Side-by-side distribution
Environmental Scientist
$91,025
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 32.7%
- Live roles
- 208
Researcher
$104,850
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 36.1%
- Live roles
- 3,528
Highest-paying jobs
Environmental Principal - Principal Environmental Consultant
Environmental Principal - Principal Environmental Consultant
Senior Environmental Scientist or Engineer
Senior Managing Consultant, Environmental Services
Principal Consultant, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS)
Principal Technical Consultant, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)
Environmental Consultant – Senior Level – Mining Focus (Hybrid)
Principal Consultant, Environmental FERC Project Manager
Complex Claims Unit Environmental - Claim Consultant or Specialist
Principal Ecologist – Energy
Highest-paying jobs
Post Doctoral Research Fellow
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Lead, Quant Engineer
Senior Clinical Research Associate - Oncology (US)
Researcher, Training
Researcher, Training - London
Vice President, Quantitative Researcher, Infrastructure & Real Assets
Researcher, Misalignment Monitoring Lead
Researcher, Safety Training, National Security
Researcher, Safety Oversight
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
ERM
|
$107,800 | 17 |
|
Barr Engineering
|
$120,000 | 8 |
| SC SLR Consulting | $78,854 | 8 |
|
Apex Companies
|
$114,500 | 6 |
|
AtkinsRéalis
|
$108,050 | 5 |
Triumvirate Environmental
|
$92,500 | 5 |
LaBella Associates
|
$52,250 | 4 |
Leidos
|
$93,075 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| NU Northeastern University | $72,754 | 73 |
The University of Texas at Austin
|
$55,000 | 42 |
| WC Worldwide Clinical Trials | $145,000 | 37 |
IQVIA
|
$131,100 | 36 |
ICON plc
|
$124,335 | 29 |
| SJ St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | $72,500 | 23 |
USC
|
$71,892 | 21 |
| MG Mass General Brigham | $70,875 | 19 |
Environmental Scientist vs Researcher: which pays more?
The median for Environmental Scientist is $91,025 per year (typically $77,552–$121,888), versus $104,850 for Researcher ($72,754–$165,000). That puts Researcher about 15% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Environmental Scientist and Researcher are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.