Environmental Operations Manager Salary in the United States

How much does an Environmental Operations Manager make in the United States?

As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for an Environmental Operations Manager in the United States is $142,989 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $69.

However, an Environmental Operations Manager's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $161,453
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $127,529 to $152,654
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $113,453

Key Factors That Influence Environmental Operations Manager Salaries

An Environmental Operations Manager's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Environmental Operations Manager Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Environmental Operations Manager's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $93,070
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $119,693
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $142,278
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $166,827
  • Expert (over 8 years): $213,362
Levels Salary
Environme... Level Environmental Operations Manager$93,070
Environme... Level Environmental Operations Manager$119,693
Environme... Level Environmental Operations Manager$142,278
Environme... Level Environmental Operations Manager$166,827
VP of Env... Level Environmental Operations Manager$213,362

How Do Environmental Operations Manager Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Environmental Operations Managers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $158,317.
  • California: $157,717.
  • Massachusetts: $155,615.

Top Paying Cities for Environmental Operations Managers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $180,352
  • San Francisco: $178,377
  • Oakland: $174,618

What Skills Can Increase an Environmental Operations Manager's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 6.27% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Safety Training (Mentioned in 2.11% Job Postings): Providing learning programs designed to train employees on precautionary processes and procedures to perform their duties safely and effectively.
  • Continuous Improvement (Mentioned in 1.64% Job Postings): A continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI), is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once. Delivery (customer valued) processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. Some see CIPs as a meta-process for most management systems (such as business process management, quality management, project management, and program management). W. Edwards Deming, a pioneer of the field, saw it as part of the 'system' whereby feedback from the process and customer were evaluated against organisational goals. The fact that it can be called a management process does not mean that it needs to be executed by 'management'; but rather merely that it makes decisions about the implementation of the delivery process and the design of the delivery process itself.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 6.27%
Safety Training 2.11%
Continuous Improvement 1.64%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Environmental Operations Manager's salary.

  • Environmental Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Partnering: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Geology: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Environmental Consulting $150,138
5%
Partnering $148,709
4%
Geology $148,709
4%

Environmental Operations Manager Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Environmental Operations Manager roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Business Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Environmental Operations Manager positions in Biotechnology or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Environmental Operations Manager as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for an Environmental Operations Manager

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$171,587$82.020%

How Education impacts an Environmental Operations Manager's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Environmental Operations Managers enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Environmental Operations Manager with a Bachelor's Degree is between $120,914 and $130,419).

Environmental Operations Manager Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Environmental Operations Manager
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.1%
High School 5.4%
Associates 4.0%
Bachelors 49.1%
Masters 36.6%
Doctorate 3.7%

Environmental Operations Manager Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Environmental Operations Manager's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$127,529
Average $142,989/year
$152,654
$10,627
Average $11,916/month
$12,721
$2,452
Average $2,750/week
$2,936
$61
Average $69/hour
$73
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $152,654 $12,721 $2,936 $73
Average $142,989 $11,916 $2,750 $69
25th Percentile $127,529 $10,627 $2,452 $61

Most common benefits for Environmental Operations Manager

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Environmental Operations Manager

Here are companies hiring for Environmental Operations Manager and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Environmental Operations Manager

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Environmental Operations Manager?

The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Environmental Operations Manager roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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