Careers / Environmental Compliance Inspectors

Environmental Compliance Inspectors — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$80,730

United States, 2025

Employment

417,070

United States, 2025

Typical education

Bachelor's Degree

Job Zone 4

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

Inspect and investigate sources of pollution to protect the public and environment and ensure conformance with Federal, State, and local regulations and ordinances.

O*NET code
13-1041.01
Job zone
4
Experience required
None

Typical tasks

  • Determine the nature of code violations and actions to be taken, and issue written notices of violation, participating in enforcement hearings, as necessary.
  • Prepare, organize, and maintain inspection records.
  • Investigate complaints and suspected violations regarding illegal dumping, pollution, pesticides, product quality, or labeling laws.
  • Determine which sites and violation reports to investigate, and coordinate compliance and enforcement activities with other government agencies.
  • Interview individuals to determine the nature of suspected violations and to obtain evidence of violations.
  • Inform individuals and groups of pollution control regulations and inspection findings, and explain how problems can be corrected.
  • Verify that hazardous chemicals are handled, stored, and disposed of in accordance with regulations.
  • Learn and observe proper safety precautions, rules, regulations, and practices so that unsafe conditions can be recognized and proper safety protocols implemented.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$48,220
10th
$61,280
25th
$80,730
Median
$109,010
75th
$133,720
90th

10th percentile

$48,220

25th percentile

$61,280

75th percentile

$109,010

90th percentile

$133,720

Most important skills

  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Writing3.9
  • Speaking3.9
  • Active Learning3.8
  • Complex Problem Solving3.8
  • Monitoring3.8
  • Operations Monitoring3.4
  • Systems Evaluation3.4
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.4
  • Systems Analysis3.3

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 20 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

20

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Reading Comprehension4.04.8Not selected4.8
Critical Thinking4.04.3Not selected4.3
Speaking3.94.3Not selected4.3
Monitoring3.84.4Not selected4.4
Writing3.94.1Not selected4.1
Active Listening3.94.0Not selected4.0
Active Learning3.84.1Not selected4.1
Complex Problem Solving3.84.1Not selected4.1
Judgment and Decision Making3.43.9Not selected3.9
Systems Evaluation3.43.8Not selected3.8
Operations Monitoring3.43.4Not selected3.4
Systems Analysis3.33.4Not selected3.4
Social Perceptiveness3.33.4Not selected3.4
Quality Control Analysis3.33.4Not selected3.4
Science3.03.3Not selected3.3
Learning Strategies3.03.3Not selected3.3
Mathematics3.03.1Not selected3.1
Instructing3.03.1Not selected3.1
Coordination3.03.0Not selected3.0
Time Management3.03.0Not selected3.0

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
San Jose, CA$123,7302,6902025
San Francisco, CA$118,8907,5002025
DC$111,0304,3802025
Bellingham, WA$109,5506402025
El Centro, CA$106,7508402025
Brunswick, GA$106,3306702025
Boston, MA$103,94010,9202025
MA$102,06013,1902025
San Diego, CA$101,2306,1202025
New York, NY$101,05023,3802025
Kennewick, WA$100,4404002025
Washington, DC$100,20013,8202025
NJ$100,00013,3102025
Idaho Falls, ID$99,0402302025
Boulder, CO$98,3504802025
Laredo, TX$98,1801,4402025
Bridgeport, CT$97,9207902025
Brownsville, TX$97,4709102025
CA$96,98049,8802025
New Haven, CT$96,2205002025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Environmental Compliance Inspectors to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.