Environmental Manager Hourly Wage vs. Annual Salary: A Full Pay Breakdown (2027)
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Environmental manager salary is quoted both by the hour and by the year, and the two numbers can look very different. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not publish a separate environmental manager occupation. It counts environmental managers in a broad group called managers, all other (SOC 11-9199). That group had a median wage of $68.22 an hour, or $141,900 a year, in May 2025. Job postings for the environmental manager title itself average lower, about $96,758 a year on Indeed. The environmental manager hourly wage and annual salary are two views of the same pay, linked by a 2,080-hour work year. Pay also shifts by state, experience, industry, and degree.
Remote and hybrid options
Remote environmental jobs exist because reporting, data analysis, and permit preparation can be done remotely, while inspections, audits, and incident response require time on site. A hybrid schedule is one way employers split the two.
Related Job Titles and Their Pay
Job Title | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly |
|---|---|---|
EHS Manager | $153,890 (BLS managers, all other) | $73.99 |
Environmental Compliance Manager | $153,890 (BLS managers, all other) | $73.99 |
Environmental Project Manager | $100,660 (Indeed job postings) | $48.39 |
Sustainability Manager | No verified figure | No verified figure |
Environmental Engineer | $112,910 (BLS) | $54.29 |
Environmental Scientist | $91,680 (BLS) | $44.08 |
O*NET places EHS managers and compliance managers in the same BLS group as environmental managers, so the EHS manager salary and environmental compliance manager pay figures match the group. The environmental project manager salary figure is Indeed's average from about 1,100 salaries, updated September 27, 2026, and no verified sustainability manager salary figure exists. An environmental engineering manager falls under BLS architectural and engineering managers, with a median of $171,270.
Job Outlook and Career Path
BLS growth projection and annual openings
BLS employment projections give the environmental manager job outlook through the managers, all other group: 4.9% growth from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% for all occupations. BLS expects about 100,900 openings a year across the whole group. Related environmental occupations show similar or faster growth: 6.3% for environmental engineers, 6.1% for environmental scientists and specialists, and 18.5% for occupational health and safety specialists.
Typical career ladder
A common path runs from environmental technician to environmental specialist or coordinator, then environmental manager, director, and vice president of sustainability. Each step adds responsibility for more sites, more staff, or company-wide reporting. Dreambound lists environmental management classes near you for technicians who want formal training for the first steps.
Trends shaping demand
Environmental reporting rules are changing at both the federal and state levels. In September 2025, EPA proposed removing reporting requirements for 46 source categories under its Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, and it has not finalized that proposal. EPA also moved the deadline for 2025 reports to March 10, 2027. In California, the corporate climate disclosure laws, SB 253 and SB 261, were amended in 2024 and are run by the California Air Resources Board. For environmental managers, these changes affect what compliance and reporting work covers.
How to Increase Your Earnings
Get certified
Choose the credential that matches your work: the CHMM for hazardous materials, the CSP for safety, the LEED AP for green building, or the PMP for project management.
Move into high-paying industries or states
Oil and gas, utilities, and consulting pay above the group's federal and manufacturing averages, and Massachusetts, California, and Colorado lead the state medians. Weigh any move against living costs.
Negotiate using total compensation data
Bring your state's BLS percentiles, job board averages for the title, and the value of bonuses, health premiums, and retirement matching. A total compensation comparison can show a bigger gap between offers than base pay alone.
Take on project management or regulatory specialization
Leading remediation or permitting projects, or specializing in air, water, or hazardous waste rules, builds the record that senior roles ask for.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an environmental manager make per hour?
BLS counts environmental managers in the managers, all other group, whose median hourly wage was $68.22 in May 2025 and mean $73.99. Job postings for the environmental manager title average about $46.52 an hour on Indeed, based on a $96,758 yearly average.
How much does an environmental manager make per year?
The managers, all other group had a median annual wage of $141,900 and a mean of $153,890 in May 2025. Job board figures for the specific title run lower: Indeed shows $96,758 and PayScale shows $99,839 as average base salaries.
What is the average environmental manager salary in the US?
