Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between environmental engineers and environmental project managers 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 project manager. Additionally, an environmental project manager has an average salary of $78,417, which is higher than the $75,718 average annual salary of an environmental engineer.
The top three skills for an environmental engineer include environmental compliance, project management and OSHA. The most important skills for an environmental project manager are project management, business development, and renewable energy.
| Environmental Engineer | Environmental Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $75,718 | $78,417 |
| Hourly rate | $36.40 | $37.70 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 24,787 | 112,963 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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.
The role of an environmental project manager is to provide support and guidance on how businesses can better protect the environment using their knowledge and expertise on environmental issues and legislation. As an environmental project manager, you will perform various tasks throughout your workday. These may include overseeing interaction and activities with environmental government agencies, managing permits, mitigation and compliance involving construction projects, and monitoring utility locators, drillers, or refinery workers. You will also be responsible for consulting with engineers, regulators, and scientists to plan projects.
Environmental engineers and environmental project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Engineer | Environmental Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $75,718 | $78,417 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $98,000 | Between $52,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Louisiana | California |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between an environmental engineer and an environmental project manager in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Engineer | Environmental Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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 project managers' demographics:
| Environmental Engineer | Environmental Project Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.5% Female, 29.5% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| 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, 12.0% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |