Environmental / Compliance Officer Salary
Salary Breakdown
Environmental / Compliance Officer Pay Per Hour
A environmental / compliance officer in waste management earns an average of $31.00 per hour. The table below converts every annual figure on this page to an hourly, weekly and monthly equivalent at a standard 2080-hour work year (40 hours a week, 52 weeks), so you can compare an hourly job posting directly against an advertised annual salary.
| Level | Per Hour | Per Week | Per Month | Per Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $21.63 | $865 | $3,750 | $45,000 |
| Low end | $23.08 | $923 | $4,000 | $48,000 |
| Average | $31.00 | $1,250 | $5,417 | $65,000 |
| High end | $42.31 | $1,692 | $7,333 | $88,000 |
| Senior / top of scale | $50.48 | $2,019 | $8,750 | $105,000 |
Hourly, weekly and monthly columns are calculated from the annual figures in this guide (annual ÷ 2080 hours, ÷ 52 weeks and ÷ 12 months). They describe base pay only. Overtime, shift differentials and bonuses are not included.
Top Paying Cities
| City | State | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | DC | $82,000 |
| San Francisco | CA | $80,000 |
| New York | NY | $78,000 |
| Houston | TX | $72,000 |
| Denver | CO | $70,000 |
About This Role
Environmental and compliance officers ensure waste management operations meet federal, state, and local environmental regulations. They conduct facility audits, manage permit applications, prepare regulatory reports, and investigate environmental incidents. This role is critical for avoiding costly fines and maintaining a company's operating licenses.
Key Skills
Certifications
Entry-Level Pay and Getting Hired With No Experience
Compliance work is credential-gated rather than experience-gated at the very bottom: employers generally expect an environmental science, engineering or related degree, and the entry-level titles are compliance technician, EHS coordinator or environmental analyst rather than officer. Graduates with no industry background are hired into those junior roles, but there is no route in without the academic or certification foundation.
Entry-level pay for this role starts around $45,000 a year, about $21.63 an hour, or roughly $3,750 a month before overtime. That is $20,000 below the national average for the role, which is the gap experience, certifications and location close over time.
Other waste management roles that regularly hire without prior industry experience: CDL Driver ($26.50/hr), Recycling Sorter ($16.50/hr), Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician ($30.00/hr) and Hazmat Waste Handler ($25.00/hr).
See entry-level environmental / compliance jobs hiring now →Part-Time Environmental / Compliance Officer Work
In-house compliance roles are full-time and salaried. Part-time and fractional arrangements exist mainly on the consulting side, where specialists cover permitting and reporting for several smaller operators at once rather than for a single employer.
If a reduced schedule is what you need, the roles below carry far more genuine part-time availability while keeping you in the same industry.
Waste management roles with the most part-time and weekend availability: CDL Driver ($26.50/hr), Recycling Sorter ($16.50/hr), Helper / Laborer ($15.50/hr) and Admin / Office ($20.00/hr).
Search part-time environmental / compliance jobs →Union Pay Scale for Environmental / Compliance Officers
Environmental and compliance professionals are salaried, exempt staff outside the bargaining unit. Pay tracks degree level, certifications such as CHMM, and permitting experience rather than a negotiated scale, which is why credentials move earnings more here than tenure does.
One important caveat: the figures on this page are national averages across union and non-union employers alike. They are not a union wage scale. Actual scale rates are set contract by contract and local by local, they change when an agreement is renegotiated, and the only authoritative source is the current agreement itself. Request it from the local or the employer’s HR department before you rely on a number.
Other commonly unionised waste management roles: CDL Driver, Recycling Sorter, Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician and Helper / Laborer.
Job Outlook
Environmental compliance roles are projected to grow as regulations become more stringent and public scrutiny of waste disposal practices increases. Companies are investing in compliance staff to manage emerging regulations around PFAS, landfill gas emissions, and extended producer responsibility programs. Professionals with environmental science degrees and industry certifications have the strongest job prospects.
Environmental / Compliance Jobs Hiring Now
- Safety SupervisorFull-TimeRumpke · Cincinnati, OH
- Solid Waste Technician IIIFull-TimeMecklenburg County · Charlotte, NC
- Service Technician - Aftermarket - Water TreatmentFull-TimeVeolia · Lafayette, LA
- Service Technician - Aftermarket - Water TreatmentFull-TimeVeolia · Charleston, SC
- Service Technician - Aftermarket - Water TreatmentFull-TimeVeolia · Atlanta, GA
Environmental / Compliance Officer Career Path & Salary Expectations
A career as a environmental / compliance officer in the waste management industry offers a clear trajectory from entry-level positions starting around $45,000 per year to senior roles earning $105,000 or more annually. With the national average sitting at $65,000 ($31.00/hr), professionals in this field can expect competitive compensation that grows with experience, certifications, and geographic location. Top-paying markets like Washington offer salaries as high as $82,000. Whether you are just entering the waste and recycling industry or looking to advance your career, investing in relevant skills and certifications is the most reliable path to higher earning potential in this essential and growing sector.
Put another way, the average works out to about $31.00 an hour, $1,250 a week or $5,417 a month on a full 2080-hour year, before the overtime, shift premiums and bonuses covered above. To compare this role against the rest of the industry, see the full waste management salary guide, or go straight to environmental / compliance openings and every waste management job on the board.