Career Overview
Design or oversee projects involving provision of potable water, disposal of wastewater and sewage, or prevention of flood-related damage. Prepare environmental documentation for water resources, regulatory program compliance, data management and analysis, and field work. Perform hydraulic modeling and pipeline design.
Also Known As
- Consulting Engineer
- County Engineer
- Engineer
- Project Development Engineer
Alternate Job Titles
- Consulting Engineer
- County Engineer
- Dimensional Engineer
- Engineer
- Hydraulics Engineer
- Hydrologic Modeler
- Project Development Engineer
- Remediation Engineer
- Remediation Project Engineer
- Wastewater Design Engineer
- Wastewater Engineer
- Wastewater Process Engineer
- Wastewater Project Engineer
- Water Engineer
- Water Project Engineer
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Provide technical direction or supervision to junior engineers, engineering or computer-aided design (CAD) technicians, or other technical personnel.
- Review and critique proposals, plans, or designs related to water or wastewater treatment systems.
- Design domestic or industrial water or wastewater treatment plants, including advanced facilities with sequencing batch reactors (SBR), membranes, lift stations, headworks, surge overflow basins, ultraviolet disinfection systems, aerobic digesters, sludge lagoons, or control buildings.
- Evaluate the operation and maintenance of water or wastewater systems to identify ways to improve their efficiency.
- Design or select equipment for use in wastewater processing to ensure compliance with government standards.
- Design pumping systems, pumping stations, pipelines, force mains, or sewers for the collection of wastewater.
- Design water distribution systems for potable or non-potable water.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Engineering and Technology
- Design
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Building and Construction
- Administration and Management
- Mechanical
- Physics
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Listening
- Mathematics
- Complex Problem Solving
- Systems Analysis
- Systems Evaluation
- Speaking
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Information Ordering
- Written Comprehension
- Fluency of Ideas
- Problem Sensitivity
- Mathematical Reasoning
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
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
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
- Autodesk Revit
- Bash
- Bentley MicroStation
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
Tools & Equipment
- Computer data input scanners
- Computer laser printers
- Desktop computers
- Digitizers
- Laptop computers
- Large-format plotters
- Personal computers
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
Wages reported for the broader Civil Engineers occupational group (BLS 2024), which includes Water/Wastewater Engineers.
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $65,920 |
| Median | $99,590 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $160,990 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 355,410
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Water Resource Specialists
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $161,180
Environmental Engineers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $104,170
Civil Engineers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $99,590
Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $136,550
Petroleum Engineers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $141,280
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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.