What does an environmental planner do?
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 planner responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real environmental planner resumes:
- Lead multiple asbestos abatement projects.
- Manage multiple-site environmental due diligence and asbestos remediation projects.
- Prepare community profiles, statistical summaries and maps using ArcGIS.
- Work closely with FEMA program managers to ensure comprehensive NEPA compliance for multiple sites.
- Conduct desktop analyses using ArcGIS software, prepare final maps, and perform field verification of environmental resources.
- Apply GIS analysis of development proposals to identify and verify design conflicts.
- Draft and produce all registration paperwork and presentation material for EPA registration.
- Establish and maintain comprehensive and current record keeping system of activities including extensive GIS mapping.
- Develop programs to engage non-traditional environmentalists in current EPA projects and incorporate their ideas into future policy.
- Assess and propose sustainability initiatives, considering factors such as cost effectiveness, technical feasibility, and acceptance.
- Conduct environmental analysis and prepare environmental documents in accordance with NEPA and CEQA guidelines.
- Work various stages of NEPA review including resource management plans and reasonably foreseeable development projections.
- Develop public understanding and participation by presenting and summarizing the CEQA process during public scoping meetings.
- Supervise environmental permitting and approve cost estimates for preparation of NEPA documents and technical support documents for state and local projects.
- Communicate concepts of sustainability, waste management, resource conservation, and climate change through game-play and interactive and conversational activities.
Environmental planner skills and personality traits
We calculated that 21% of Environmental Planners are proficient in Federal Regulations, Water Quality, and Wetland Delineations. They’re also known for soft skills such as Imagination, Reading skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Environmental Planners that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Federal Regulations, 21%
Implemented and managed environmental permit regulations for large mine sites to ensure compliance with Local, State, and Federal regulations.
- Water Quality, 19%
Coordinated and documented a six-year Water Quality Monitoring and Evaluation Project involving federal, state and local agencies and universities.
- Wetland Delineations, 7%
Presented environmental data at public meetings including vegetation surveys, mammal surveys, and wetland delineations.
- FEMA, 6%
Created a debris management guidance document for FEMA for an emergency management plan related to Hurricane Floyd in North Carolina.
- Environmental Assessments, 5%
Performed feasibility studies, environmental assessments, permit preparation and processing, public agency representation, community meetings and workshops.
- Private Client, 5%
Provided environmental consulting services to local governments and private clients in areas of environmental protection, solid waste and recycling.
Common skills that an environmental planner uses to do their job include "federal regulations," "water quality," and "wetland delineations." You can find details on the most important environmental planner responsibilities below.
Imagination. One of the key soft skills for an environmental planner to have is imagination. You can see how this relates to what environmental planners do because "environmental engineers sometimes have to design systems that will be part of larger ones." Additionally, an environmental planner resume shows how environmental planners use imagination: "used adobe creative suite, autocad, vectorworks to develop designs. "
Reading skills. Many environmental planner duties rely on reading skills. "environmental engineers often work with businesspeople, lawyers, and other professionals outside their field," so an environmental planner will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways environmental planner responsibilities rely on reading skills: "collected gps readings for nest boxes. "
Writing skills. environmental planners are also known for writing skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to environmental planner responsibilities, because "environmental engineers must write clearly so that others without their specific training can understand their documents, including plans, proposals, specifications, and findings, among others." An environmental planner resume example shows how writing skills is used in the workplace: "developed technical writing skills for multi-agency specific environmental compliance documentation. "
Problem-solving skills. environmental planner responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "when designing facilities and processes, environmental engineers strive to solve several issues at once, from workers’ safety to environmental protection." This resume example shows what environmental planners do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "developed unique solutions to complex issues while successfully complying with state planning laws, federal environmental laws and regulations. "
The three companies that hire the most environmental planners are:
- Wsp USA Buildings Inc.39 environmental planners jobs
- HNTB31 environmental planners jobs
- HDR29 environmental planners jobs
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Compare different environmental planners
Environmental planner vs. Engineering coordinator
An engineering coordinator organizes and oversees engineering projects. They typically perform administrative support tasks such as conducting extensive research and analysis, arranging schedules with clients, handling calls and correspondence, liaising with internal and external parties, reviewing contracts and other documentation, and managing the flow of documents and information across different teams. They may also participate in the planning, designing, and developing stages of projects. Moreover, as an engineering coordinator, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with different departments while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between environmental planners and engineering coordinator. For instance, environmental planner responsibilities require skills such as "federal regulations," "water quality," "wetland delineations," and "fema." Whereas a engineering coordinator is skilled in "purchase orders," "continuous improvement," "digital marketing," and "data entry." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Engineering coordinators tend to make the most money working in the automotive industry, where they earn an average salary of $62,970. In contrast, environmental planners make the biggest average salary, $78,605, in the retail industry.The education levels that engineering coordinators earn slightly differ from environmental planners. In particular, engineering coordinators are 14.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an environmental planner. Additionally, they're 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Environmental planner vs. Waste management specialist
A waste management specialist designs and manages waste reduction and reclamation projects. They work with government officials to ensure that waste management goes smoothly. They ensure the implementation of waste management and evaluate a waste management program's success. This position requires a university degree or a recognized training certificate.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that environmental planner responsibilities requires skills like "water quality," "wetland delineations," "fema," and "environmental assessments." But a waste management specialist might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "epa," "rcra," "osha," and "doe."
Waste management specialists may earn a lower salary than environmental planners, but waste management specialists earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $79,835. On the other hand, environmental planners receive higher pay in the retail industry, where they earn an average salary of $78,605.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Waste management specialists tend to reach lower levels of education than environmental planners. In fact, they're 17.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for environmental planners in the next 3-5 years?
Andrea Welker Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University
Environmental planner vs. Solid waste engineer
An engineering project coordinator works with project managers and specialists to ensure that all aspects of the project are carried out and cared for. They make sure that work is done according to schedule, the staff is doing their job per timeframe, the budget is allocated for, and expenditures are accounted for. They must also have good communication skills to report to stakeholders and heads proficiently. They are also involved in project meetings and propose improvements.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from environmental planner resumes include skills like "federal regulations," "water quality," "wetland delineations," and "fema," whereas a solid waste engineer is more likely to list skills in "landfill," "hazardous waste," "waste disposal," and "engineering design. "
When it comes to education, solid waste engineers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to environmental planners. In fact, they're 18.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Environmental planner vs. Engineering project coordinator
Types of environmental planner
Updated January 8, 2025
