Salary guide, May 2025
Environmental Monitoring Technician pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in the United States was $48,570 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $39,890 and $61,440.
Direct match · SOC 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
The Environmental Monitoring Technician title maps to the published occupation. The duties align, but BLS combines employers and industries.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35,510 | $39,890 | $48,570 | $61,440 | $77,860 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $17.07 | $19.18 | $23.35 | $29.54 | $37.44 |
BLS estimated 597,370 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $46,820 | $36,760 to $59,760 | 6,830 | 0.63 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $47,180 | $38,420 to $57,620 | 3,760 | 0.68 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $45,630 | $37,230 to $59,060 | 2,790 | 0.51 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $49,460 | $44,150 to $59,610 | 1,420 | 0.5 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,160 | $41,120 to $62,720 | 16,370 | 0.45 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,160 | $41,120 to $62,720 | 16,370 | 0.45 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $46,210 | $38,390 to $59,280 | 16,440 | 1.06 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $48,230 | $41,620 to $60,340 | 23,080 | 1.33 |
Rank every metro for Environmental Monitoring Technician
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels.
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$74,450
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing$73,310
- Ship and Boat Building$64,560
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$64,420
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$64,420
- Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills$61,330
- Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing$61,140
- Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing$60,820
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing$60,620
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing$59,260
- Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing$59,190
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing$58,360
- Communications Equipment Manufacturing$57,780
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)$57,110
- Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing$56,280
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 382,920 | $43,050 | $49,270 | $61,460 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 63,910 | $47,390 | $60,620 | $77,420 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 47,990 | $44,350 | $49,410 | $60,470 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 46,600 | $38,690 | $46,100 | $51,520 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 35,730 | $38,770 | $45,820 | $50,530 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 32,800 | $44,970 | $50,120 | $61,740 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 32,480 | $45,540 | $55,250 | $65,450 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 29,910 | $38,680 | $45,630 | $49,600 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 28,190 | $46,460 | $54,760 | $62,540 |
| 336400 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 26,120 | $60,260 | $74,450 | $93,290 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 21,920 | $40,470 | $47,070 | $55,850 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 19,460 | $40,490 | $48,480 | $60,400 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 18,660 | $46,570 | $53,970 | $62,430 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 17,830 | $43,660 | $48,640 | $59,190 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 17,440 | $46,950 | $59,260 | $72,860 |
| 311600 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 17,210 | $37,210 | $41,070 | $47,570 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 17,190 | $42,910 | $48,570 | $59,840 |
| 335000 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 14,050 | $45,350 | $49,940 | $60,720 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 13,840 | $44,600 | $49,520 | $61,220 |
| 332700 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 13,800 | $45,100 | $50,680 | $61,110 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 13,430 | $46,550 | $54,510 | $62,530 |
| 334500 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 10,570 | $48,480 | $58,360 | $66,930 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 10,330 | $46,260 | $51,620 | $60,320 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 10,330 | $46,260 | $51,620 | $60,320 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 10,030 | $47,390 | $57,110 | $66,250 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 9,420 | $41,910 | $51,060 | $63,770 |
| 332710 | Machine Shops | 9,230 | $46,800 | $54,690 | $62,500 |
| 311900 | Other Food Manufacturing | 9,100 | $40,640 | $47,770 | $56,580 |
| 336100 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 7,030 | $63,060 | $73,310 | $78,410 |
| 322000 | Paper Manufacturing | 6,680 | $40,340 | $47,420 | $59,740 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 6,330 | $38,690 | $45,960 | $50,760 |
| 335900 | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 6,240 | $45,110 | $49,640 | $60,390 |
| 321000 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 6,120 | $39,420 | $47,830 | $55,730 |
| 311400 | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 6,050 | $38,590 | $44,870 | $49,030 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 5,830 | $39,070 | $47,600 | $59,530 |
| 335300 | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 5,710 | $46,700 | $52,060 | $61,370 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 5,620 | $43,680 | $49,100 | $61,330 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 5,620 | $37,110 | $44,670 | $52,200 |
| 331500 | Foundries | 5,560 | $46,450 | $50,350 | $60,320 |
| 322200 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 5,520 | $39,140 | $45,750 | $55,830 |
| 337000 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 4,940 | $36,950 | $41,160 | $47,650 |
| 323000 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 4,850 | $37,030 | $41,720 | $48,530 |
| 323100 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 4,850 | $37,030 | $41,720 | $48,530 |
| 311500 | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 4,590 | $47,310 | $52,070 | $58,980 |
| 332720 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 4,570 | $38,790 | $46,970 | $58,040 |
| 3370A1 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 4,440 | $37,100 | $41,850 | $47,960 |
| 311800 | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 4,190 | $39,580 | $46,260 | $50,560 |
| 312000 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 4,100 | $47,500 | $53,620 | $61,460 |
| 333500 | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 4,060 | $43,070 | $49,330 | $60,400 |
| 313000 | Textile Mills | 4,020 | $35,630 | $38,610 | $45,130 |
| 336200 | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 4,020 | $42,850 | $47,900 | $58,330 |
| 312100 | Beverage Manufacturing | 3,690 | $47,540 | $53,390 | $61,090 |
| 321900 | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 3,580 | $40,540 | $47,550 | $53,490 |
| 333600 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 3,330 | $49,230 | $61,140 | $75,860 |
| 336600 | Ship and Boat Building | 2,980 | $55,840 | $64,560 | $82,130 |
| 324000 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,570 | $49,860 | $64,420 | $96,120 |
| 324100 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,570 | $49,860 | $64,420 | $96,120 |
