Average Environmental Scientist Salary in Brazil for 2026
An environmental scientist in Brazil earns about 167,100 BRL a year. That's 65% above the national average of 101,120 BRL.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Brazil sit around 86,800 BRL a year, while the very top stretches to 257,700 BRL. Everything on this page is in Brazilian real (BRL, symbol R$), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Brazil, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does an environmental scientist make in Brazil?
A typical environmental scientist working in Brazil brings home around 13,925 BRL a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 86,800 BRL, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 257,700 BRL for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior environmental scientist working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.
How environmental scientist pay ranges in Brazil
A good way to think about salary in Brazil is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all environmental scientists in Brazil earn less than 161,300 BRL a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 111,000 BRL (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 201,100 BRL (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of environmental scientists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 86,800 BRL. The highest stretch to 257,700 BRL, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
Environmental scientist pay by experience in Brazil
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an environmental scientist in Brazil, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical environmental scientist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years99,280 BRL
- 2-5 Years+36% from previous134,600 BRL
- 5-10 Years+28% from previous172,200 BRL
- 10-15 Years+22% from previous209,700 BRL
- 15-20 Years+9% from previous228,000 BRL
- 20+ Years+5% from previous239,300 BRL
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 36%. That is the point at which a environmental scientist typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
Environmental scientist pay by education in Brazil
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving environmental scientist pay in Brazil. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average environmental scientist salary in Brazil broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Bachelor's Degree129,000 BRL
- Master's Degree+24% from previous159,400 BRL
- PhD+60% from previous254,700 BRL
Environmental scientist gender pay gap in Brazil
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Brazil is no exception. Male environmental scientists in Brazil earn an average of 175,900 BRL a year, while female environmental scientists earn around 161,300 BRL. That works out to a 9% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
Environmental Scientist gender pay gap
8%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Brazil.
Pay raises for an environmental scientist in Brazil
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in Brazil sees a raise of about 12% every 18 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in Brazil, the national average raise is around 9% every 16 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Brazil:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel
- Construction
- Education
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Environmental scientist bonus rates in Brazil
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
55% of environmental scientists in Brazil reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an environmental scientist a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5% of base salary. The remaining 45% of environmental scientists reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Brazil
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
Environmental scientist: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Brazil is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
7%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Brazil on average.
Environmental scientist salary by city in Brazil
Environmental scientist pay is not even across Brazil. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Rio de Janeiro
- Salvador
- Belo Horizonte
- Brasilia
- Fortaleza
- Recife
- Sao Paulo
- Curitiba
- Manaus
- Porto Alegre
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio de Janeiro | City | 195,200 BRL | 210,500 BRL | 91,520-314,500 BRL |
| Salvador | City | 192,000 BRL | 183,700 BRL | 98,540-292,000 BRL |
| Belo Horizonte | City | 190,500 BRL | 195,200 BRL | 89,340-299,500 BRL |
| Brasilia | City | 190,500 BRL | 191,600 BRL | 92,500-296,000 BRL |
| Fortaleza | City | 187,300 BRL | 197,600 BRL | 88,580-296,000 BRL |
| Recife | City | 181,600 BRL | 168,100 BRL | 98,820-275,200 BRL |
| Sao Paulo | City | 181,600 BRL | 172,200 BRL | 94,380-273,000 BRL |
| Curitiba | City | 180,500 BRL | 176,800 BRL | 93,140-275,500 BRL |
| Manaus | City | 180,300 BRL | 180,300 BRL | 88,480-275,500 BRL |
| Porto Alegre | City | 175,900 BRL | 175,900 BRL | 88,020-275,800 BRL |
| Belem | City | 174,000 BRL | 190,500 BRL | 80,840-277,400 BRL |
| Goiania | City | 172,400 BRL | 180,500 BRL | 83,420-272,800 BRL |
| Campinas | City | 172,200 BRL | 159,500 BRL | 92,300-261,300 BRL |
| Aracaju | City | 168,100 BRL | 159,400 BRL | 87,520-254,700 BRL |
| Sao Luis | City | 161,600 BRL | 168,100 BRL | 80,340-254,700 BRL |
| Londrina | City | 161,300 BRL | 150,000 BRL | 86,800-245,300 BRL |
| Maceio | City | 159,500 BRL | 158,700 BRL | 80,280-247,800 BRL |
| Natal | City | 159,500 BRL | 172,200 BRL | 73,820-254,700 BRL |
| Macapa | City | 159,100 BRL | 154,700 BRL | 80,840-243,000 BRL |
| Vale do Aco | City | 158,700 BRL | 159,500 BRL | 78,940-245,300 BRL |
| Teresina | City | 158,700 BRL | 148,300 BRL | 83,760-238,900 BRL |
| Maringa | City | 154,700 BRL | 161,600 BRL | 72,700-243,000 BRL |
| Joao Pessoa | City | 154,700 BRL | 168,100 BRL | 69,240-246,200 BRL |
| Petrolina and Juazeiro | City | 152,300 BRL | 152,300 BRL | 78,160-239,000 BRL |
| Cuiaba | City | 151,800 BRL | 157,600 BRL | 70,840-237,400 BRL |
| Santos | City | 150,000 BRL | 137,400 BRL | 80,480-225,700 BRL |
| Vitoria | City | 148,300 BRL | 138,800 BRL | 74,560-221,500 BRL |
Environmental Scientist in Brazil: FAQs
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How much does an environmental scientist make per month in Brazil?
An environmental scientist in Brazil earns about 13,925 BRL a month before tax, based on an annual average of 167,100 BRL.
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What's the salary range for an environmental scientist in Brazil?
Entry-level environmental scientists in Brazil start near 86,800 BRL. Top-end pay reaches around 257,700 BRL. The middle 50% of earners sit between 111,000 and 201,100 BRL.
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Is the median environmental scientist salary in Brazil higher or lower than the average?
The median is 161,300 BRL, lower than the average of 167,100 BRL. Half of environmental scientists in Brazil earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for environmental scientists in Brazil?
Men working as an environmental scientist in Brazil earn around 9% more than women on average (175,900 vs 161,300 BRL a year).
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Do environmental scientists in Brazil get bonuses?
About 55% of environmental scientists in Brazil reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5% of base salary.
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Do environmental scientists earn more in the public or private sector in Brazil?
In Brazil, the public sector pays an environmental scientist about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do environmental scientists in Brazil get a pay raise?
An environmental scientist in Brazil sees a raise of around 12% every 18 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.