Environmental Scientist Salary in South West
Official ONS earnings for South West.
Median salary — South West
£33,471
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 25.6% change on the previous year
Mean
£35,332
What a typical environmental scientist takes home
On the median of £33,471, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,302
Take-home a year
£27,619
Income Tax
£4,180
National Insurance
£1,672
What most environmental scientists actually earn
Half of environmental scientists across the UK earn between £32,432 and £50,359. Earning above £50,359 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
This range is UK-wide — ONS publishes no regional breakdown of the spread for this occupation.
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 jobs hiring now in South West
Live adverts. Salaries are shown only where the employer states one.
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Renewables Graduate Geoscience or Environmental Science Degree£30,000
CV Screen Ltd · Bodmin, Cornwall
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 South West?
The median is £33,471 a year and the mean is £35,332, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
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, so there is no separate rate for South West.
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.
Do environmental scientists in South West earn more than the UK average?
The median in South West is £33,471 against £41,555 across the UK, 19.5% lower.
Has environmental scientist pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +25.6% for this occupation in South West. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
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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