| 334100 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 2,390 | $29,520 | $45,200 | $55,760 |
| 331400 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 2,290 | $47,040 | $56,280 | $64,870 |
| 313200 | Fabric Mills | 2,280 | $36,220 | $39,000 | $46,360 |
| 311100 | Animal Food Manufacturing | 2,240 | $43,670 | $48,100 | $60,070 |
| 333300 | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 2,140 | $46,890 | $53,440 | $62,140 |
| 315000 | Apparel Manufacturing | 2,130 | $30,310 | $36,080 | $39,180 |
| 314000 | Textile Product Mills | 2,110 | $35,350 | $41,500 | $46,520 |
| 334200 | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 2,070 | $46,690 | $57,780 | $72,540 |
| 331200 | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 2,020 | $46,910 | $54,140 | $60,450 |
| 331100 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 2,010 | $48,830 | $59,190 | $66,890 |
| 335200 | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 1,640 | $44,310 | $47,980 | $56,980 |
| 339910 | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 1,600 | $37,110 | $37,110 | $40,350 |
| 331300 | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 1,550 | $46,170 | $55,320 | $62,270 |
| 311200 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 1,530 | $46,910 | $51,860 | $61,310 |
| 315200 | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 1,340 | $30,960 | $36,390 | $43,690 |
| 321200 | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,300 | $39,010 | $47,270 | $55,900 |
| 321100 | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 1,240 | $39,200 | $49,840 | $59,130 |
| 311300 | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 1,160 | $41,660 | $50,000 | $61,700 |
| 322100 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 1,160 | $54,900 | $61,330 | $69,540 |
| 314100 | Textile Furnishings Mills | 1,070 | $38,210 | $43,240 | $46,230 |
| 314900 | Other Textile Product Mills | 1,040 | $31,200 | $37,560 | $47,060 |
| 336900 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 940 | $46,140 | $51,740 | $64,420 |
| 313300 | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 920 | $35,470 | $38,710 | $46,030 |
| 336500 | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 880 | $48,170 | $60,820 | $70,560 |
| 313100 | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 830 | $34,640 | $37,420 | $40,560 |
| 311700 | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 540 | $34,430 | $44,840 | $48,760 |
| 337900 | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 510 | $32,210 | $37,860 | $46,060 |
| 335100 | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 450 | $39,730 | $48,770 | $59,700 |
| 316000 | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 430 | $28,710 | $36,580 | $44,810 |
| 312200 | Tobacco Manufacturing | 410 | $43,410 | $55,770 | $76,160 |
| 315100 | Apparel Knitting Mills | 410 | $28,140 | $35,500 | $36,830 |
| 334300 | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 400 | $43,660 | $47,170 | $59,730 |
| 315900 | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | 380 | $33,400 | $36,280 | $36,820 |
| 316200 | Footwear Manufacturing | 210 | $28,370 | $30,870 | $42,360 |
| 334600 | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 180 | $40,230 | $47,790 | $47,930 |
| 316100 | Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing | 120 | $39,160 | $45,450 | $54,850 |
| 316900 | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 100 | $29,040 | $34,550 | $40,460 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Environmental Monitoring Technician, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure.
Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $38,740 | $47,460 | $59,970 |
| May 2025 | $39,890 | $48,570 | $61,440 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Supervisor occupation: Production Supervisor pay (SOC 51-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about a move that can hold up?
Someone working in monitoring technicians from sterile and contamination-controlled manufacturing needs a clear reason to leave. If the answer depends on authority over planned environmental sampling and records in controlled production areas that you cannot offer, that mismatch belongs in the conversation before an offer.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Environmental Monitoring Technician?
The median annual wage for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in the United States was $48,570 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $39,890 and $61,440.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $35,510. 90% earned less than $77,860.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Environmental Monitoring Technician at a plant?
The Environmental Monitoring Technician title maps to the published occupation. The duties align, but BLS combines employers and industries. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 597,370 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
Environmental Monitoring Technician roles are grouped within the Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers occupation. Total national employment is 597370. The current national median is $48570, an increase of 1110 over the previous $47460. The middleBandWidth is 21550, with a P25 of $39890 and a P75 of $61440.
Manufacturing Headhunters emphasizes that these figures reflect the overall inspector category and do not isolate environmental monitoring duties. Because BLS data omits non-cash incentives, internal compensation plans should account for total rewards packages.
National industry medians are $74450 for Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing, $73310 for Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, and $64560 for Ship and Boat Building. These national industry rows illustrate how certain manufacturing environments value quality and monitoring personnel differently. In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, the median is $48230 with a location quotient of 1.33. In Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, the median is $51560 with a location quotient of 0.94. The location quotient is an employment measure, not a direct wage indicator.
Environmental monitoring, specifically in controlled environments, requires precise sampling and gowning discipline. Since the data is broad, the national median of $48570 should be treated as a floor rather than an expected total for specialized staff. The middleBandWidth of 21550 highlights that individual experience contributes significantly to the final pay rate. Hiring managers should focus on the upper range, specifically the P90 of $77860, for staff with advanced sterile process knowledge. Using the broad median to set pay for technical monitoring roles will likely miss market expectations for candidates with specialized environment experience.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why is the median for environmental monitoring technicians not separate?
BLS utilizes broad occupation codes. As a result, environmental monitoring technicians are included in the large bucket of inspectors, testers, and samplers.
What does the middleBandWidth of 21550 indicate for my hiring strategy?
It indicates that there is a significant spread in pay for inspection staff nationwide. This reflects the wide variety of technical roles included in this single SOC code.
Is it possible to use local industry data to estimate pay?
The industries mentioned are national, not local. While they show how high-value sectors pay for inspection generally, they do not specifically isolate the environmental technician role.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4