diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b4c0d047217..137bf9ff910 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ Code instrumented with the `go.opentelemetry.io/otel/metric` will need to be mod
 ### Added
 
 - Add go 1.18 to our compatibility tests. (#2679)
+- Allow configuring the Sampler with the `OTEL_TRACES_SAMPLER` and `OTEL_TRACES_SAMPLER_ARG` environment variables. (#2305, #2517)
 
 ### Changed
 
diff --git a/sdk/trace/provider.go b/sdk/trace/provider.go
index 0643d1a1611..77b86a84feb 100644
--- a/sdk/trace/provider.go
+++ b/sdk/trace/provider.go
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ func NewTracerProvider(opts ...TracerProviderOption) *TracerProvider {
 	o := tracerProviderConfig{
 		spanLimits: NewSpanLimits(),
 	}
+	o = applyTracerProviderEnvConfigs(o)
 
 	for _, opt := range opts {
 		o = opt.apply(o)
@@ -335,7 +336,10 @@ func WithIDGenerator(g IDGenerator) TracerProviderOption {
 // Tracers the TracerProvider creates to make their sampling decisions for the
 // Spans they create.
 //
-// If this option is not used, the TracerProvider will use a
+// This option overrides the Sampler configured through the OTEL_TRACES_SAMPLER
+// and OTEL_TRACES_SAMPLER_ARG environment variables. If this option is not used
+// and the sampler is not configured through environment variables or the environment
+// contains invalid/unsupported configuration, the TracerProvider will use a
 // ParentBased(AlwaysSample) Sampler by default.
 func WithSampler(s Sampler) TracerProviderOption {
 	return traceProviderOptionFunc(func(cfg tracerProviderConfig) tracerProviderConfig {
@@ -408,6 +412,29 @@ func WithRawSpanLimits(limits SpanLimits) TracerProviderOption {
 	})
 }
 
+func applyTracerProviderEnvConfigs(cfg tracerProviderConfig) tracerProviderConfig {
+	for _, opt := range tracerProviderOptionsFromEnv() {
+		cfg = opt.apply(cfg)
+	}
+
+	return cfg
+}
+
+func tracerProviderOptionsFromEnv() []TracerProviderOption {
+	var opts []TracerProviderOption
+
+	sampler, err := samplerFromEnv()
+	if err != nil {
+		otel.Handle(err)
+	}
+
+	if sampler != nil {
+		opts = append(opts, WithSampler(sampler))
+	}
+
+	return opts
+}
+
 // ensureValidTracerProviderConfig ensures that given TracerProviderConfig is valid.
 func ensureValidTracerProviderConfig(cfg tracerProviderConfig) tracerProviderConfig {
 	if cfg.sampler == nil {
diff --git a/sdk/trace/provider_test.go b/sdk/trace/provider_test.go
index e2fce31d7f7..0cfe584c926 100644
--- a/sdk/trace/provider_test.go
+++ b/sdk/trace/provider_test.go
@@ -17,10 +17,14 @@ package trace
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"math/rand"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
+	ottest "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/internal/internaltest"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace"
 )
 
