Environmental Engineer.
New Orleans.
$98,000
median salary, 6% below the national average
$76,000 to $123,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
An Environmental Engineer in New Orleans earns a median of $98,000 in 2026. That is 6% below the national average. The range runs from $76,000 to $123,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. PE licensure, specialization in water treatment or air quality, and experience with EPA regulatory compliance drive the biggest salary differences. 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 New Orleans, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. BLS does not publish this occupation for this metro area, so the national published benchmark is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $107,110 for Environmental Engineers (SOC 17-2081) across the United States, based on 38,340 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$69,990
25th percentile
$83,570
Median
$107,110
75th percentile
$134,420
90th percentile
$162,220
Workers surveyed
38,340
What BLS published in each release
May 2024 release
$104,170
May 2025 release
$107,110
These are two separate published estimates, not a time series. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not encourage the use of OEWS data for time-series analysis. Differences between releases reflect changes in occupational classification, survey methodology, and the three-year pooled sample as well as any change in pay, so the two figures should not be read as a rate of wage growth.
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 national 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 $88,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$64,000
to $78,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$83,000
to $103,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$108,000
to $127,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$123,000
to $152,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $26,000 to the total package.
Base
$98,000
Equity
$15,000
Bonus
$9,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $124,000
How New Orleans compares.
New Orleans, LA
$98,000
Cost of living: 8% below average
National Average
$104,000
New Orleans is $6,000 below
Environmental Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in New Orleans.
What you should know.
Here is what the Environmental Engineer market actually looks like in New Orleans. New Orleans has a distinctive economy shaped by energy, port operations, tourism, and a growing digital media sector. The city's creative and cultural industries are unique employment drivers. Post hurricane rebuilding has created ongoing demand in construction, engineering, and resilience planning roles. 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 New Orleans, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
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: louisiana's top income tax rate is 4.25%. New Orleans has no city income tax. The moderate state rate and affordable living costs yield good take home pay. When someone quotes you $98,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight energy sector or resilience engineering experience. New Orleans employers pay premiums for professionals who understand the region's unique environmental and infrastructure challenges. The range for Environmental Engineers in New Orleans runs from $76,000 to $123,000. 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 New Orleans.
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 New Orleans, LA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/environmental-engineer/new-orleans
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