The average (mean) annual wage in the BLS group that includes environmental managers was $153,890 in May 2025, with a median of $141,900. Because that group includes many other manager titles, job board averages near $97,000 to $100,000 describe the environmental manager title more closely.
How do I convert an hourly wage to an annual salary?
Multiply the hourly wage by 2,080, which is 40 hours a week for 52 weeks. For example, $45 an hour equals $93,600 a year. To go the other way, divide the annual salary by 2,080, so $141,900 a year works out to about $68.22 an hour.
Is an environmental manager paid hourly or salaried?
Most environmental manager jobs are salaried, since managers who direct staff and earn at least $684 a week can be exempt from overtime under federal law. Coordinator, technician, and some contract roles are paid hourly and qualify for overtime past 40 hours a week.
What state pays environmental managers the most?
Massachusetts had the highest state median in May 2025 at $182,950 a year, or $87.96 an hour, for the BLS managers, all other group. California and Colorado followed at $174,560 and $171,140. The District of Columbia, not a state, reported $175,720.
What is the lowest-paying state for environmental managers?
Indiana had the lowest state median in May 2025, at $79,900 a year, or $38.42 an hour, for the managers, all other group. Arkansas followed at $87,520 and Tennessee at $99,430. Living costs in those states are also lower than in the top-paying states.
How much do entry-level environmental managers make?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The 10th percentile of the managers, all other group was $74,300 a year in May 2025. PayScale's self-reported data shows $51,521 in average total compensation for less than a year of experience, from a small sample.
How much do senior environmental managers make?
Senior managers near the 75th percentile of the BLS group earned about $186,300 a year, or $89.57 an hour, in May 2025, and the 90th percentile reached $238,270. Director-level roles with company-wide responsibility tend to fall in that upper range.
Do environmental managers get overtime pay?
Salaried environmental managers who meet the federal executive exemption are not owed overtime. That exemption requires a salary of at least $684 a week and supervising at least two full-time employees. Hourly and nonexempt workers earn at least one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40.
What industries pay environmental managers the most?
Among these industries, oil, gas and energy paid the highest mean wage in the BLS group, about $176,934. Consulting and engineering services followed at $173,203 and manufacturing at $167,640. State and local government averaged about $117,021, the lowest of the six groups compared.
Is environmental management a good career?
The BLS group that includes environmental managers is projected to grow 4.9% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average, with a median wage of $141,900. The work suits people comfortable with regulations, reporting deadlines, and site work, and it rewards experience and credentials.
What degree do I need to become an environmental manager?
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education for this group. Common majors include environmental science, environmental management, engineering, and chemistry. Employers also expect related work experience, and BLS lists less than five years as typical before moving into a manager role.
Do certifications increase an environmental manager's salary?
No government source publishes a pay premium for environmental certifications. The 2023 BCSP and National Safety Council survey found the CSP added more than $30,000 for safety practitioners without other credentials. No comparable figure exists for the CHMM, LEED AP, or PMP in this field.
How much do EHS managers make compared to environmental managers?
BLS counts EHS managers and environmental managers in the same group, managers, all other, so they share a $141,900 median and $153,890 mean. Job boards report separate figures for the two titles, but no verified side-by-side comparison from a primary source is available.
Can environmental managers work remotely?
Partly. Reporting, data analysis, and permit preparation can be done remotely, but inspections, audits, and incident response require time on site. A hybrid schedule combines the two, and the balance depends on how much site work the job involves and how many locations the manager covers.
How long does it take to become an environmental manager?
A bachelor's degree takes about four years, and BLS lists less than five years of related work experience as typical before a manager role. In practice, that means several years as a technician, specialist, or coordinator after graduation before reaching an environmental manager title.
What is the job outlook for environmental managers?
BLS projects the managers, all other group to grow 4.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 100,900 openings a year across the whole group. Related environmental occupations show 6.1% growth for environmental scientists and 6.3% for environmental engineers over the same period.
How do environmental manager salaries compare to environmental scientists?
The median for the BLS group that includes environmental managers was $141,900 in May 2025, about 73% higher than the $82,220 median for environmental scientists and specialists. Job board figures for environmental managers, near $97,000 to $100,000, show a smaller but still clear gap.
How can I negotiate a higher environmental manager salary?
Bring your state's BLS percentiles, job board averages for the environmental manager title, and a list of your certifications and permits handled. Ask about bonuses, health premiums, retirement matching, and travel pay, since benefits make up about 30% of private employers' compensation costs.
Using Hourly and Annual Pay Data to Benchmark an Offer
The environmental manager salary picture comes down to a few numbers. The BLS group that includes environmental managers had a median of $68.22 an hour, or $141,900 a year, and the 2,080-hour formula converts one figure into the other. Job board averages for the title itself run closer to $97,000 to $100,000. State, industry, experience, and certifications are the main drivers of pay, and benefits add about 30% on top of wages for private employers. Comparing an offer against the state medians and total compensation shows where it falls. Dreambound, a marketplace for comparing career training programs, covers environmental management training options. Wage figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025 unless a job board or survey is named.
Environmental Manager Salary by State (Full Table)
State | Median annual salary | Median hourly wage | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | $135,890 | $65.33 | 1,970 |
Alaska | $127,950 | $61.51 | 1,740 |
Arizona | $129,870 | $62.44 | 8,540 |
Arkansas | $87,520 | $42.08 | 5,690 |
California | $174,560 | $83.92 | 99,580 |
Colorado | $171,140 | $82.28 | 14,060 |
Connecticut | $162,690 | $78.22 | 7,330 |
Delaware | $168,060 | $80.80 | 1,280 |
District of Columbia | $175,720 | $84.48 | 18,570 |
Florida | $108,890 | $52.35 | 37,820 |
Georgia | $125,000 | $60.10 | 34,680 |
Hawaii | $130,000 | $62.50 | Not published |
Idaho | $131,550 | $63.24 | 1,230 |
Illinois | $140,240 | $67.42 | 31,680 |
Indiana | $79,900 | $38.42 | 6,990 |
Iowa | $128,080 | $61.58 | 3,600 |
Kansas | $131,710 | $63.32 | 2,690 |
Kentucky | $122,930 | $59.10 | 2,390 |
Louisiana | $103,140 | $49.59 | 13,220 |
Maine | $115,920 | $55.73 | 1,860 |
Maryland | $159,040 | $76.46 | 17,530 |
Massachusetts | $182,950 | $87.96 | 10,630 |
Michigan | $134,260 | $64.55 | 9,380 |
Minnesota | $152,600 | $73.37 | 4,160 |
Mississippi | $101,570 | $48.83 | 960 |
Missouri | $125,760 | $60.46 | 11,420 |
Montana | $110,470 | $53.11 | 1,600 |
Nebraska | $116,430 | $55.98 | 2,640 |
Nevada | $112,040 | $53.87 | 9,110 |
New Hampshire | $145,630 | $70.02 | 1,330 |
New Jersey | $161,510 | $77.65 | 30,270 |
New Mexico | $123,550 | $59.40 | 3,770 |
New York | $167,200 | $80.39 | 18,470 |
North Carolina | $141,160 | $67.87 | 21,830 |
North Dakota | $126,440 | $60.79 | 2,040 |
Ohio | $129,940 | $62.47 | 7,360 |
Oklahoma | $131,870 | $63.40 | 1,340 |
Oregon | $125,580 | $60.38 | 7,680 |
Pennsylvania | $131,600 | $63.27 | 20,170 |
Rhode Island | $165,900 | $79.76 | 790 |
South Carolina | $129,960 | $62.48 | 2,210 |
South Dakota | $119,470 | $57.44 | 570 |
Tennessee | $99,430 | $47.80 | 17,510 |
Texas | $134,390 | $64.61 | 61,410 |
Utah | $134,890 | $64.85 | 9,190 |
Vermont | $125,440 | $60.31 | 1,060 |
Virginia | $166,230 | $79.92 | 21,560 |
Washington | $164,160 | $78.92 | 10,490 |
West Virginia | $124,940 | $60.07 | 3,640 |
Wisconsin | $107,050 | $51.46 | 14,240 |
Wyoming | $113,420 | $54.53 | 850 |
Figures are BLS May 2025 medians for managers, all other (SOC 11-9199), the group that includes environmental managers.
