Environmental engineer demographics and statistics in the US
Environmental engineer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates environmental engineer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our environmental engineer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about environmental engineers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 48,877 environmental engineers currently employed in the United States.
- 29.5% of all environmental engineers are women, while 70.5% are men.
- The average environmental engineer age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of environmental engineers is White (69.0%), followed by Asian (12.9%), Hispanic or Latino (10.2%) and Unknown (3.8%).
- Environmental engineers are most in-demand in Denver, CO.
- The energy industry is the highest-paying for environmental engineers.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $90,583, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women environmental engineers earned 101% of what men earned.
- 13% of all environmental engineers are LGBT.
- Alaska is the best state for environmental engineers to live.
- Environmental engineers are 51% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Environmental engineer demographics by:
Environmental engineer gender statistics
29.5% of environmental engineers are women and 70.5% of environmental engineers are men.
- Male, 70.5%
- Female, 29.5%
Environmental engineer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 70.5% |
| Female | 29.5% |
Environmental engineer gender pay gap
Women earn $1.01 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$74,158
Female income
$74,797
Environmental engineer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in environmental engineer positions over time. Currently, 29.5% of environmental engineers are female.
Environmental engineer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 83.97% | 16.03% |
| 2011 | 86.00% | 14.00% |
| 2012 | 82.14% | 17.86% |
| 2013 | 81.85% | 18.15% |
| 2014 | 79.04% | 20.96% |
| 2015 | 81.83% | 18.17% |
| 2016 | 79.26% | 20.74% |
| 2017 | 77.78% | 22.22% |
| 2018 | 74.84% | 25.16% |
| 2019 | 75.58% | 24.42% |
| 2020 | 74.62% | 25.38% |
| 2021 | 70.53% | 29.47% |
Environmental engineer related jobs gender ratio
We compared environmental engineers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, senior electronics design engineer and refrigeration engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Engineer | 11% | 89% |
| Environmental Engineer | 71% | 29% |
| Machine Tool Designer | 99% | 1% |
| Refrigeration Engineer | 99% | 1% |
| Senior Electronics Design Engineer | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Environmental engineer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among environmental engineers is White, which makes up 69.0% of all environmental engineers. Comparatively, 12.9% of environmental engineers are Asian and 10.2% of environmental engineers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 69.0%
- Asian, 12.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 10.2%
- Unknown, 3.8%
- Black or African American, 3.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Environmental engineer race
| Environmental engineer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 69.0% |
| Asian | 12.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.2% |
| Unknown | 3.8% |
| Black or African American | 3.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Environmental engineer race and ethnicity over time
See how environmental engineer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Environmental engineer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 76.13% | 6.83% | 9.76% | 4.56% |
| 2011 | 72.03% | 5.75% | 12.66% | 8.19% |
| 2012 | 72.06% | 6.25% | 11.75% | 7.67% |
| 2013 | 76.68% | 4.94% | 7.67% | 8.80% |
| 2014 | 73.43% | 6.97% | 8.55% | 9.09% |
| 2015 | 69.13% | 7.08% | 12.57% | 8.53% |
| 2016 | 68.90% | 5.42% | 15.17% | 8.44% |
| 2017 | 71.34% | 6.83% | 11.28% | 7.99% |
| 2018 | 62.97% | 6.51% | 16.29% | 10.62% |
| 2019 | 71.30% | 3.98% | 14.88% | 7.42% |
| 2020 | 66.41% | 6.49% | 11.94% | 8.78% |
| 2021 | 69.03% | 3.54% | 12.92% | 10.24% |
Environmental engineer wage gap by race
According to our data, black or african american environmental engineers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown environmental engineers have the lowest average salary at $72,718.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $72,718 |
| White | $73,055 |
| Black or African American | $75,314 |
| Asian | $74,846 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $74,894 |
Average environmental engineer age
See how the average age of environmental engineers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Environmental engineer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 44 | |
| White | 47.5 | 35 |
| Asian | 40 | 42 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 40.5 |
Environmental engineer age breakdown
The average age of environmental engineers is 40+ years years old, representing 55% of the environmental engineer population.
Environmental engineer age breakdown
| Environmental Engineer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 55% |
| 30-40 years | 23% |
| 20-30 years | 22% |
Environmental engineer educational attainment
The most common degree for environmental engineers is bachelor's degree, with 75% of environmental engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 4%.
- Bachelor's, 75%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 4%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Environmental engineers by degree level
| Environmental engineer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 75% |
| Master's | 16% |
| Associate | 4% |
| High School Diploma | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Environmental engineer jobs you might like
Environmental engineer wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $77,485 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $76,042 |
Environmental engineer employment statistics
Most environmental engineers work for a private in the government industry.
Company size where environmental engineers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where environmental engineers work.
Environmental engineer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 20% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 28% |
| > 10,000 employees | 27% |
Environmental engineer jobs by company type
Employees with the environmental engineer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most environmental engineers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Environmental engineer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 27% |
| Private | 51% |
| Government | 19% |
Environmental engineer jobs by industry
The most common industries for environmental engineers are government, professional and manufacturing.
Environmental engineer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 17% |
| Professional | 15% |
| Fortune 500 | 15% |
| Manufacturing | 12% |
| Technology | 11% |
| Construction | 8% |
| Energy | 6% |
| Media | 2% |
| Utilities | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Environmental engineer turnover and employment statistics
Environmental engineer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for environmental engineers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Environmental engineer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Environmental engineer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 1.83% |
| 2011 | 2.66% |
| 2012 | 2.97% |
| 2013 | 3.26% |
| 2014 | 1.03% |
| 2015 | 1.30% |
| 2016 | 1.22% |
| 2017 | 2.15% |
| 2018 | 2.14% |
| 2019 | 2.57% |
| 2020 | 0.65% |
| 2021 | 1.20% |
Average environmental engineer tenure
The average environmental engineer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 4,733 environmental engineers resumes in Zippia's database.
Environmental engineer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 15% |
| 1-2 years | 36% |
| 3-4 years | 18% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 10% |
Environmental engineer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of environmental engineers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Manufacturing Test Engineer | 3.67% | 63,331 |
| Mud Analysis Supervisor | 5.25% | 3,246 |
| PCB Designer | 6.39% | 72,971 |
| Wind Tunnel Engineer | 7.54% | 2,824 |
| Fuels Engineer | 8.92% | 43,863 |
| Material Engineer | 10.43% | 89,717 |
| Environmental Engineer | 12.89% | - |
Similar environmental engineer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Manufacturing Test Engineer | 3.67% | 63,331 |
| Mud Analysis Supervisor | 5.25% | 3,246 |
| PCB Designer | 6.39% | 72,971 |
| Wind Tunnel Engineer | 7.54% | 2,824 |
| Fuels Engineer | 8.92% | 43,863 |
| Material Engineer | 10.43% | 89,717 |
Foreign languages spoken by environmental engineers
The most common foreign language among environmental engineers is Spanish at 52.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 6.6% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 5.6%.
- Spanish, 52.3%
- French, 6.6%
- Chinese, 5.6%
- Portuguese, 5.1%
- Mandarin, 5.1%
- Other, 25.3%
Environmental engineer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 52.3% |
| French | 6.6% |
| Chinese | 5.6% |
| Portuguese | 5.1% |
| Mandarin | 5.1% |
| Other | 25.3% |
