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Science and Research | Environmental Planner / Scientist

Environmental Planner / Scientist

What Does a Professional in this Career Do?

An Environmental Planner or Scientist uses training and background in natural sciences to study the environment and threats to the environment. Investigates environmental problems and advises on solutions. May focus on potential environmental health risks to people, such as unsafe drinking water, or on protecting the environment and ecosystems from human activity such as development and industrial pollution.

Job Outlook

There were 1219 Environmental Planner / Scientist job postings in North Carolina in the past year and 36126 in the United States.

We do not have this data at this time.

Salary

Many new Environmental Planner / Scientist jobs have salaries estimated to be in the following ranges, based on the requirements and responsibilities listed in job postings from the past year.

National

The average estimated salary in the United States for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $82,536.

State

The average estimated salary in North Carolina for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $81,933.

Percentiles represent the percentage that is lower than the value. For example, 25% of estimated salaries for Environmental Planner / Scientist postings in the United States in the past year were lower than $66,460.

Education and Experience

Posted Environmental Planner / Scientist jobs typically require the following level of education. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list education requirements.

Education LevelPercentage
Associate's Degree0%
Bachelor's Degree75.2%
Master's Degree21.54%
Doctoral Degree3.71%
Other10.12%

Posted Environmental Planner / Scientist jobs typically require the following number of years of experience. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list experience requirements.

Years of ExperiencePercentage
0 to 2 years39.16%
3 to 5 years38.41%
6 to 8 years10.68%
9+ years11.75%

Skills

Below are listings of the most common general and specialized skills Environmental Planner / Scientist positions expect applicants to have as well as the most common skills that distinguish individuals from their peers. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is also listed.

Baseline Skills

A skill that is required across a broad range of occupations, including this one.

  • Communication (37.27%)
  • Planning (36.61%)
  • Operations (33.36%)
  • Management (32.9%)
  • Research (30%)
  • Leadership (28.93%)
  • Writing (18.39%)
  • Investigation (18.05%)
  • Detail Oriented (17.68%)
  • Coordinating (17.61%)

Defining Skills

A core skill for this occupation, it occurs frequently in job postings.

  • Environmental Science (46.1%)
  • Project Management (27.29%)
  • Biology (22.76%)
  • Environmental Compliance (16.48%)
  • Geology (17.23%)
  • Sampling (Statistics) (10.79%)
  • Groundwater (10.79%)
  • Site Assessment (8.88%)
  • Field Research (10%)
  • Environmental Permitting (9.12%)
  • Ecology (8.16%)
  • Environmental Planning (7.73%)

Necessary Skills

A skill that is requested frequently in this occupation but isn’t specific to it.

  • Environmental Laws (21.11%)
  • Data Collection (23.71%)
  • Soil Science (16.61%)
  • Environmental Engineering (14.34%)
  • Chemistry (12.65%)
  • Auditing (10.34%)
  • Environment Health And Safety (10.44%)
  • Stormwater Management (10.56%)
  • Data Analysis (9.33%)
  • Technical Writing (9.1%)
  • ArcGIS (GIS Software) (6.04%)
  • Regulatory Compliance (8.8%)
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (7.3%)

Distinguishing Skills

A skill that may distinguish a subset of the occupation.

  • Wetland Delineation (5.73%)
  • Environmental Consulting (6.93%)
  • National Environmental Policy Act (6.29%)
  • Environmental Issue (6.63%)
  • Resource Conservation And Recovery Act (RCRA) (6.1%)
  • Environmental Data Analysis (15.22%)
  • Air Quality (5.16%)
  • Environmental Resource Management (5.42%)
  • Pollution Prevention (6.29%)
  • Environmental Studies (4.91%)
  • Coastal Science (15.54%)
  • Clean Water Act (5.75%)
  • Environmental Impact Assessments (5.38%)
  • Surface Water (4.63%)
  • Water Quality (5.2%)
  • California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (2.76%)
  • Hydrogeology (3.53%)
  • Environmental Impact Statements (3.25%)
  • Endangered Species Act (2.9%)

Salary Boosting Skills

A professional who wishes to excel in this career path may consider developing the following highly valued skills. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is listed.

  • Groundwater Monitoring (4.22%)
  • Environmental Auditing (4.86%)
  • Project Management (84.58%)
  • National Environmental Policy Act (19.49%)

Alternative Job Titles

Sometimes employers post jobs with Environmental Planner / Scientist skills but a different job title. Some common alternative job titles include:

  • Environmental Specialist
  • Environmental Scientist
  • Commissioned Officer
  • Aviation Officer
  • Environmental Planner
  • Environmental Analyst
  • Environmental Engineer/Scientist
  • Environmental Coordinator
  • Environmental Scientist/Geologist
  • Environmental Manager

Similar Occupations

If you are interested in exploring occupations with similar skills, you may want to research the following job titles. Note that we only list occupations that have at least one corresponding NC State Online and Distance Education program.

Common Employers

Here are the employers that have posted the most Environmental Planner / Scientist jobs in the past year along with how many they have posted.

United States

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (4911)
  • State of Minnesota (854)
  • Stantec (646)
  • CDM Smith (474)
  • State of Florida (458)
  • AECOM (457)
  • Actalent (438)
  • Eurofins (343)
  • WSP Global (339)
  • Terracon Consultants (314)

North Carolina

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (214)
  • State of North Carolina (100)
  • Actalent (24)
  • N.C Department Of Transportation (24)
  • Transdev (20)
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific (18)
  • Terracon Consultants (18)
  • Montrose Environmental Group (18)
  • Hitachi (14)
  • Jacobs Solutions (13)

NC State Programs Relevant to this Career

If you are interested in preparing for a career in this field, the following NC State Online and Distance Education programs offer a great place to start!