Environmental Engineer.
Los Angeles.
$120,000
median salary, 15% above the national average
$94,000 to $151,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating an Environmental Engineer offer in Los Angeles, CA, here is the reality: $94,000 to $151,000, with $120,000 as the midpoint. 15% above the national average. PE licensure, specialization in water treatment or air quality, and experience with EPA regulatory compliance drive the biggest salary differences. Do not accept the first number. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Environmental Engineer in Los Angeles, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $127,900 for Environmental Engineers (SOC 17-2081) in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area, based on 890 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$77,700
25th percentile
$101,970
Median
$127,900
75th percentile
$141,960
90th percentile
$167,490
Workers surveyed
890
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Environmental Engineers (SOC 17-2081) rather than Environmental Engineer specifically. The Los Angeles range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 17-2081Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $108,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$78,000
to $96,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$102,000
to $126,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$132,000
to $156,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$150,000
to $186,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $31,000 to the total package.
Base
$120,000
Equity
$18,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $151,000
How Los Angeles compares.
Los Angeles, CA
$120,000
Cost of living: 18% above average
National Average
$104,000
Los Angeles is $16,000 above
Environmental Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Los Angeles.
What you should know.
The Environmental Engineer landscape in Los Angeles is not what most salary sites will tell you. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. The city's diverse economy spans aerospace, healthcare, fashion, and gaming. LA offers strong salaries that, while below San Francisco levels, pair with a broader lifestyle appeal and lower housing costs relative to the Bay Area. PE licensure, specialization in water treatment or air quality, and experience with EPA regulatory compliance drive the biggest salary differences. Engineers working on remediation of contaminated sites or in the oil and gas sector earn premiums for hazardous conditions expertise.
Junior Environmental Engineers earn $70,000 to $80,000. Mid-career engineers with PE licensure reach $88,000 to $105,000. Senior Engineers and Project Managers command $105,000 to $130,000, while Principal Engineers and Directors at consulting firms exceed $145,000. In Los Angeles, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 18% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. PE-licensed engineers receive immediate salary bumps of 10 to 15%. Annual bonuses of 5 to 12% are typical at consulting firms. Government roles offer pension benefits and strong job security, though base salaries trend 10 to 15% lower than private sector. And on the tax side: california's 13.3% top state income tax rate applies to LA earners as well. There is no city income tax, but the high state rate makes take home pay lower than cities in no income tax states. When someone quotes you $120,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight cross industry skills. LA employers value candidates who bridge entertainment and tech, so framing your experience across verticals can unlock higher offers. The range for Environmental Engineers in Los Angeles runs from $94,000 to $151,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
Environmental Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Los Angeles.
Related salary pages
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Environmental Engineer Salary in Los Angeles, CA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/environmental-engineer/los-angeles
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