Environmental Engineers: Job Description
Research, design, plan, or perform engineering duties in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental hazards using various engineering disciplines. Work may include waste treatment, site remediation, or pollution control technology.
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The Daily Work of Environmental Engineers Perform?
Typical responsibilities of environmental engineers include:
- Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality.
- Assess the existing or potential environmental impact of land use projects on air, water, or land.
- Collaborate with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, experts in law or business, or other specialists to address environmental problems.
- Advise corporations or government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment.
- Develop proposed project objectives and targets and report to management on progress in attaining them.
- Monitor progress of environmental improvement programs.
- Prepare, review, or update environmental investigation or recommendation reports.
- Prepare, maintain, or revise quality assurance documentation or procedures.
What Environmental Engineers Need to Know
Effective environmental engineers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Environmental Engineers Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Air Pollution Control Engineer
- Air Quality Engineer
- Civil Engineer
- Coastal Engineer
- Engineer
- Engineering Consultant
- Environmental Analyst
- Environmental Compliance Engineer
How Many Environmental Engineers Are There?
There are about 76,117 environmental engineers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +9.8% over the projection horizon.
Environmental Engineers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $79,896 |
| Hourly median | $38.41 |
| 10th percentile | $44,938 |
| 25th percentile | $62,417 |
| 75th percentile | $97,375 |
| 90th percentile | $114,855 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Environmental Engineers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Oregon | $130,370 |
| California | $127,660 |
| District of Columbia | $125,980 |
| Louisiana | $123,210 |
| Massachusetts | $116,980 |
| Washington | $115,770 |
| Alaska | $113,800 |
| Nevada | $112,330 |
| Texas | $108,560 |
| Connecticut | $108,100 |
| Illinois | $107,550 |
| Rhode Island | $106,620 |
| Ohio | $106,070 |
| Hawaii | $105,230 |
| Minnesota | $104,980 |
| Kentucky | $104,770 |
| Wyoming | $104,540 |
| North Carolina | $104,040 |
| New Mexico | $103,770 |
| Virginia | $103,480 |
| Michigan | $100,090 |
| Alabama | $100,060 |
| West Virginia | $99,830 |
| Delaware | $99,820 |
| Utah | $99,180 |
| South Carolina | $99,040 |
| New Jersey | $98,980 |
| Colorado | $98,170 |
| New York | $97,870 |
| Montana | $96,320 |
| Iowa | $95,980 |
| Indiana | $95,630 |
| Georgia | $94,950 |
| Pennsylvania | $94,880 |
| Maryland | $94,830 |
| Kansas | $93,540 |
| Arizona | $91,520 |
| South Dakota | $91,320 |
| Nebraska | $91,100 |
| Florida | $89,850 |
| Wisconsin | $89,270 |
| Tennessee | $87,920 |
| Oklahoma | $87,840 |
| North Dakota | $87,590 |
| Missouri | $87,360 |
| Vermont | $85,950 |
| Idaho | $85,390 |
| Maine | $85,050 |
| Arkansas | $84,600 |
| New Hampshire | $83,880 |
| Mississippi | $81,780 |
| Puerto Rico | $74,550 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for environmental engineers differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $124,191 | 20.0% | 1.27 |
| New England | $107,612 | 6.8% | 1.46 |
| Southwest | $101,380 | 8.9% | 0.93 |
| Great Lakes | $101,250 | 12.2% | 0.87 |
| Middle Atlantic | $97,627 | 17.0% | 1.15 |
| Southeast | $97,031 | 20.3% | 0.98 |
| Rocky Mountains | $96,783 | 7.6% | 2.04 |
| Plains States | $96,627 | 6.6% | 1.10 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Environmental Engineers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $142,000 | 580 |
| Bend, OR | OR | $140,590 | 60 |
| Midland, TX | TX | $139,230 | 40 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $138,090 | 290 |
| Redding, CA | CA | $137,810 | 40 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | CA | $134,700 | 90 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | GA | $131,810 | 90 |
| Salem, OR | OR | $130,890 | 60 |
Which Industries Hire Environmental Engineers
Most environmental engineers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 17,720 | $102,730 |
| Manufacturing | 2,710 | $111,850 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2,340 | $105,650 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 990 | $123,020 |
| Utilities | 470 | $122,840 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 460 | $126,610 |
| Educational Services | 320 | $86,340 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 280 | $119,280 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Bentley MicroStation (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Python (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of environmental engineers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Getting Started in This Career
Most environmental engineers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Water Resource Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers (Primary-Short)
- Environmental Compliance Inspectors (Primary-Short)
- Agricultural Engineers (Supplemental)
- Chemical Engineers (Supplemental)
- Civil Engineers (Primary-Long)
- Water/Wastewater Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Aspiring environmental engineers commonly pursue programs in:
Engineering
3 programs across 2 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 17-2081.00 (Environmental Engineers).
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