistants