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Job outlook for environmental inspectors in the United States
Environmental inspector job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected environmental inspector job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 3,800 new jobs for environmental inspectors are projected over the next decade.
Environmental inspector salaries have increased 7% for environmental inspectors in the last 5 years.
There are over 4,190 environmental inspectors currently employed in the United States.
There are 33,791 active environmental inspector job openings in the US.
The average environmental inspector salary is $43,952.
Are environmental inspector jobs in demand?
Environmental Inspector job and salary trends over time
Environmental Inspector jobs over time
Environmental Inspector job growth rate over time
Year  | # Of Jobs | % Of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,190 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 4,102 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 3,980 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 3,771 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 3,598 | 0.00% |
Average environmental inspector salary over time
Environmental Inspector salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $43,952 | $21.13 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $42,685 | $20.52 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | $42,567 | $20.47 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $41,955 | $20.17 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $41,133 | $19.78 | +1.4% |
Environmental Inspector jobs by state
Most common states for environmental inspectors
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 79 | 11% |
| 2 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 121 | 9% |
| 3 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 66 | 9% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 59 | 8% |
| 5 | Vermont | 623,657 | 49 | 8% |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 98 | 7% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 430 | 6% |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 323 | 6% |
| 9 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 228 | 6% |
| 10 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 495 | 5% |
| 11 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 465 | 5% |
| 12 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 357 | 5% |
| 13 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 305 | 5% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 292 | 5% |
| 15 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 153 | 5% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 102 | 5% |
| 17 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 96 | 5% |
| 18 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 82 | 5% |
| 19 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 56 | 5% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 48 | 5% |
Most common cities for environmental inspectors
| Rank | City | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $42,916 |
Environmental Inspector job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of environmental inspector experts
University of Minnesota
Denison University
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
University of Minnesota, Morris
University of South Dakota
Yale University professor
Erin Surdo Ph.D.
Teaching Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Environmental EngineeringUniversity of Minnesota
Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering
What skills stand out on Environmental Inspector resumes?
Erin Surdo Ph.D.: Students with strong oral communication and project management skills and technical background in material balances and fluid mechanics often succeed in environmental engineering careers.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Environmental Inspectors in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Doug Spieles Ph.D.: I would place data science and geographic information systems at the top of the list. We live in the information age, which is both exciting and overwhelming. I believe that we will increasingly need scientists who know how to obtain and use data to solve spatially explicit environmental problems.
How do you envision technology impacting Environmental Inspectors in the next 5 years?
Melissa Sullivan: At the EPA, individuals have diverse backgrounds in a full range of career fields and positions. Depending on the position, we're likely to see technology impacting these career fields, over the next five years, in areas such as artificial and geospatial intelligence, IT security skills, cloud service integration, project management, business process design, a virtual workforce, and democratization of technology across the field, enabling broader participation.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Environmental Inspectors to find work opportunities?
Ed Brands Ph.D.: This depends upon what aspects of the "environmental field" a new graduate is focused on. For example, if the desire is to work with public lands somehow, options in the Midwest might be more limited than further west. There are some positions (e.g., related to soil and water conservation) that exist in nearly every county in the U.S. If there is an interest in working with cleaning up hazardous waste sites or studying the impacts on the human population, there are more of those opportunities in industrial or formerly industrial areas. Working on small organic farms is also a popular interest area, and these exist in every state (some more than others). Still, the work tends to be seasonal so being flexible with location or finding a different job over the winter is usually necessary.
It's a good idea to keep an eye on how employers decide to incorporate telecommuting after the pandemic is over--will it be more prevalent than before? For some positions, e.g., those related to advocacy, there could be more flexibility about employment and location.
What type of skills will young Environmental Inspectors need?
Meghann Jarchow Ph.D.: The field of sustainability is broad, and as such, there is a diversity of skillsets that can aid young graduates in finding that first job after graduation. There are many careers within sustainability where there is a growing demand for computer skills, such as programming and geospatial analysis. Environmental and social issues are incredibly complicated and require massive amounts of data to analyze, and computers are an essential tool to help understand these data. Strong interpersonal skills, including teamwork and written and oral communication, are incredibly crucial in other fields.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Environmental Inspectors to find work opportunities?
Meghann Jarchow Ph.D.: Due to the global nature of environmental issues, sustainability is needed virtually everywhere in both the public and private sectors. Whether you want to stay where you are or fly half-way across the world, graduates can expect to find plenty of opportunities in the field of sustainability.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Environmental Inspectors to find work opportunities?
Dorceta Taylor: Traditionally, students have been able to find jobs in the Boston-Northern Virginia corridor, in the Southeast, in urban parts of the Midwest, and in the Pacific region. These areas will continue to be places where environmental jobs are found.