California / Fish and Wildlife / Environmental Scientist

Job-title file

Environmental Scientist

Carry out the duties of this position in support of the agency's public mission.

698 employees hold this title in Fish and Wildlife. Median total compensation for the role is $82,005, below the department median of $83,440.

Employees: 698
Total payroll: $54.5M
Role median: $82,005
Agency median: $83,440
Comparison: Below

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

-$7,029$118,018+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How total compensation varies among the 698 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Compared with the local labor market

Environmental Scientist pay vs. California

Across all employers in California, the median wage for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health — about 12,490 people — is $106,510. Fish and Wildlife pays a median base salary of $82,258 for this role, 23% below that figure — about the 26th percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Fish and Wildlife sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$65,350

$81,480

$106,510

$132,770

$161,910

Fish and Wildlife median · $82,258

The bar is the range of annual wages for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health across every employer in California, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Fish and Wildlife’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

And across the country

Nationwide, the median wage for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health — about 89,250 people — is $82,220. Fish and Wildlife’s median base salary is in line withthat national figure, about the 50th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$52,520

$64,490

$82,220

$107,970

$140,010

Fish and Wildlife median · $82,258

Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the California range relative to the national one.

Computed over the 642 of 698 people in this role paid at least $25,000in base salary. The rest are part-year or part-time records, whose actual pay isn’t comparable to a full-time annual wage.

Median total compensation for this role at Fish and Wildlife is $82,005, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare departments

This role across California

Environmental Scientist is held in 31 California departments. In Fish and Wildlife, the median of $82,005 ranks #19 of 31.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Sierra Nevada Conservancy

$102,297 · 1

State Energy Res Cons&Dev Com

$98,960 · 1

Office of Emergency Services

$96,321 · 1

Consumer Affairs

$90,775 · 4

Forestry and Fire Protection

$90,588 · 46

CA Coastal Commission

$87,913 · 3

Department of Public Health

$87,243 · 75

Office of Secty Envirmtl Protect

$87,116 · 11

Department of Cannabis Control

$86,556 · 86

CA. Tahoe Conservancy

$86,419 · 3

Water Resources

$86,326 · 198

Food and Agriculture

$84,961 · 325

Median total compensation for the Environmental Scientist role in other Californiadepartments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.

Compare jurisdictions

Environmental Scientist beyond California

This role is reported in 5 jurisdictions. In California, the median of $82,633 ranks #3 of 5. See Environmental Scientist across all of California →

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

New York Public Authorities

$124,539 · 13

Utah

$94,585 · 332

Rhode Island

$22,349 · 127

City of Philadelphia

$18,294 · 13

Median total compensation for comparable Environmental Scientistroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 3

Sara Worden

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,260

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,260
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sonoma
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5657720762012
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,260

Sara Worden is a Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $107,260. They are represented by R10.

Lanette Richardson

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,260

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,260
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Yolo
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5650330762022
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,260

Lanette Richardson works as a Environmental Scientist for Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. Lanette earned $107,260 in 2025. Union affiliation: R10.

Arn L Aarreberg

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,260

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,260
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sonoma
Middle name: W

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5657720762007
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,260

Arn L Aarreberg holds the role of Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $107,260. Union affiliation: R10.

James Hansen

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,260

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,260
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Napa
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5653310762005
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,260

James Hansen is a Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $107,260. Union affiliation: R10.

Chelsea Protasio

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,260

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,260
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Monterey
Middle name: Q

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5657720762011
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,260

Chelsea Protasio works as a Environmental Scientist for Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. Chelsea earned $107,260 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Stephanie Houtman

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,260

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,260
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Siskiyou
Middle name: N

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5651310762066
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,260

Stephanie Houtman holds the role of Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $107,260. Union affiliation: R10.

Todd Carlin

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,260

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,260
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5650380762036
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,260

Todd Carlin is a Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $107,260. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Isaac Chellman

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,260

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,260
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5652410762026
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,260

At Fish and Wildlife, Isaac Chellman serves as a Environmental Scientist. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $107,260. Union affiliation: R10.

Kara Gonzales

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,260

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,260
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Santa Barbara
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5657720762055
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,260

Kara Gonzales is a Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $107,260. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Merissa Hanisko

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,260

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,260
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Shasta
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5651310762056
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,260

Merissa Hanisko holds the role of Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $107,260. Union affiliation: R10.

David Kajtaniak

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,260

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,260
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Mendocino
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5651410762035
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,260

At Fish and Wildlife, David Kajtaniak serves as a Environmental Scientist. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $107,260. Union affiliation: R10.

Kimberly Walker

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,260

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,260
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Orange
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5657720762096
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,260

Kimberly Walker works as a Environmental Scientist for Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. Kimberly earned $107,260 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Lindsay Peterson

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,260

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,260
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5652310762042
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,260

At Fish and Wildlife, Lindsay Peterson serves as a Environmental Scientist. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $107,260. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Jennifer Hemmert

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,237

Base pay: $106,737
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,237
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5656040762015
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,237

Jennifer Hemmert is a Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $107,237. They are represented by R10.

Marina Som

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,235

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $475
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,235
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: San Diego

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5657720762024
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,235

Marina Som works as a Environmental Scientist for Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. Marina earned $107,235 in 2025. They are represented by R10.

Sean Cochran

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,202

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $443
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,202
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Santa Cruz
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5653410762019
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,202

At Fish and Wildlife, Sean Cochran serves as a Environmental Scientist. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $107,202. Union affiliation: R10.

Nathan Cullen

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,110

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,110
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5652410762905
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,110

Nathan Cullen is a Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $107,110. Union affiliation: R10.

Marc Beccio

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,010

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $250
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,010
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: G

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5652410762034
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,010

Marc Beccio works as a Environmental Scientist for Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. Marc earned $107,010 in 2025. They are represented by R10.

Mike Grill

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,010

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $250
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,010
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Fresno
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5654510762005
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,010

At Fish and Wildlife, Mike Grill serves as a Environmental Scientist. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $107,010. Union affiliation: R10.

James Erdman

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,010

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $250
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,010
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Inyo
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5656030762009
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,010

James Erdman works as a Environmental Scientist for Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. James earned $107,010 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Jonathan Hollis

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,010

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $250
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,010
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Humboldt
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5651310762055
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,010

Jonathan Hollis holds the role of Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $107,010. They are represented by R10.

Aicha Marie Ougzin

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,010

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $250
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,010
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: San Joaquin

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5653310762048
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,010

Aicha Marie Ougzin holds the role of Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $107,010. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Kathryn Rian

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,010

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $250
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,010
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Humboldt
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5651310762023
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,010

At Fish and Wildlife, Kathryn Rian serves as a Environmental Scientist. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $107,010. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Steven Rienecke

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$107,010

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $250
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $107,010
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: San Luis Obispo
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5657720762102
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $107,010

Steven Rienecke is a Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $107,010. They are represented by R10.

Nicholas Shirkey

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$106,915

Base pay: $91,193
Overtime: $15,472
Other pay: $250
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $106,915
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,260
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5650350762049
Salary Total: $7,971
Total Pay: $106,915

Nicholas Shirkey is a Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $106,915. Union affiliation: R10.

Craig Fiehler

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$106,760

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $106,760
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Kern
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5654810762006
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $106,760

At Fish and Wildlife, Craig Fiehler serves as a Environmental Scientist. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $106,760. They are represented by R10.

Orlando Rocha

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$106,760

Base pay: $106,760
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $106,760
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Solano
Middle name: S

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5653840762004
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $106,760

Orlando Rocha is a Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $106,760. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Melissa Riley

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2023 total comp

$106,735

Base pay: $95,112
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $11,623
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $106,735
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: San Joaquin
Middle name: K

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,926
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5653230762031
Salary Total: $7,926
Total Pay: $106,735

Melissa Riley holds the role of Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. In 2023, their total compensation was $106,735. They are represented by R10.

Trung Nguyen

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$106,673

Base pay: $106,129
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $544
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $106,673
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Orange
Middle name: T

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5657720762091
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $106,673

Trung Nguyen holds the role of Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $106,673. Union affiliation: R10.

Armand Barilotti

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$106,658

Base pay: $101,796
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $4,863
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $106,658
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Orange
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,107
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5657720762090
Salary Total: $8,788
Total Pay: $106,658

Armand Barilotti holds the role of Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $106,658. They are represented by R10.

Harrison Huang

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$106,539

Base pay: $106,039
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $106,539
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Orange

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $9,321
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5657720762089
Salary Total: $8,995
Total Pay: $106,539

At Fish and Wildlife, Harrison Huang serves as a Environmental Scientist. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $106,539. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Matthew Lucero

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2025 total comp

$106,009

Base pay: $98,544
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $7,465
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $106,009
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,673
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5655410762008
Salary Total: $8,369
Total Pay: $106,009

Matthew Lucero works as a Environmental Scientist for Fish and Wildlife. Their status is full-time. Matthew earned $106,009 in 2025. Union affiliation: R10.

Janene Colby

Environmental Scientist/Fish and Wildlife

2024 total comp

$105,874

Base pay: $82,113
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $23,761
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $105,874
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: San Diego

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,877
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5655810762008
Salary Total: $8,877
Total Pay: $105,874

Janene Colby is a Environmental Scientist at Fish and Wildlife. They work full-time. 2024 total compensation came to $105,874. Their bargaining unit is R10.