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Environmental Scientist Average Salary in Australia 2023

How much money does an Environmental Scientist make in Australia?


Average Yearly Salary
149,000 AUD
( 12,400 AUD monthly)

LOW
80,600
AUD
AVERAGE
149,000
AUD
HIGH
225,000
AUD

A person working as an Environmental Scientist in Australia typically earns around 149,000 AUD per year. Salaries range from 80,600 AUD (lowest) to 225,000 AUD (highest).

This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Environmental Scientist salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.

Environmental Scientist Salary Distribution in Australia

Median and salary distribution yearly Australia Environmental Scientist
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The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range

  • Salary Range

    Environmental Scientist salaries in Australia range from 80,600 AUD per year (minimum salary) to 225,000 AUD per year (maximum salary).

  • Median Salary

    The median salary is 137,000 AUD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Environmental Scientist(s) are earning less than 137,000 AUD while the other half are earning more than 137,000 AUD. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.

  • Percentiles

    Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Environmental Scientist(s) are earning less than 98,100 AUD while 75% of them are earning more than 98,100 AUD. Also from the diagram, 75% of Environmental Scientist(s) are earning less than 167,000 AUD while 25% are earning more than 167,000 AUD.


What is the difference between the median and the average salary?

Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary

Environmental Scientist Salary Comparison by Years of Experience

How does experience and age affect your pay?

Salary comparison by years of experience yearly Australia Environmental Scientist
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The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Environmental Scientist salaries by experience level and this is what we found.

An Environmental Scientist with less than two years of experience makes approximately 93,600 AUD per year.

While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 118,000 AUD per year, 26% more than someone with less than two year's experience.

Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 156,000 AUD per year, 32% more than someone with two to five years of experience.

On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark.
* Based on the average change in salary over time. Salary variations differ from person to person.

Additionally, Environmental Scientist(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 183,000 AUD per year, 18% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.

If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 203,000 AUD per year, 11% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.

Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 216,000 AUD per year, 6% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.


Environmental Scientist average salary change by experience in Australia

0 - 2 Years
93,600 AUD
2 - 5 Years+26%
118,000 AUD
5 - 10 Years+32%
156,000 AUD
10 - 15 Years+18%
183,000 AUD
15 - 20 Years+11%
203,000 AUD
20+ Years+6%
216,000 AUD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Experience Level
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Environmental Scientist Salary Comparison By Education

How do education levels affect salaries?

Displayed below is the average salary difference between different Environmental Scientist(s) who have the same experience but different education levels.

Salary comparison by education level yearly Australia Environmental Scientist
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We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Environmental Scientist salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.

When the education level is Bachelor's Degree, the average salary of an Environmental Scientist is 112,000 AUD per year.

While someone with a Master's Degree gets a salary of 150,000 AUD per year, 33% more than someone having a Bachelor's Degree degree.

A PhD gets its holder an average salary of 214,000 AUD per year, 42% more than someone with a Master's Degree.


Environmental Scientist average salary difference by education level in Australia

Bachelor's Degree
112,000 AUD
Master's Degree+33%
150,000 AUD
PhD+42%
214,000 AUD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?

A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Australia costs anywhere from 37,800 Australian Dollar(s) to 114,000 Australian Dollar(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.

You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.

Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support the thoery. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.

If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.


Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Education Level
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Environmental Scientist Salary Comparison By Gender

Salary comparison by gender yearly Australia Environmental Scientist
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Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Environmental Scientist employees in Australia earn 5% more than their female counterparts on average.

Male
153,000 AUD
Female-5%
146,000 AUD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Comparison By Gender in Australia for all Careers

Salary comparison by gender yearly Australia
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Environmental Scientist Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in Australia

How much are annual salary increments in Australia for Environmental Scientist(s)? How often do employees get salary raises?

Environmental Scientist

Environmental Scientist(s) in Australia are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 11% every 18 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate Australia Environmental Scientist
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The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.

Australia / All Professions

The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.

How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency

The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in Australia is 6%.

Annual Increment Rate By Industry 2022

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Australia for the year 2022. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.


Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

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Environmental Scientist Bonus and Incentive Rates in Australia

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate Australia Environmental Scientist
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An Environmental Scientist is considered to be a moderate bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.

46% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 54% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 4% to 5% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
54%
No Bonus
46%

Types of Bonuses Considered

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.

Company Performance Bonuses

Occasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.

Goal-Based Bonuses

Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.

Holiday / End of Year Bonuses

These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.

Bonuses Are Not Commissions!

People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.


What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?

The main two types of jobs

Revenue GeneratorsSupporting Cast

Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business.

Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations.

Example:
A graphics designer working for a graphics designing company.

Example:
A graphic designer in the marketing department of a hospital.


Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.

Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.

Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level

Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.

Environmental Scientist Average Hourly Wage in Australia


72 AUD per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Australia is 72 AUD. This means that the average Environmental Scientist in Australia earns approximately 72 AUD for every worked hour.


Hourly Wage = Annual Salary ÷ ( 52 x 5 x 8 )

The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.

Environmental Scientist VS Other Jobs

Salary Comparison Between Environmental Scientist and Environmental yearly Australia
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The average salary for Environmental Scientist is 55% more than that of Environmental. Also, Environmental salaries are 6% more than those of All Jobs.

Salary comparison with similar jobs

Job TitleAverage Salary
Environment Advisor126,000 AUD-16%
Environmental and Agricultural Scientist151,000 AUD+1%
Environmental Compliance Inspector65,500 AUD-56%
Environmental Coordinator54,400 AUD-64%
Environmental Economist153,000 AUD+2%
Environmental Educator118,000 AUD-21%
Environmental Engineer88,400 AUD-41%
Environmental Health Practitioner167,000 AUD+12%
Environmental Manager154,000 AUD+3%
Environmental Officer44,500 AUD-70%
Environmental Planner56,500 AUD-62%
Environmental Protection Officer45,000 AUD-70%
Environmental Restoration Planner80,200 AUD-46%
Environmental Scientist149,000 AUD-0%
Environmental Services Coordinator49,000 AUD-67%
Environmental Specialist70,900 AUD-53%
Environmental Superintendent63,100 AUD-58%
Environmental Technician45,200 AUD-70%
Forestry Consultant109,000 AUD-27%
Forestry Supervisor64,400 AUD-57%
Geologist160,000 AUD+7%
Senor Environmental Health Practitioner154,000 AUD+3%
Toxicologist101,000 AUD-32%
Waste Management Manager139,000 AUD-7%
Waste Tracking Specialist111,000 AUD-26%
Water Treatment Superintendent74,900 AUD-50%

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Adelaide154,000 AUD
Brisbane161,000 AUD
Canberra-Queanbeyan146,000 AUD
Gold Coast-Tweed150,000 AUD
Gosford132,000 AUD
Melbourne165,000 AUD
Newcastle143,000 AUD
Perth158,000 AUD
Sunshine Coast138,000 AUD
Sydney169,000 AUD
Wollongong136,000 AUD

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Australia earn 5% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.

Private Sector
88,600 AUD
Public Sector+5%
93,000 AUD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

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