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The differences between environmental engineers and environmental planners 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 planner. Additionally, an environmental engineer has an average salary of $75,718, which is higher than the $71,174 average annual salary of an environmental planner.
The top three skills for an environmental engineer include environmental compliance, project management and OSHA. The most important skills for an environmental planner are federal regulations, water quality, and wetland delineations.
| Environmental Engineer | Environmental Planner | |
| Yearly salary | $75,718 | $71,174 |
| Hourly rate | $36.40 | $34.22 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 24,787 | 30,227 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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.
Environmental planners are in charge of performing research and analysis to reduce the environmental impact of a company's business procedures and operations. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to attain environmentally friendly operations, optimizing processes for sustainability, liaising with clients to gain perspective, and coordinating with different departments to ensure that all processes adhere to the company's environmental policies and regulations. Furthermore, as an environmental planner, it is essential to produce progress reports and presentations, all while addressing and resolving any issues or concerns with the subject.
Environmental engineers and environmental planners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Engineer | Environmental Planner | |
| Average salary | $75,718 | $71,174 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $98,000 | Between $52,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Louisiana | West Virginia |
| Best paying company | Santa Clara Valley Water District | |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Retail |
There are a few differences between an environmental engineer and an environmental planner in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Engineer | Environmental Planner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | University of California, Berkeley | University of California, Berkeley |
Here are the differences between environmental engineers' and environmental planners' demographics:
| Environmental Engineer | Environmental Planner | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.5% Female, 29.5% | Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3% |
| 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, 3.7% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 13.1% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |