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.
Analysing3
Analyze climate policy data
+Analyze the five-year regional temperature and precipitation datasets, run trend and anomaly tests, flag data…
Analyze climate policy data
+Analyze the five-year regional temperature and precipitation datasets, run trend and anomaly tests, flag data gaps or dubious stations, produce a one-page methods note and a table of statistically significant changes for the climate team by next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workPythonThe MathWorks MATLABjob descriptionsO*NET
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Evaluate climate initiatives
+Assess the new municipal climate initiative against baseline emissions and resilience metrics, estimate…
Evaluate climate initiatives
+Assess the new municipal climate initiative against baseline emissions and resilience metrics, estimate avoided emissions and co-benefits using the program data, score gaps against our framework, and deliver a recommendation memo with numeric appendices by Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelSASESCOjob descriptions
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Conduct environmental impact assessments
+Conduct the environmental impact assessment for the proposed development: map sensitive habitats and flood…
Conduct environmental impact assessments
+Conduct the environmental impact assessment for the proposed development: map sensitive habitats and flood zones, quantify likely changes in runoff and species disturbance, write a findings section with mitigation measures and a confidence statement for the planning officer within two weeks.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
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Keeping the record1
Prepare policy briefs
+Draft a two-page policy brief for the director summarizing recent regional climate trends, the implications…
Prepare policy briefs
+Draft a two-page policy brief for the director summarizing recent regional climate trends, the implications for coastal flood planning, three policy options with trade-offs, and an executive summary ready for Friday morning's stakeholder meeting.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordESCOjob descriptions
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The daily work16
Present and defend proposals for climate change research projects.
+Present and defend the three project proposals on regional heatwave projections to the research committee on…
Present and defend proposals for climate change research projects.
+Present and defend the three project proposals on regional heatwave projections to the research committee on Thursday, emphasise methods, budget trade-offs, and uncertainty, rebut anticipated critiques from procurement and the modelling team, and record committee decisions.
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 the grant application for the urban resilience program to the climate trust by next Monday,…
Prepare grant applications to obtain funding for programs related to climate change, environmental management, or sustainability.
+Draft and submit the grant application for the urban resilience program to the climate trust by next Monday, include objectives, methodology, detailed budget with staff time, letters of support from the city sustainability officer and the university lab, and a two-page impact summary.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Collaborate with stakeholders
+Organise a stakeholder workshop next Wednesday with the coastal management NGO, two local councillors, and…
Collaborate with stakeholders
+Organise a stakeholder workshop next Wednesday with the coastal management NGO, two local councillors, and the university modelling team; circulate the agenda and briefing note, collect RSVPs, and log commitments and follow-up actions afterwards.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Monitor policy implementation
+Produce the quarterly implementation monitor for the new flood response policy by Friday: compile indicators,…
Monitor policy implementation
+Produce the quarterly implementation monitor for the new flood response policy by Friday: compile indicators, compare actions to the timeline, flag three missed targets for the policy lead, and recommend corrective actions with evidence from field reports.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Wordjob descriptions
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Analyse historic weather conditions
+Analyse ten years of station data for the coastal district to produce a concise report on trends in…
Analyse historic weather conditions
+Analyse ten years of station data for the coastal district to produce a concise report on trends in temperature and precipitation, highlight any shifts in extremes, include methodology and confidence intervals, and attach cleaned datasets and charts.
The tools that do the workPythonThe MathWorks MATLABESCO
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Apply statistical analysis techniques
+Run the seasonal attribution analysis on the new dataset, apply the agreed statistical model, produce tables…
Apply statistical analysis techniques
+Run the seasonal attribution analysis on the new dataset, apply the agreed statistical model, produce tables of significance and uncertainty, validate assumptions, and produce a summary for the senior analyst by Wednesday.
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Perform scientific research
+Design and run the literature review and observational analysis that tests whether recent temperature…
Perform scientific research
+Design and run the literature review and observational analysis that tests whether recent temperature extremes in the Midwest exceed the 1970–2000 baseline, document data sources and methods, and prepare results and limitations for the director by next Tuesday.
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Apply scientific methods
+Develop and carry out an experimental protocol to evaluate whether the proposed bias correction reduces…
Apply scientific methods
+Develop and carry out an experimental protocol to evaluate whether the proposed bias correction reduces seasonal precipitation error, record instrument and dataset metadata, run the planned hypothesis tests, and write a one-page brief for the policy team by Friday.
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Execute analytical mathematical calculations
+Perform the analytical calculations to convert station pressure and temperature time series into trend…
Execute analytical mathematical calculations
+Perform the analytical calculations to convert station pressure and temperature time series into trend estimates with uncertainty, check assumptions, produce a table of coefficients and confidence intervals, and send the results to the senior analyst by Wednesday.
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Conduct research on climate processes
+Assemble and analyse process-level datasets to test how soil moisture anomalies affect local convective…
Conduct research on climate processes
+Assemble and analyse process-level datasets to test how soil moisture anomalies affect local convective initiation, run the prescribed statistical diagnostics, visualise spatial patterns, and submit the draft findings and figures to the climate scientist by next Monday.
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Advise on weather-related issues
+Advise the climate resilience team on expected heatwave impacts for the coastal district next week, summarise…
Advise on weather-related issues
+Advise the climate resilience team on expected heatwave impacts for the coastal district next week, summarise confidence in forecasts, recommend three short-term actions for procurement and two policy changes for the mayor's office by Wednesday.
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Use measurement instruments
+Calibrate and test the rooftop temperature and humidity logger, record instrument serials and calibration…
Use measurement instruments
+Calibrate and test the rooftop temperature and humidity logger, record instrument serials and calibration offsets, run a three-hour acceptance check, and upload the validated readings with field notes to the shared project folder before 5pm today.
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Scientific research methodology
+Design the sampling plan and statistical protocol for the urban microclimate study, specify sample sizes,…
Scientific research methodology
+Design the sampling plan and statistical protocol for the urban microclimate study, specify sample sizes, control sites, measurement frequency, and null hypotheses, then write the methods section for the ethics review by Friday.
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Scientific modelling
+Build and run the regional temperature projection model for the next 30 years using observed station data,…
Scientific modelling
+Build and run the regional temperature projection model for the next 30 years using observed station data, test sensitivity to greenhouse gas scenarios, produce bias-corrected maps and a one-page summary of limitations for the modelling lead.
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Carry out meteorological research
+Conduct the meteorological study blending station, radar and satellite observations for the last five years,…
Carry out meteorological research
+Conduct the meteorological study blending station, radar and satellite observations for the last five years, quality-control the records, compute trend statistics for extreme precipitation, and hand results and scripts to the senior researcher on Monday.
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Collect weather-related data
+Organise a two-week field campaign to collect surface observations across the estuary: list sensors needed,…
Collect weather-related data
+Organise a two-week field campaign to collect surface observations across the estuary: list sensors needed, daily measurement schedule, QA checks, and the data transfer protocol so technicians can start on Monday morning.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses