Career Overview
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.
Also Known As
- Engineer
- Environmental Engineer
- Environmental Remediation Specialist
- Sanitary Engineer
Alternate Job Titles
- Air Pollution Control Engineer
- Air Quality Engineer
- Civil Engineer
- Coastal Engineer
- Engineer
- Engineering Consultant
- Environmental Analyst
- Environmental Compliance Engineer
- Environmental Consultant
- Environmental Coordinator
- Environmental Designer
- Environmental Engineer
- Environmental Engineering Intern
- Environmental Planner
- Environmental Project Engineer
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities 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.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Engineering and Technology
- Design
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Building and Construction
- English Language
- Physics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Biology
- Computers and Electronics
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Learning
- Coordination
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Fluency of Ideas
- Speech Recognition
- Near Vision
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Innovation
- Intellectual Curiosity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Achievement
- Working Conditions
- Recognition
- Independence
- Relationships
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree
On-the-Job Training: None or short demonstration
Education Details: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Experience Required: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Bentley MicroStation
- C++
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Project
Tools & Equipment
- Air incubators
- Air velocity meters
- Ambient air measurement devices
- Anaerobic growth chambers
- Argon ionization detectors
- Atomic absorption AA spectrometers
- Atomic absorption AA spectrophotometers
- Autoclaves
- Automatic titrators
- Balances
- Biological oxidizers
- California bearing ratio CBR testing devices
- Capillary electrophoresis systems
- Centrifuges
- Charge-coupled device CCD cameras
Work Environment
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $64,950 |
| Median | $104,170 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $161,910 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 37,950
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $80,060
Water/Wastewater Engineers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $99,590
Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $58,890
Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $136,550
Environmental Compliance Inspectors
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $78,420
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.