Environmental Studies Jobs Salary

I have a 20 yr old daughter that goes to the University of Washington. Fortunately she figured out what she wanted to major in as a freshman and is on course to graduate in 4 years (with 3 summer school courses) with 2 degrees. One in Environmental Science and the other in Environmental Studies. If anyone could give me opinions or experience with these degrees I would greatly appreciate it.

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Originally Posted by l.wilson I would push her to major in Environmental Engineering.

I have worked in environmental consulting and the pecking order for job applicants were always:

1)Env. Engineers
2)Env. Geologists
3)Env. Scientists

Ditch the summer class' and do co-ops/internships. Those would be more helpful for employment than a second bachelors. Also, if she can get experience in GIS, as well as get OSHA 40 hour HAZWOPER. Its only a week long course, but I have seen employers pick a candidate that has it over on that does not because they did not have to pay the $$ to send them to the course.

Also, she needs to know that if she is going to go into consulting, she isn't going to be saving the world. More likely she will be working to hold the hand of the client through regulatory hoops after they have a spill. There is nothing wrong with this, as it is a needed function but its the ones doing the spilling that you will be working for.

All in all a decent career path that will always be there. I work in construction now and I definitely encountered more strenuous/hazardous work in env. consulting. Carrying equipment through tic filled swamps and fields to sample a series of groundwater wells contaminated with TCE. Or carrying equipment through an active foundry to sample well for cyanide.

I don't mean this to be a scare tactic but I have seen many female scientists get hired and are rather shocked when they are out in the conditions I listed above.

Thanks for so much for your response.I need to do a little homework myself to understand what you just said...lol. Do you think time, effort and expense of obtaining a masters in this field would pay out in job satisfaction and pay scale? Do you have an idea of salary right out of school? She is very strong in math and her GPA is close to a 4.0.

Originally Posted by l.wilson If she is not going an engineering route, a grad degree would help her specialize. E.g. an academic management degree (not MBA) if she is interested in the policy side, a geography or geosciences degree if she ends up interested in GIS, etc.
I don't think this will result in that much higher pay, but it will result in better employment prospects, and hence more satisfactory positions available to her.
I was an environmental studies concentration in a geography major undergrad and did my graduate work in geography with a concentration in GIS. I choose a job that was around $60k starting in a very low cost of living area, but my offers ranged up close to $90k starting.

Did she have extremely high SAT math scores? If so, she will probably do well on the general GRE. That combined with a near 4.0 GPA and undergrad research work should be able to get her into grad school with her education paid for.