Environmental Scientist Salary
Official ONS earnings for the UK, covering 41,000 jobs.
Median salary
£41,555
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 13.2% change on the previous year
Full-time only
£43,362
Part-time only
£22,748
Mean
£45,221
Jobs measured
41,000
What a typical environmental scientist takes home
On the median of £41,555, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,787
Take-home a year
£33,439
Income Tax
£5,797
National Insurance
£2,319
What most environmental scientists actually earn
Half of environmental scientists earn between £32,432 and £50,359. Earning above £50,359 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of environmental scientists earn less than this.
Environmental Scientist salary by region
7 of 11 GB regions have a published figure for this occupation.
| Region | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| South East | £47,737 | £49,525 |
| Scotland | £45,337 | £48,102 |
| London | £43,703 | £45,384 |
| West Midlands | £41,746 | £44,580 |
| East | £37,807 | £41,415 |
| South West | £33,471 | £35,332 |
| East Midlands | £32,677 | £37,564 |
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Environment professionals
- SOC 2020 code
- 2152
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
ONS doesn't measure “environmental scientist” as its own category. These figures are for the wider group “Environment professionals”, which includes this role alongside others. ONS measures environment professionals.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Environmental Scientist salary FAQs
What is the average Environmental Scientist salary in the UK?
The median is £41,555 a year and the mean is £45,221, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; full-time employees alone have a median of £43,362 and part-time employees £22,748.
How much does a environmental scientist earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £22.22 excluding overtime, or £22.42 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only.
What is a good Environmental Scientist salary?
Half of environmental scientists earn between £32,432 and £50,359. Anything above £50,359 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a environmental scientist?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of environmental scientists earn under £26,051 and the lowest quarter under £32,432 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Has environmental scientist pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +13.2% for this occupation in the UK. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many environmental scientists are there in the UK?
ASHE counts around 41,000 employee jobs in “Environment professionals” (SOC 2152) in the UK. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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