Environmental Economist H-1B Hiring Shows Minimal Activity with Recent Surge
Explore H-1B visa filings for Environmental Economists. View sponsoring employers, salary data from 100 filings, and approval rates from DOL public records.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total H-1B Petitions | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 99% |
| Average Salary | $111,619 |
| Salary Range | $56,493 - $218,000 |
| Top Sponsor | The Brattle Group |
| Primary Location | New York |
Environmental Economists is one of the H-1B visa categories with 15 filings and an average salary of $92,638. Hiring for Environmental Economists is extremely limited, with only 15 total positions recorded. The vast majority of these roles (12 out of 15) were posted in FY2025, indicating a very recent and potentially nascent trend. Geographic concentration is minimal, with New York and Washington D.C. showing the highest numbers (3 and 2 respectively), but still representing a small fraction of the total.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 99% |
| Average Salary | $111,619 |
| Median Salary | $101,358 |
| 25th Percentile | $79,327 |
| 75th Percentile | $135,000 |
| Minimum Salary | $56,493 |
| Maximum Salary | $218,000 |
| 10th Percentile | $65,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $79,327 |
| Median (50th) | $101,358 |
| 75th Percentile | $135,000 |
| 90th Percentile | $180,000 |
| Average | $111,619 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 93 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 7 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| The Brattle Group | 6 | $136k |
| ICF Resources, LLC | 6 | $150k |
| Columbia University | 4 | $81k |
| BP America Inc. | 4 | $93k |
| Bloomberg L.P. | 3 | $124k |
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | 3 | $132k |
| The Curators of the University of Missouri | 2 | $61k |
| Avantus LLC | 2 | $116k |
| New York Power Authority | 2 | $123k |
| Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska | 2 | $63k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| New York | 16 |
| California | 14 |
| District of Columbia | 12 |
| Massachusetts | 11 |
| Illinois | 8 |
| Texas | 8 |
| Virginia | 7 |
| Arizona | 4 |
| Maryland | 3 |
| Missouri | 2 |
Focus on developing specialized skills in environmental policy analysis and quantitative modeling, and be prepared for a highly competitive and niche job market with limited H-1B opportunities.
The average H-1B salary for Environmental Economists is $92,638, with a median of $90,896. The 25th-75th percentile range is $78,000 to $108,800.
Top H-1B sponsors for Environmental Economists include ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE, INC., BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE, LLC, North Carolina State University, Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY. A total of 14 employers have filed for this role.
There are 15 H-1B filings on record for Environmental Economists positions. 100.0% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Environmental Economists positions are New York (3), District of Columbia (2), Texas (1), North Carolina (1), Arizona (1).
Yes, Environmental Economists is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 15 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Environmental Economists salaries range from $60,000 to $136,088. The median salary is $90,896.
The approval rate for Environmental Economists H-1B petitions is 100.0%. The total number of H-1B petitions for Environmental Economists is exceptionally low, suggesting a niche field for H-1B sponsorship.
The data shows a significant spike in FY2025 postings, which could represent new initiatives or a sudden, albeit small, increase in demand.
Focus on developing specialized skills in environmental policy analysis and quantitative modeling, and be prepared for a highly competitive and niche job market with limited H-1B opportunities.
The salary range for these positions is broad, with a median of $90,896, a low of $60,000, and a high of $136,088.
The Environmental Economists occupation (SOC code 19-301101) 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 Economists 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 Economists positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Environmental Economists positions show an average offered salary of $111,619, with a range from $56,493 at the entry level to $218,000 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in New York (16 filings) and California (14 filings).
Career outlook for Environmental Economists 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 Economists 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 Economists 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 Economists positions, the average offered salary of $111,619 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 18.9%, with 81% 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 Economists positions is 99%.
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 Economists 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 Economists H-1B filings is approximately 32 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Environmental Economists positions.