PublicPay

Environmental Protection Specialist federal salary series 0028

Full-time federal employees in the Environmental Protection Specialist series earned a median of $129,904 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 18% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $104,120 and $154,682.

Median pay
$129,904
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$104,120–$154,682
25th–75th percentile
Employees
4,330
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+1%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Environmental Protection Specialist
All federal (full-time)

What shapes environmental protection specialist pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-13 (1,005 employees, median $138,024). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Environmental Protection Agency (1,138 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in District of Columbia ($157,702) and lowest in Florida ($102,540), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

OPM withheld pay for 33% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

Environmental Protection Specialist pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Environmental Protection Specialist pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-9 254 $71,181 $67,199–$78,908
GS-11 686 $86,599 $82,148–$94,597
GS-12 912 $109,243 $102,415–$116,362
GS-13 1,005 $138,024 $129,013–$150,324
GS-14 462 $167,902 $158,306–$177,497
GS-15 151 $197,200 $186,952–$197,200
IC-11 114 $84,638 $82,148–$91,866
IC-12 169 $101,443 $96,561–$108,134
IC-13 78 $127,062 $120,138–$133,289

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Environmental Protection Specialist pay by agency

Environmental Protection Specialist pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Environmental Protection Agency 1,138 $142,084 $121,115–$159,673
Department of Homeland Security 751 $107,726 $92,491–$127,606
Department of the Interior 326 $118,358 $98,459–$145,264
Department of Transportation 264 $146,422 $123,841–$163,104
Department of Veterans Affairs 96 $87,264 $80,097–$98,763
Department of Energy 92 $137,622 $122,163–$162,740
Department of Agriculture 83 $103,776 $94,859–$117,786
Department of Justice 52 $97,087 $90,609–$142,084
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 42 $141,248 $129,398–$167,473
Department of Commerce 31 $154,534 $143,109–$171,477

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Environmental Protection Specialist pay by state

The 10 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Environmental Protection Specialist pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
District of Columbia 550 $157,702 $133,964–$177,497
California 263 $145,940 $115,626–$172,962
Texas 169 $123,258 $101,226–$146,569
Colorado 165 $138,456 $118,675–$154,280
Washington 138 $131,594 $114,017–$151,721
Illinois 110 $130,080 $106,731–$151,276
Georgia 105 $120,060 $100,500–$142,573
Massachusetts 104 $126,246 $108,134–$143,246
Maryland 98 $149,793 $129,904–$166,526
Pennsylvania 95 $121,052 $104,883–$136,833

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Compare environmental protection specialist pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +1.0% from $128,619 in September 2025 to $129,904 in September 2026. Headcount went from 5,378 to 4,330 (−19.5%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

Related occupations in Miscellaneous Occupations Group