Environmental Scientist Average Salary in Australia 2023
How much money does a person working as Environmental Scientist make in Australia?
LOW
80,600
AUD AVERAGE
149,000
AUD HIGH
225,000
AUD
A person working as Environmental Scientist in Australia typically earns around 149,000 AUD. Salaries range from 80,600 AUD (lowest) to 225,000 AUD (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Environmental Scientist salaries in Australia vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Environmental Scientist Pay Scale and Salaries in Australia
Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison
133,000 AUD or more
119,000 to 133,000 AUD
88,500 AUD or less
88,500 to 119,000 AUD
 80,600 AUD |
133,000 AUD |
225,000 AUD |
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries for the position Environmental Scientist in Australia range from 80,600 AUD (starting salary) to 225,000 AUD (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
Median Salary
With a median salary of 133,000 AUD, half of the professionals who work as Environmental Scientist in Australia earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
Percentiles and Salary Scale
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Environmental Scientist in Australia earn less than 112,000 AUD, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 151,000 AUD while 25% earn more.
Pay Scale Structure
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Environmental Scientist in Australia compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 88,500 AUD to 119,000 AUD. About 20% of salaries are below the 88,500 AUD mark, while 10% fall within the range of 119,000 AUD to 133,000 AUD. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 133,000 AUD.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Environmental Scientist / Australia
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 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 |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Environmental Scientist and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 93,600 AUD.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 118,000 AUD, 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, 32% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 183,000 AUD, 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, 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, 6% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / Environmental Scientist / Australia
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Environmental Scientist.
| Bachelor's Degree | 112,000 AUD | |
| Master's Degree | +33% | 150,000 AUD |
| PhD | +42% | 214,000 AUD |
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 salaries by education level for the position Environmental Scientist in order to make a comparison.
Level 1: Bachelor's Degree
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 112,000 AUD.
Level 2: Master's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 150,000 AUD, 33% more than the previous level.
Level 3: PhD
At this level, the average salary becomes 214,000 AUD, 42% more than the previous level.
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 AUD to 114,000 AUD 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 to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. 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 and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Environmental Scientist / Australia
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Environmental Scientist in Australia, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 5%.
| Male | 153,000 AUD | |
| Female | -5% | 146,000 AUD |
Salary Comparison By Gender in Australia for all Careers
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Environmental Scientist / Australia
How much are annual salary increments in Australia for individuals working as Environmental Scientist? How often do employees get salary raises?
Individuals working as Environmental Scientist 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.
Australia / All Professions
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare 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
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
Salary Packages and Schemes
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
Bonus and Incentive Rates / Environmental Scientist / Australia
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
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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 BonusesThe most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, 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 BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese 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 Generators | Supporting 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: | Example: |
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.
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.
Salary Trend and Forecast / Environmental Scientist / Australia
How are salaries changing over time? Listed below is a chart that shows the average salary in recent years.
| Average Salary 2019 | 136,000 AUD | |
| Average Salary 2020 | +2% | 139,000 AUD |
| Average Salary 2021 | +2% | 142,000 AUD |
| Average Salary 2022 | +3% | 145,000 AUD |
Salaries for individuals working as Environmental Scientist in Australia are on the rise in the year 2023 based on recently submitted salaries and reports. The trend suggests a slow yet continuous increase in pay in 2024 and future years. These numbers may vary from one industry to another.
Average Hourly Wage / Environmental Scientist / Australia
72 AUD per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Environmental Scientist in Australia is 72 AUD.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
About The Hourly Pay Rate
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 fixed 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.
What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Environmental Scientist in Australia is 39 AUD. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Environmental Scientist VS Other Jobs
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Environment Advisor | 126,000 AUD |  -16% |
| Environmental and Agricultural Scientist | 151,000 AUD |  +1% |
| Environmental Compliance Inspector | 65,500 AUD | -56% |
| Environmental Coordinator | 54,400 AUD | -64% |
| Environmental Economist | 153,000 AUD | +2% |
| Environmental Educator | 118,000 AUD | -21% |
| Environmental Engineer | 88,400 AUD | -41% |
| Environmental Health Practitioner | 167,000 AUD | +12% |
| Environmental Manager | 154,000 AUD | +3% |
| Environmental Officer | 44,500 AUD | -70% |
| Environmental Planner | 56,500 AUD | -62% |
| Environmental Protection Officer | 45,000 AUD | -70% |
| Environmental Restoration Planner | 80,200 AUD | -46% |
| Environmental Scientist | 149,000 AUD | -0% |
| Environmental Services Coordinator | 49,000 AUD | -67% |
| Environmental Specialist | 70,900 AUD | -53% |
| Environmental Superintendent | 63,100 AUD | -58% |
| Environmental Technician | 45,200 AUD | -70% |
| Forestry Consultant | 109,000 AUD | -27% |
| Forestry Supervisor | 64,400 AUD | -57% |
| Geologist | 160,000 AUD | +7% |
| Senor Environmental Health Practitioner | 154,000 AUD | +3% |
| Toxicologist | 101,000 AUD | -32% |
| Waste Management Manager | 139,000 AUD | -7% |
| Waste Tracking Specialist | 111,000 AUD | -26% |
| Water Treatment Superintendent | 74,900 AUD | -50% |
Salary Comparison By City
| City | Average Salary |
| Adelaide | 154,000 AUD |
| Brisbane | 161,000 AUD |
| Canberra-Queanbeyan | 146,000 AUD |
| Gold Coast-Tweed | 150,000 AUD |
| Gosford | 132,000 AUD |
| Melbourne | 165,000 AUD |
| Newcastle | 143,000 AUD |
| Perth | 158,000 AUD |
| Sunshine Coast | 138,000 AUD |
| Sydney | 169,000 AUD |
| Wollongong | 136,000 AUD |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Australia is 5% on average across all career fields.
| Private Sector | 88,600 AUD | |
| Public Sector | +5% | 93,000 AUD |
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Environmental Scientist in Australia?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 133,000 AUD and 151,000 AUD. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
Base / Basic Salary
The base salary for a careers like Environmental Scientist in Australia ranges from 112,000 AUD to 151,000 AUD. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn 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
