What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in the U.S. earn more than $82,220 a year — the middle 80% land between $52,520 and $140,010. About 89,250 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$82,220typical pay / year
89,250people in this work
$140,010+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Analysing4
Analyze climate policy data
+Analyze the regional temperature and precipitation datasets, run the trend and anomaly tests, flag stations…
Analyze climate policy data
+Analyze the regional temperature and precipitation datasets, run the trend and anomaly tests, flag stations with inconsistent records, produce a one-page summary of statistical confidence and policy implications for the climate team by Wednesday.
The tools that do the workPythonMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
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Prepare policy briefs
+Draft a two-page policy brief for the director that explains recent climate trends, the projected risks to…
Prepare policy briefs
+Draft a two-page policy brief for the director that explains recent climate trends, the projected risks to coastal infrastructure, recommended policy options with estimated costs, and an executive summary ready for circulation next Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft PowerPointESCOjob descriptions
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Evaluate climate initiatives
+Assess the effectiveness of the last three regional climate initiatives by comparing observed outcomes to…
Evaluate climate initiatives
+Assess the effectiveness of the last three regional climate initiatives by comparing observed outcomes to stated targets, calculate cost per ton of emissions reduced, identify gaps in monitoring, and deliver a recommendation memo with metrics by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelPythonESCOjob descriptions
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Conduct environmental impact assessments
+Compile the environmental baseline from air, water and land monitoring, run impact scenarios for the proposed…
Conduct environmental impact assessments
+Compile the environmental baseline from air, water and land monitoring, run impact scenarios for the proposed project footprint, summarise key risks to vulnerable ecosystems and communities, and produce a findings section for the assessment report within ten working days.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISThe MathWorks MATLABjob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work16
Present and defend proposals for climate change research projects.
+Present the research portfolio to the climate science advisory board, defend the proposed projects' methods…
Present and defend proposals for climate change research projects.
+Present the research portfolio to the climate science advisory board, defend the proposed projects' methods and budgets, answer questions on uncertainty and policy impact, and secure a majority vote to move two studies into procurement by Friday afternoon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordO*NET
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Prepare grant applications to obtain funding for programs related to climate change, environmental management, or sustainability.
+Draft and submit two full grant applications for a coastal resilience program and an urban heat mitigation…
Prepare grant applications to obtain funding for programs related to climate change, environmental management, or sustainability.
+Draft and submit two full grant applications for a coastal resilience program and an urban heat mitigation study, include objectives, methods, data plan, budget and CVs, get institutional sign-off from the director and submit by the funder's Tuesday deadline.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Collaborate with stakeholders
+Organise a stakeholder workshop with city planners, farmers, and utility reps, circulate the agenda and…
Collaborate with stakeholders
+Organise a stakeholder workshop with city planners, farmers, and utility reps, circulate the agenda and briefing memo, collect written priorities, and produce a one‑page joint statement to guide the next three months of programme design.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft PowerPointjob descriptions
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Monitor policy implementation
+Track implementation of the emissions reduction policy across three pilot municipalities, compile monthly…
Monitor policy implementation
+Track implementation of the emissions reduction policy across three pilot municipalities, compile monthly compliance and outcome metrics, flag missed milestones to the program manager, and recommend corrective actions in a short report each month.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Wordjob descriptions
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Analyse historic weather conditions
+Assemble and clean the last 50 years of station observations for the coastal region, calculate seasonal…
Analyse historic weather conditions
+Assemble and clean the last 50 years of station observations for the coastal region, calculate seasonal averages and trend lines, produce maps of anomalies and a two‑page summary for planners before next Wednesday's meeting.
The tools that do the workThe MathWorks MATLABESRI ArcGISESCO
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Apply statistical analysis techniques
+Run the prescribed statistical tests on the temperature and precipitation datasets, validate assumptions,…
Apply statistical analysis techniques
+Run the prescribed statistical tests on the temperature and precipitation datasets, validate assumptions, document code and results, and deliver reproducible tables and interpretation to the research lead by Monday noon.
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Perform scientific research
+Compile the observational datasets, quality-check the station records for gaps and biases, run the chosen…
Perform scientific research
+Compile the observational datasets, quality-check the station records for gaps and biases, run the chosen statistical tests to estimate trend significance, then draft the methods and findings for the briefing note to the climate policy team by Thursday.
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Apply scientific methods
+Design the study protocol: state hypotheses about extreme rainfall, specify sampling and instrumentation…
Apply scientific methods
+Design the study protocol: state hypotheses about extreme rainfall, specify sampling and instrumentation standards, define the statistical tests and significance thresholds, and produce a one-page protocol for review by the program lead on Monday.
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Execute analytical mathematical calculations
+Calculate the seasonal and annual anomalies, decompose the time series for trend and variability, compute…
Execute analytical mathematical calculations
+Calculate the seasonal and annual anomalies, decompose the time series for trend and variability, compute confidence intervals and effect sizes for temperature change, then attach the calculated tables to the memo for the director by Friday noon.
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Conduct research on climate processes
+Assemble the observational and reanalysis streams, map the synoptic patterns linked to recent heatwaves, run…
Conduct research on climate processes
+Assemble the observational and reanalysis streams, map the synoptic patterns linked to recent heatwaves, run the attribution diagnostics, and produce a two-page summary with key figures for the climate advisory board next Wednesday.
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Advise on weather-related issues
+Advise the city resilience team on the next two weeks of heat and heavy-rain risk for policy briefings,…
Advise on weather-related issues
+Advise the city resilience team on the next two weeks of heat and heavy-rain risk for policy briefings, include likely impacts on shelters, transport and low-income neighbourhoods, quantify uncertainty and recommend three immediate policy actions for Monday's cabinet note.
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Use measurement instruments
+Prepare a protocol and checklist to calibrate and log readings from our network of temperature and rain…
Use measurement instruments
+Prepare a protocol and checklist to calibrate and log readings from our network of temperature and rain gauges this month, assign responsibilities to field technicians, specify acceptance tolerances and a two-week recheck window so data can be used in the regional flood report.
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Scientific research methodology
+Draft the research design for a study testing whether recent urban greening reduced neighbourhood heat…
Scientific research methodology
+Draft the research design for a study testing whether recent urban greening reduced neighbourhood heat exposure, specify hypotheses, sample selection, sensors and sampling schedule, statistical tests, and an ethics/data-sharing section to submit to the review board by Thursday.
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Scientific modelling
+Build and validate a regional temperature-precipitation model to project seasonal extremes, document input…
Scientific modelling
+Build and validate a regional temperature-precipitation model to project seasonal extremes, document input datasets, model equations, calibration period, error metrics and sensitivity tests, and produce summary figures for the modelling team review next Wednesday.
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Carry out meteorological research
+Design and run the meteorological field campaign to study coastal convection: list required instruments and…
Carry out meteorological research
+Design and run the meteorological field campaign to study coastal convection: list required instruments and siting, sampling cadence, data quality checks, personnel rota, and a plan to ingest cleaned observations into the regional archive within ten days of collection.
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Collect weather-related data
+Collect and harmonise the last five years of station and radar observations for the coastal region, run basic…
Collect weather-related data
+Collect and harmonise the last five years of station and radar observations for the coastal region, run basic QC to flag gaps and sensor drift, produce a cleaned dataset and a data inventory with provenance so analysts can use it in the seasonal forecast.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses