How to become an environmental scientist in Australia
Environmental Research Scientists study and develop policies and plans for the control of factors which may produce pollution, imbalance in or degradation of the environment.
Pay and growth are for the wider environmental scientists group, which is as fine as the data goes. The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the environmental scientists group are projected to grow 16.6% between May 2025 and May 2035, faster than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Studies effects of factors, such as terrain, altitude, climatic and environmental change, sources of nutrition, predators and impacts of humans, on animal and plant life.
- Studies and analyses pollution, atmospheric conditions, demographic characteristics, ecology, mineral, soil and water samples.
- Develops conservation and management policies for biological resources, such as fish populations and forests, as well as establishing standards and approaches for control of pollution and rehabilitation of areas disturbed by activities such as mining, timber felling and overgrazing.
How to get there
What it usually takes. A bachelor degree or higher. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the environmental scientists group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 93% a degree or higher, 2% a diploma, 2% a Certificate III or IV.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
Estimate your ATAR and this page shows the gap to each course. Your marks stay on your device.
Victoria16 matches
VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.
Environmental Science · RMIT, City74.30 Design (Branded Environments major) · Swinburne, Hawthorn60.85 Sustainability and Environment · RMIT, City60.80 Environmental Science and Sustainability · Deakin, Melbourne Burwood60.55Diplomas and other ways in
Showing 10 of 16 matches. Search every course.
NSW and ACT48 matches
UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.
Bachelor of Environmental Management · UNSW84.05 Bachelor of Environmental Science (Honours) · Wollongong80.25 Bachelor of Architecture and Environments · Sydney80.05 Bachelor of Environmental Science Master of Natural Resource Management · UNE79.45 Bachelor of Environment · Macquarie76.75 Bachelor of Science (Environmental Science) · Canberra73.85 Bachelor of Environmental Biology · UTS73.50 Bachelor of Science (Sustainable Environmental Futures) · Western Sydney73.40Diplomas and other ways in
Diploma in Environmental Science · Newcastle53.20Showing 11 of 48 matches. Search every course.
Queensland37 matches
QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.
Bachelor of Environmental Management (Honours) · UQ, St Lucia78.20 Bachelor of Environmental Science · UNE, Armidale73.45 Bachelor of Environmental Management · UniSC, Sunshine Coast72.65 Bachelor of Games and Interactive Environments · QUT, Gardens Point70.30 Bachelor of Environmental Science · Griffith, Gold Coast66.65 Bachelor of Environmental Science · UniSC, Moreton Bay66.35 Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management · JCU, Cairns65.05 Bachelor of Science and Environment · CQUniversity, Online64.85Diplomas and other ways in
Diploma in Information Technology/Bachelor of Games and Interactive Environments · QUT, Kelvin Grove/Gardens Point62.10Showing 12 of 37 matches. Search every course.
Western Australia26 matches
TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.
Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) in Environmental Biology and Ecology · Curtin, Perth95.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) in Environmental Science · Curtin, Perth95.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Environmental Science and Master of Environmental Science · UWA, Perth90.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Geographical and Spatial Science and Master of Environmental Science · UWA, Perth90.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Marine Science and Master of Environmental Science · UWA, Perth90.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Environmental Science · UWA, Perth80.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Environmental Science - Albany · UWA, Albany Centre80.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Environmental Design · UWA, Perth72.75Showing 8 of 26 matches. Search every course.
Matched on course names, 127 across four admissions centres. A lowest selection rank includes adjustment points and moves every year. Check prerequisites and whether the course is accredited for this job.
Graduate outcomes, national
Undergraduates surveyed about four to six months after finishing, in 2025, across all providers. Full-time work is among those available for it. All graduates: 75.4% and $77,000. These are national figures for the study area, not for this course or uni, and a first-year salary says little about later pay. Source: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Investigative, Realistic, Conventional.
From O*NET ratings for "Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a good match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
Careers with similar interests
Marine biologist$1,544 Medical laboratory scientist$2,056 Microbiologist$1,544 Environmental engineer$2,649 Physicist$1,848Done this job, or studied for it?
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
Graduate outcomes: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025, National Report Tables (Social Research Centre, for the Australian Government).
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.