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The differences between environmental engineers and environmental consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an environmental engineer and an environmental consultant. Additionally, an environmental engineer has an average salary of $75,718, which is higher than the $74,913 average annual salary of an environmental consultant.
The top three skills for an environmental engineer include environmental compliance, project management and OSHA. The most important skills for an environmental consultant are environmental compliance, OSHA, and technical reports.
| Environmental Engineer | Environmental Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $75,718 | $74,913 |
| Hourly rate | $36.40 | $36.02 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 24,787 | 21,723 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Environmental engineers use the principles of science, biology, engineering, and chemistry to create solutions to certain environmental problems. They primarily work to improve waste disposal, public health, recycling, and to control water and air pollution. It is also their responsibility to address global issues, such as climate change, unsafe drinking water, and environmental sustainability. They typically prepare and review environmental investigation reports so that documents and permits are updated and in compliance with environmental regulations.
An Environmental Consultant provides assessment and advisory services for their clients on matters regarding the management of environmental issues. They are generally hired by consultancy firms, which are hired by the public sector or commercial organizations.
Environmental engineers and environmental consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Engineer | Environmental Consultant | |
| Average salary | $75,718 | $74,913 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $98,000 | Between $56,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Louisiana | California |
| Best paying company | ConocoPhillips | |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between an environmental engineer and an environmental consultant in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Engineer | Environmental Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | University of California, Berkeley | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between environmental engineers' and environmental consultants' demographics:
| Environmental Engineer | Environmental Consultant | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.5% Female, 29.5% | Male, 69.0% Female, 31.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 12.9% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 12.8% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |