California / Water Resources Control Board / Environmental Scientist

Job-title file

Environmental Scientist

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

422 employees hold this title in Water Resources Control Board. Median total compensation for the role is $83,105, below the department median of $110,246.

Employees: 422
Total payroll: $32.2M
Role median: $83,105
Agency median: $110,246
Comparison: Below

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

$0$110,935+

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

How total compensation varies among the 422 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. Water Resources Control Board pays a median base salary of $83,400 for this role, 22% below that figure — about the 27th percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Water Resources Control Board sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$65,350

$81,480

$106,510

$132,770

$161,910

Water Resources Control Board median · $83,400

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 Water Resources Control Board’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. Water Resources Control Board’s median base salary is 1% above that national figure, about the 51st percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$52,520

$64,490

$82,220

$107,970

$140,010

Water Resources Control Board median · $83,400

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 394 of 422 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 Water Resources Control Board is $83,105, 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 Water Resources Control Board, the median of $83,105 ranks #16 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 1

Alicia Pisani

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$66,004

Base pay: $65,504
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $66,004
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Alameda
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,639
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8801200762043
Salary Total: $5,692
Total Pay: $66,004

Alicia Pisani holds the role of Environmental Scientist at Water Resources Control Board. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $66,004. Union affiliation: R10.

Peter Hollingshead

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$65,592

Base pay: $65,092
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $65,592
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,920
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8803000762086
Salary Total: $5,713
Total Pay: $65,592

Peter Hollingshead works as a Environmental Scientist for Water Resources Control Board. Their status is full-time. Peter earned $65,592 in 2025. They are represented by R10.

Tayler Hill

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$65,542

Base pay: $65,092
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $450
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $65,542
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Los Angeles
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,920
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8801400762004
Salary Total: $5,713
Total Pay: $65,542

At Water Resources Control Board, Tayler Hill serves as a Environmental Scientist. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $65,542. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Emily Malton

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$65,243

Base pay: $64,743
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $65,243
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Contra Costa
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,639
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8804550762003
Salary Total: $5,692
Total Pay: $65,243

Emily Malton holds the role of Environmental Scientist at Water Resources Control Board. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $65,243. They are represented by R10.

Christine Johnson

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$64,815

Base pay: $64,315
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $64,815
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Fresno
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,638
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8801550762014
Salary Total: $5,441
Total Pay: $64,815

Christine Johnson holds the role of Environmental Scientist at Water Resources Control Board. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $64,815. They are represented by R10.

Jillian Flavin

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$64,022

Base pay: $63,522
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $64,022
Employment type: Part-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: San Luis Obispo
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $7,868
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8801300762072
Salary Total: $5,527
Total Pay: $64,022

At Water Resources Control Board, Jillian Flavin serves as a Environmental Scientist. They work part-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $64,022. Union affiliation: R10.

Christina Wickeraad

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$63,988

Base pay: $63,538
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $450
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $63,988
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,638
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8803000762089
Salary Total: $5,441
Total Pay: $63,988

Christina Wickeraad works as a Environmental Scientist for Water Resources Control Board. Their status is full-time. Christina earned $63,988 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Laura Surges

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$63,837

Base pay: $63,337
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $63,837
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: I

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,639
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8801500762186
Salary Total: $5,442
Total Pay: $63,837

Laura Surges works as a Environmental Scientist for Water Resources Control Board. Their status is full-time. Laura earned $63,837 in 2025. They are represented by R10.

Celina Rong

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$63,520

Base pay: $63,020
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $63,520
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Riverside

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,638
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8801800762027
Salary Total: $5,441
Total Pay: $63,520

At Water Resources Control Board, Celina Rong serves as a Environmental Scientist. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $63,520. Union affiliation: R10.

Ryan Culhane

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$63,470

Base pay: $63,020
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $450
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $63,470
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,638
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8801700762008
Salary Total: $5,441
Total Pay: $63,470

At Water Resources Control Board, Ryan Culhane serves as a Environmental Scientist. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $63,470. Union affiliation: R10.

Cassidy Lunetta

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$63,411

Base pay: $62,761
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $650
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $63,411
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Riverside
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,638
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8801800762050
Salary Total: $5,441
Total Pay: $63,411

Cassidy Lunetta holds the role of Environmental Scientist at Water Resources Control Board. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $63,411. Union affiliation: R10.

Kelsey Kruger

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$63,301

Base pay: $62,951
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $63,301
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Alameda
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,796
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8801200762402
Salary Total: $6,808
Total Pay: $63,301

Kelsey Kruger is a Environmental Scientist at Water Resources Control Board. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $63,301. Union affiliation: R10.

Margaret Driver

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$63,270

Base pay: $63,020
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $250
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $63,270
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Shasta
Middle name: V

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,638
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8801570762020
Salary Total: $5,441
Total Pay: $63,270

Margaret Driver is a Environmental Scientist at Water Resources Control Board. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $63,270. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Chase Mccormick

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$63,004

Base pay: $62,504
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $63,004
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: K

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,639
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8803000762006
Salary Total: $5,442
Total Pay: $63,004

Chase Mccormick is a Environmental Scientist at Water Resources Control Board. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $63,004. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Molly Williams

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$62,645

Base pay: $62,195
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $450
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $62,645
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $8,260
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8802300762002
Salary Total: $7,971
Total Pay: $62,645

Molly Williams works as a Environmental Scientist for Water Resources Control Board. Their status is full-time. Molly earned $62,645 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Brandon Iledan

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$62,598

Base pay: $61,062
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,536
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $62,598
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Los Angeles
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,894
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8804600762001
Salary Total: $6,894
Total Pay: $62,598

Brandon Iledan is a Environmental Scientist at Water Resources Control Board. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $62,598. Union affiliation: R10.

Annie Hall

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$62,573

Base pay: $62,098
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $475
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $62,573
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,638
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8801570762008
Salary Total: $5,441
Total Pay: $62,573

Annie Hall is a Environmental Scientist at Water Resources Control Board. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $62,573. Union affiliation: R10.

Caroline Fritschle

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2024 total comp

$61,849

Base pay: $60,466
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,383
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $61,849
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Los Angeles
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $6,566
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8801400762069
Salary Total: $6,566
Total Pay: $61,849

At Water Resources Control Board, Caroline Fritschle serves as a Environmental Scientist. They work full-time. Their 2024 pay totaled $61,849. Their bargaining unit is R10.

Mollie Preijers

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2023 total comp

$61,793

Base pay: $61,163
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $630
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $61,793
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R10
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $5,289
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 8803000762093
Salary Total: $5,289
Total Pay: $61,793

Mollie Preijers works as a Environmental Scientist for Water Resources Control Board. Their status is full-time. Mollie earned $61,793 in 2023. Union affiliation: R10.

Keenan Smith

Environmental Scientist/Water Resources Control Board

2025 total comp

$61,663

Base pay: $61,513
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $150
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $61,663
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: 8802700762013
Salary Total: $8,564
Total Pay: $61,663

Keenan Smith works as a Environmental Scientist for Water Resources Control Board. Their status is full-time. Keenan earned $61,663 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is R10.