1. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
What is an Environmental Engineer?
Environmental Engineers strive to create solutions for environmental problems created by pollution and the exploitation of natural resources. They combine knowledge from engineering, biology, chemistry, and soil science, in an attempt to re-establish the sustainable balance of our environment.
As an environmental engineer, your tasks will vary based on your setting. When working on urban or regional planning, you might use an office, do field research on location, or work at construction sites when implementing solutions.
To set out on this career path, you will need a degree or complete a cooperative engineering program, which provides you academic credit for work experience. On average, you will make around $88,860 per year, but more importantly, you will have a profession that allows you to make a difference.
What Does an Environmental Engineer Do
Environmental engineers use the principles of engineering, soil science, biology, and chemistry to develop solutions to environmental problems. They are involved in efforts to improve recycling, waste disposal, public health, and water and air pollution control. They also address global issues, such as unsafe drinking water, climate change, and environmental sustainability.
How To Become an Environmental Engineer
Environmental engineers must have a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering or a related field, such as civil, chemical, or general engineering. Employers also value practical experience. Therefore, cooperative engineering programs, in which college credit is awarded for structured job experience, are valuable as well.
Environmental Engineer Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, an environmental engineer can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as project engineer, progress to a title such as owner and then eventually end up with the title environmental services director.
Environmental Engineer
Environmental Services Director
9 Years
HSE Manager
10 Years
Process Engineering Manager
9 Years
Plant Engineering Manager
10 Years
Engineering Operations Manager
9 Years
Regulatory Affairs Director
12 Years
Show More
Average Salary for an Environmental Engineer
Environmental Engineers in America make an average salary of $75,718 per year or $36 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $98,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $58,000 per year.
Average Environmental Engineer Salary
$75,718Â Yearly$36.40 hourly
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Environmental Engineer
The role of an environmental engineer includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general environmental engineer responsibilities:
- Develop, maintain and modify site specific environmental compliance programs ensure regulatory reporting is completed for agencies such as sanitation districts, ca dept. Of toxic substance control, us epa,
- Conduct and may eventually supervise field work
- Preliminary design, design, and construction management services for various water, wastewater,
There are several types of environmental engineer, including:
Project Engineer
Role:
A project engineer is responsible for the planning and implementation of a project. In collaboration with the management of the enterprise, they review proposals and come up with project goals. They break down the process and create a viable schedule, and then coordinate and monitor the work.
The project, as such, sounds vague because it depends on the industry they work for. In any case, they go on regular meetings with clients to make sure the the evolution of the work matches their vision. It is their responsibility to carry out the work within the budget or to propose adjustments to it if they see fit.
The project engineer will analyze the performance of their team and present progress reports to stakeholders to make sure everyone is at the top of their game.
- Average Salary: $75,050
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Environmental Health Safety Manager
Role:
Environmental health and safety managers are tasked with overseeing programs that protect people from environmental and workplace hazards. Likewise, they protect the environment from human hazards. They plan, implement, monitor, and improve the environmental health and safety programs in their place of employment. They ensure that company employees, visitors, and contractors are safe and healthy. Additionally, they ensure the company is compliant with environmental regulations. Also, they identify and correct potentially dangerous work duties and inform employees about safety and health protocols.
Applicants for this position should earn at least a bachelor's degree in industrial management, chemical engineering, business, or a related field. Having a master's degree in environmental health and safety, risk management, or a related discipline is of added advantage. It's a plus to have relevant certifications. You must possess interpersonal, observation, and communication skills. These experts are paid about $93,101 annually. Their salary falls between $61,000 and $141,000.
- Average Salary: $85,594
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Engineering Coordinator
Role:
An engineering coordinator is an individual who is responsible for the development and implementation of specific engineering projects in such areas as construction, mechanical, manufacturing, electrical, computers, and information technology (IT).
An engineering coordinator typically performs administrative tasks such as research, analysis, arranges staff and client schedules, manages client queries and correspondence, works with vendors and contractors, and reviews contracts and other documentation. They also coordinate with different teams involved in engineering projects and also participate in the planning, design, and development of such projects.
Depending on the industry, and engineering coordinator often has an associates' or a bachelor's degree in the area of engineering, and some may also have a special certification or related training. These individuals should possess strong communication, analytical, organizational, and management skills, and should possess a broad knowledge of the area in which they work. They should also be comfortable working with a variety of individuals, staff, and vendors, as well as members of upper management. Depending on the industry, an engineering coordinator can make up to $74,000 annually in the US, and the job market is expected to grow 3% by 2028.
- Average Salary: $57,153
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Environmental Engineer Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active environmental engineer jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where environmental engineers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average Salary: Job Openings:
Number Of Environmental Engineer Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 2,393 | $87,258 |
| 2 | Texas | 1,121 | $86,167 |
| 3 | Virginia | 968 | $73,179 |
| 4 | Florida | 896 | $69,592 |
| 5 | New York | 893 | $67,917 |
| 6 | Washington | 642 | $67,603 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 585 | $66,881 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 568 | $69,593 |
| 9 | Illinois | 560 | $58,322 |
| 10 | Ohio | 535 | $56,281 |
| 11 | Maryland | 499 | $75,608 |
| 12 | Georgia | 494 | $63,780 |
| 13 | North Carolina | 484 | $66,030 |
| 14 | New Jersey | 402 | $69,166 |
| 15 | Michigan | 398 | $61,413 |
| 16 | Colorado | 398 | $60,053 |
| 17 | Minnesota | 380 | $50,389 |
| 18 | Indiana | 342 | $51,953 |
| 19 | Arizona | 327 | $75,696 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 302 | $49,361 |
| 21 | Oregon | 275 | $75,357 |
| 22 | Connecticut | 234 | $73,116 |
| 23 | Missouri | 228 | $44,515 |
| 24 | Tennessee | 215 | $64,940 |
| 25 | Iowa | 196 | $51,668 |
| 26 | Alabama | 190 | $70,155 |
| 27 | South Carolina | 177 | $57,870 |
| 28 | Utah | 165 | $52,867 |
| 29 | Nebraska | 142 | $49,806 |
| 30 | Kentucky | 123 | $62,011 |
| 31 | Louisiana | 121 | $87,885 |
| 32 | Kansas | 119 | $57,388 |
| 33 | Arkansas | 113 | $59,564 |
| 34 | Maine | 108 | $49,271 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | 107 | $71,481 |
| 36 | Nevada | 98 | $75,739 |
| 37 | North Dakota | 86 | $43,274 |
| 38 | New Mexico | 85 | $71,764 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | 85 | $59,105 |
| 40 | Delaware | 80 | $68,047 |
| 41 | Idaho | 77 | $62,804 |
| 42 | Alaska | 75 | $83,734 |
| 43 | West Virginia | 66 | $84,570 |
| 44 | Mississippi | 64 | $76,764 |
| 45 | Montana | 58 | $49,067 |
| 46 | Hawaii | 57 | $79,038 |
| 47 | Rhode Island | 52 | $59,092 |
| 48 | Vermont | 39 | $47,462 |
| 49 | Wyoming | 38 | $55,243 |
| 50 | South Dakota | 27 | $46,909 |
Top Colleges for Environmental Engineers
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
Top Skills For an Environmental Engineer
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 6.1% of environmental engineers listed environmental compliance on their resume, but soft skills such as imagination and reading skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Environmental Engineer Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Environmental Engineer templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Environmental Engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Environmental Engineer diversity
Environmental Engineer Gender Distribution
Male
71%
Female
30%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among environmental engineers, 29.5% of them are women, while 70.5% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among environmental engineers is White, which makes up 69.0% of all environmental engineers.
- The most common foreign language among environmental engineers is Spanish at 52.3%.
Online Courses For Environmental Engineer That You May Like
Advertising Disclosure Â
1. Environmental Hazards and Global Public Health
The second course of the Impacts of the Environment on Global Public Health specialization will explore a number of different environmental hazards. These are: air pollution, water pollution, solid and hazardous waste, and two physical hazards (radon and noise). These hazards each have the potential to harm human health, and we will explore how you may come into contact with these hazards and how they may harm you, as well as what we can do to minimize these exposures and health impacts. We...
2. Global Environmental Management
Learn about the best environmental technologies for a sustainable development and how they are managed in various settings around the world. This course gives you an opportunity to learn about global trends that influence our environment and the living conditions and how different management systems and approaches that are used around the world to manage the environment. This includes current environmental technologies built for the environment and technologies for sustainable soil management,...
3. ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management system
How to implement an Environmental Management System and obtain ISO 14001:2015 certification...
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Best States For an Environmental Engineer
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an environmental engineer. The best states for people in this position are Louisiana, California, Texas, and West Virginia. Environmental engineers make the most in Louisiana with an average salary of $87,885. Whereas in California and Texas, they would average $87,258 and $86,167, respectively. While environmental engineers would only make an average of $84,570 in West Virginia, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Alaska
Total Environmental Engineer Jobs: 75
Highest 10% Earn:
$100,000
Location Quotient:
1.52
$83,734
Avg. Salary
2. California
Total Environmental Engineer Jobs: 2,393
Highest 10% Earn:
$116,000
Location Quotient:
1.39
$87,258
Avg. Salary
3. District of Columbia
Total Environmental Engineer Jobs: 186
Highest 10% Earn:
$113,000
Location Quotient:
1.88
$85,428
Avg. Salary
How Do Environmental Engineers Rate Their Jobs?
Environmental Engineer Reviews
Pros
Both indoor and outdoor work environment. Great job satisfaction meeting regulatory requirements.
Cons
Can be stressful at times
Top Environmental Engineer Employers
Most Common Employers For Environmental Engineer
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevron | $105,681 | $50.81 | 17 |
| 2 | General Motors | $94,606 | $45.48 | 22 |
| 3 | Brown and Caldwell | $82,974 | $39.89 | 23 |
| 4 | Stantec | $81,829 | $39.34 | 26 |
| 5 | CDM Smith | $81,042 | $38.96 | 178 |
| 6 | Carollo Engineers | $80,794 | $38.84 | 99 |
| 7 | Tetra Tech | $79,244 | $38.10 | 48 |
| 8 | Langan | $79,176 | $38.07 | 51 |
| 9 | Freeport-McMoRan | $77,261 | $37.14 | 19 |
| 10 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $76,218 | $36.64 | 29 |
What Are The Best Companies To Work For An Environmental Engineer?
Jack Puleo Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, University of Delaware
Best can be arbitrary. Overall, the job market seems strong with positions in oil companies, government, and the engineering industry.
Environmental Engineer Videos
A Day in the Life - Environmental Engineer
Careers in Environmental Engineering
What do Environmental Engineers do?_UMBC_CBEE
Becoming an Environmental Engineer FAQs
How Long Does It Take To Become An Environmental Engineer?
It takes four or more years to become an environmental engineer. To become an environmental engineer, a four-year bachelor's degree is typically required. It is possible to secure an entry-level position in environmental engineering with only an associate degree, but this is rare.
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.