@@ -94,3 +98,164 @@ func TestSchemaURL(t *testing.T) {
 	tracerStruct := tracerIface.(*tracer)
 	assert.EqualValues(t, schemaURL, tracerStruct.instrumentationLibrary.SchemaURL)
 }
+
+func TestTracerProviderSamplerConfigFromEnv(t *testing.T) {
+	type testCase struct {
+		sampler             string
+		samplerArg          string
+		argOptional         bool
+		description         string
+		errorType           error
+		invalidArgErrorType interface{}
+	}
+
+	randFloat := rand.Float64()
+
+	tests := []testCase{
+		{
+			sampler:             "invalid-sampler",
+			argOptional:         true,
+			description:         ParentBased(AlwaysSample()).Description(),
+			errorType:           errUnsupportedSampler("invalid-sampler"),
+			invalidArgErrorType: func() *errUnsupportedSampler { e := errUnsupportedSampler("invalid-sampler"); return &e }(),
+		},
+		{
+			sampler:     "always_on",
+			argOptional: true,
+			description: AlwaysSample().Description(),
+		},
+		{
+			sampler:     "always_off",
+			argOptional: true,
+			description: NeverSample().Description(),
+		},
+		{
+			sampler:     "traceidratio",
+			samplerArg:  fmt.Sprintf("%g", randFloat),
+			description: TraceIDRatioBased(randFloat).Description(),
+		},
+		{
+			sampler:     "traceidratio",
+			samplerArg:  fmt.Sprintf("%g", -randFloat),
+			description: TraceIDRatioBased(1.0).Description(),
+			errorType:   errNegativeTraceIDRatio,
+		},
+		{
+			sampler:     "traceidratio",
+			samplerArg:  fmt.Sprintf("%g", 1+randFloat),
+			description: TraceIDRatioBased(1.0).Description(),
+			errorType:   errGreaterThanOneTraceIDRatio,
+		},
+		{
+			sampler:             "traceidratio",
+			argOptional:         true,
+			description:         TraceIDRatioBased(1.0).Description(),
+			invalidArgErrorType: new(samplerArgParseError),
+		},
+		{
+			sampler:     "parentbased_always_on",
+			argOptional: true,
+			description: ParentBased(AlwaysSample()).Description(),
+		},
+		{
+			sampler:     "parentbased_always_off",
+			argOptional: true,
+			description: ParentBased(NeverSample()).Description(),
+		},
+		{
+			sampler:     "parentbased_traceidratio",
+			samplerArg:  fmt.Sprintf("%g", randFloat),
+			description: ParentBased(TraceIDRatioBased(randFloat)).Description(),
+		},
+		{
+			sampler:     "parentbased_traceidratio",
+			samplerArg:  fmt.Sprintf("%g", -randFloat),
+			description: ParentBased(TraceIDRatioBased(1.0)).Description(),
+			errorType:   errNegativeTraceIDRatio,
+		},
+		{
+			sampler:     "parentbased_traceidratio",
+			samplerArg:  fmt.Sprintf("%g", 1+randFloat),
+			description: ParentBased(TraceIDRatioBased(1.0)).Description(),
+			errorType:   errGreaterThanOneTraceIDRatio,
+		},
+		{
+			sampler:             "parentbased_traceidratio",
+			argOptional:         true,
+			description:         ParentBased(TraceIDRatioBased(1.0)).Description(),
+			invalidArgErrorType: new(samplerArgParseError),
+		},
+	}
+
+	handler.Reset()
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.sampler, func(t *testing.T) {
+			envVars := map[string]string{
+				"OTEL_TRACES_SAMPLER": test.sampler,
+			}
+
+			if test.samplerArg != "" {
+				envVars["OTEL_TRACES_SAMPLER_ARG"] = test.samplerArg
+			}
+			envStore, err := ottest.SetEnvVariables(envVars)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			t.Cleanup(func() {
+				handler.Reset()
+				require.NoError(t, envStore.Restore())
+			})
+
+			stp := NewTracerProvider(WithSyncer(NewTestExporter()))
+			assert.Equal(t, test.description, stp.sampler.Description())
+			if test.errorType != nil {
+				testStoredError(t, test.errorType)
+			} else {
+				assert.Empty(t, handler.errs)
+			}
+
+			if test.argOptional {
+				t.Run("invalid sampler arg", func(t *testing.T) {
+					envStore, err := ottest.SetEnvVariables(map[string]string{
+						"OTEL_TRACES_SAMPLER":     test.sampler,
+						"OTEL_TRACES_SAMPLER_ARG": "invalid-ignored-string",
+					})
+					require.NoError(t, err)
+					t.Cleanup(func() {
+						handler.Reset()
+						require.NoError(t, envStore.Restore())
+					})
+
+					stp := NewTracerProvider(WithSyncer(NewTestExporter()))
+					t.Cleanup(func() {
+						require.NoError(t, stp.Shutdown(context.Background()))
+					})
+					assert.Equal(t, test.description, stp.sampler.Description())
+
+					if test.invalidArgErrorType != nil {
+						testStoredError(t, test.invalidArgErrorType)
+					} else {
+						assert.Empty(t, handler.errs)
+					}
+				})
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func testStoredError(t *testing.T, target interface{}) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	if assert.Len(t, handler.errs, 1) && assert.Error(t, handler.errs[0]) {
+		err := handler.errs[0]
+
+		require.Implements(t, (*error)(nil), target)
+		require.NotNil(t, target.(error))
+
+		defer handler.Reset()
+		if errors.Is(err, target.(error)) {
+			return
+		}
+
+		assert.ErrorAs(t, err, target)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/sdk/trace/sampler_env.go b/sdk/trace/sampler_env.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..97f80576e68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sdk/trace/sampler_env.go
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+// Copyright The OpenTelemetry Authors
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package trace // import "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/trace"
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+const (
+	tracesSamplerKey    = "OTEL_TRACES_SAMPLER"
+	tracesSamplerArgKey = "OTEL_TRACES_SAMPLER_ARG"
+
+	samplerAlwaysOn                = "always_on"
+	samplerAlwaysOff               = "always_off"
+	samplerTraceIDRatio            = "traceidratio"
+	samplerParentBasedAlwaysOn     = "parentbased_always_on"
+	samplerParsedBasedAlwaysOff    = "parentbased_always_off"
+	samplerParentBasedTraceIDRatio = "parentbased_traceidratio"
+)
+
+type errUnsupportedSampler string
+
+func (e errUnsupportedSampler) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("unsupported sampler: %s", string(e))
+}
+
+var (
+	errNegativeTraceIDRatio       = errors.New("invalid trace ID ratio: less than 0.0")
+	errGreaterThanOneTraceIDRatio = errors.New("invalid trace ID ratio: greater than 1.0")
+)
+
+type samplerArgParseError struct {
+	parseErr error
+}
+
+func (e samplerArgParseError) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("parsing sampler argument: %s", e.parseErr.Error())
+}
+
+func (e samplerArgParseError) Unwrap() error {
+	return e.parseErr
+}
+
+func samplerFromEnv() (Sampler, error) {
+	sampler, ok := os.LookupEnv(tracesSamplerKey)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	sampler = strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(sampler))
+	samplerArg, hasSamplerArg := os.LookupEnv(tracesSamplerArgKey)
+	samplerArg = strings.TrimSpace(samplerArg)
+
+	switch sampler {
+	case samplerAlwaysOn:
+		return AlwaysSample(), nil
+	case samplerAlwaysOff:
+		return NeverSample(), nil
+	case samplerTraceIDRatio:
+		ratio, err := parseTraceIDRatio(samplerArg, hasSamplerArg)
+		return ratio, err
+	case samplerParentBasedAlwaysOn:
+		return ParentBased(AlwaysSample()), nil
+	case samplerParsedBasedAlwaysOff:
+		return ParentBased(NeverSample()), nil
+	case samplerParentBasedTraceIDRatio:
+		ratio, err := parseTraceIDRatio(samplerArg, hasSamplerArg)
+		return ParentBased(ratio), err
+	default:
+		return nil, errUnsupportedSampler(sampler)
+	}
+
+}
+
+func parseTraceIDRatio(arg string, hasSamplerArg bool) (Sampler, error) {
+	if !hasSamplerArg {
+		return TraceIDRatioBased(1.0), nil
+	}
+	v, err := strconv.ParseFloat(arg, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		return TraceIDRatioBased(1.0), samplerArgParseError{err}
+	}
+	if v < 0.0 {
+		return TraceIDRatioBased(1.0), errNegativeTraceIDRatio
+	}
+	if v > 1.0 {
+		return TraceIDRatioBased(1.0), errGreaterThanOneTraceIDRatio
+	}
+
+	return TraceIDRatioBased(v), nil
+}