H-1B Hiring for Environmental Engineers Surges, Led by Top US States
Explore H-1B visa filings for Environmental Engineers. View sponsoring employers, salary data from 100 filings, and approval rates from DOL public records.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total H-1B Petitions | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $105,078 |
| Salary Range | $59,301 - $177,778 |
| Top Sponsor | Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. |
| Primary Location | California |
Environmental Engineers is one of the H-1B visa categories with 85 filings and an average salary of $2,892,279. Hiring for Environmental Engineers shows a significant upward trend, particularly in FY2025. California, Texas, and New York are the top states for H-1B hires in this field. The total salary expenditure for Environmental Engineers is substantial, indicating a high demand for skilled professionals.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $105,078 |
| Median Salary | $105,002 |
| 25th Percentile | $83,580 |
| 75th Percentile | $125,000 |
| Minimum Salary | $59,301 |
| Maximum Salary | $177,778 |
| 10th Percentile | $69,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $83,580 |
| Median (50th) | $105,002 |
| 75th Percentile | $125,000 |
| 90th Percentile | $141,143 |
| Average | $105,078 |
| Sample Size | 98 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 90 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 6 |
| H-1B1 SINGAPORE | 3 |
| H-1B1 CHILE | 1 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. | 6 | $115k |
| UChicago Argonne, LLC | 5 | $91k |
| City of Philadelphia | 4 | $85k |
| Arcadis U.S., Inc. | 4 | $104k |
| SLR International Corporation | 3 | $115k |
| Ashworth Leininger Group | 3 | $87k |
| AECOM Technical Services, Inc. | 3 | $110k |
| WSP USA Inc. | 3 | $118k |
| Research Foundation of CUNY | 3 | $68k |
| CDM Smith Inc. | 2 | $79k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| California | 18 |
| Texas | 11 |
| Illinois | 9 |
| New York | 8 |
| Pennsylvania | 6 |
| New Jersey | 6 |
| Georgia | 5 |
| North Carolina | 4 |
| Florida | 4 |
| Idaho | 3 |
Focus on developing specialized skills in areas like sustainability, renewable energy, or environmental compliance to stand out in the competitive H-1B market for Environmental Engineers.
The average H-1B salary for Environmental Engineers is $2,892,279, with a median of $106,692. The 25th-75th percentile range is $84,548 to $125,000.
Top H-1B sponsors for Environmental Engineers include WSP USA Inc., UChicago Argonne, LLC, Geosyntec Consultants, Inc., Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc., California Air Resources Board. A total of 57 employers have filed for this role.
There are 85 H-1B filings on record for Environmental Engineers positions. 98.8% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Environmental Engineers positions are California (14), Texas (10), New York (8), Illinois (6), Florida (5).
Yes, Environmental Engineers is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 85 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Environmental Engineers salaries range from $58,198 to $236,953,600. The median salary is $106,692.
The approval rate for Environmental Engineers H-1B petitions is 98.8%. The number of H-1B applications for Environmental Engineers has dramatically increased from FY2023 to FY2025.
California leads in H-1B placements, followed closely by Texas and New York.
Focus on developing specialized skills in areas like sustainability, renewable energy, or environmental compliance to stand out in the competitive H-1B market for Environmental Engineers.
The average salary for H-1B Environmental Engineers is competitive, reflecting the specialized nature of the role.
The Environmental Engineers occupation (SOC code 17-208100) is classified under the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SOC system groups workers into occupational categories based on the type of work performed, providing a standardized framework for comparing wages, employment levels, and workforce trends across the United States.
Environmental Engineers positions fall within the specialty occupation category required for H-1B visa sponsorship, meaning they typically require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in the specific specialty. Based on H-1B filing data, the most common education requirement for Environmental Engineers positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Environmental Engineers positions show an average offered salary of $105,078, with a range from $59,301 at the entry level to $177,778 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in California (18 filings) and Texas (11 filings).
Career outlook for Environmental Engineers professionals is closely tied to industry demand for specialized skills. Employers sponsoring H-1B workers for this role are demonstrating that they could not find sufficient qualified U.S. workers to fill these positions, which often signals strong demand and competitive compensation. Workers in this occupation may also be eligible for other visa categories including L-1 intracompany transfers, O-1 extraordinary ability visas, or employment-based green card sponsorship through the PERM process.
To sponsor a foreign worker for an H-1B visa in a Environmental Engineers role, U.S. employers must satisfy several requirements established by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and enforced by both the Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
The position must qualify as a "specialty occupation," meaning it requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a specific specialty directly related to the position. For Environmental Engineers roles, H-1B filings indicate that employers most commonly require a Not Specified degree. USCIS evaluates whether the position itself, not just the employer's preference, genuinely requires specialized education.
Employers must pay H-1B workers at least the prevailing wage for the occupation in the geographic area of employment, as determined by the DOL. The prevailing wage is based on four skill levels (Level 1 through Level 4) that reflect the complexity of the job duties and required experience. For Environmental Engineers positions, the average offered salary of $105,078 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 12.7%, with 73% of filings offering above the prevailing wage.
Before filing the H-1B petition, employers must obtain a certified LCA from the DOL. The LCA requires employers to attest to four conditions: (1) paying at least the prevailing wage or actual wage, whichever is higher; (2) providing working conditions that do not adversely affect similarly employed U.S. workers; (3) no strike or lockout at the worksite; and (4) proper notice of the filing to workers. The overall LCA approval rate for Environmental Engineers positions is 98%.
The annual H-1B cap is set at 65,000 regular visas plus 20,000 for beneficiaries with U.S. master's degrees or higher (the "master's cap"). Certain employers, including institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and government research organizations, are exempt from the cap. Environmental Engineers positions at cap-exempt employers can be filed at any time during the year, while cap-subject employers must participate in the annual H-1B lottery, typically held in March for the following fiscal year.
H-1B visas are initially granted for up to three years and can be extended for a maximum of six years total. Workers who have an approved I-140 immigrant petition (part of the green card process) may be eligible for extensions beyond the six-year limit under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21). The average contract duration for Environmental Engineers H-1B filings is approximately 33 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Environmental Engineers positions.
| City | State | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Lemont | Illinois | 5 |
| Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 4 |
| New York | New York | 4 |
| Camarillo | California | 3 |
| Boise | Idaho | 3 |
| San Francisco | California | 3 |
| Houston | Texas | 3 |
| Austin | Texas | 3 |
| Walnut Creek | California | 2 |
| Chicago | Illinois | 2 |
Other H-1B job categories related to Environmental Engineers, grouped by similar SOC classification codes.