NJ Civil Service Navigator

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST 2, PUBLIC HEALTH

Pulic Health

Code: 15872C State Competitive Range: P25 (FY2026)

Career Family: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST

Salary: $77,143.55 - $113,263.8/year FY2026 schedule (last updated 2026-05-08)

To land Environmental Scientist 2, Public Health in New Jersey you go through the competitive route: you sit an announced exam and the score puts you on the eligible list agencies hire from.

To be eligible you bring a master's degree and 2 years of relevant experience. The FY2026 range lands between $77,144 and $113,264.

How to apply

  • Exam

    This is an application to sit an exam and be placed on an eligible list for this title, not an application for a specific job. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. There may be no current vacancy behind it, and the list it produces may not be certified for months or years.

  • Exam

    Open to permanent employees in the competitive division who hold a qualifying lower title in the same unit. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. Like the open competitive exam, this places you on a list; it is not itself a job offer.

Pay ladder: Environmental Scientist series

  1. Environmental Scientist 1 — $67,312 – $98,503
  2. Environmental Scientist 2 — $88,530 – $130,339
  3. Environmental Scientist 3 — $88,530 – $130,339
  4. Environmental Scientist 4 — $97,100 – $143,176

Its top salary lands around the 55th percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.

Rungs are ordered by FY2026 pay. NJ level numbers are not always sequential, so ordering follows salary rather than the title number.

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.

Examples of work

  • May assist in developing, organizing, and coordinating environmental health programs within Occupational and Environmental Health Services and other inter- and intradepartmental programs.
  • May assist Environmental Scientists 3 in organizing and carrying out environmental programs.
  • Conducts industrial hygiene field surveys including walk throughs, industrial hygiene monitoring, and evaluation of control methods in work places.
  • Conducts the collection, tabulation, and analysis of data obtained from industrial hygiene or environmental field investigation and studies.
  • Provides scientific advice and assistance when environmental problems arise.
  • May assist in preparing project proposals for federal and state funds.
  • Coordinates a variety of environmental activities within the division and its subunits.
  • Participates as a member of a team in field research of industrial and environmental toxicological hazards.
  • Reviews toxicological data initiated by the Environmental Health Hazard Evaluation program.
  • Develops field survey questionnaires and survey forms.
  • Keeps current with trends of thought, literature, and new programs in environmental health.
  • Prepares technical correspondence.
  • Prepares technical and scientific reports of environmental health hazards and other matters containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
  • Maintains and calibrates air sampling equipment.
  • Maintains essential records and files.
  • Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Education

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Ecology, Industrial Hygiene, Epidemiology, Toxicology, Physics, Public Health, Occupational Health, Environmental Management, Health Science or other related science.

Experience

Two (2) years of professional experience in work involving evaluating health effects resulting from exposure to environmental or occupational substances.

License

Appointee will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

  • Knowledge of basic principles, practices, procedures, and technology of the scientific field concerned and with those of environmental health services.
  • Knowledge of ecological and toxicological effects of air and water pollution and their interaction.
  • Knowledge of laws and regulations pertaining to health effects of environmental pollutants and specific policy standards and procedures used in carrying out provisions contained therein.
  • Knowledge of uses and potentialities of instrumentation and computer technology.
  • Ability to utilize knowledge of laws and regulations of New Jersey pertaining to health effects of environmental pollutants and specific policy standards and procedures used in carrying out provisions containing therein.
  • Ability to utilize knowledge of local, state, and federal policies on environmental health issues.
  • Ability to organize and perform technical and scientific work for protection of the health of the general population from environmental pollutants.
  • Ability to utilize knowledge of local, state, and federal law and judicial policies and practices.
  • Ability to perform work and see it to its accomplishment.
  • Ability to prepare technical reports and scientific materials relating to the environment.
  • Ability to analyze, interpret, and apply basic law and regulations.
  • Ability to read and interpret toxicological data.
  • Ability to work cooperatively as one of a group.
  • Ability to compile data for and assist in preparing scientifically accurate proposals and papers.
  • Ability to prepare technical correspondence.
  • Ability to prepare informative and accurate scientific reports.
  • Ability to maintain essential records and files.
  • Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
  • Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
  • Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.