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Wastewater project engineer salary
Average wastewater project engineer salary
$76,181
Understanding Wastewater Project Engineer Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a wastewater project engineer is $76,181 annually. This figure varies based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry.
Salary Variations by Experience
Entry-level engineers can expect to earn less, while those with more experience, particularly in management roles, may earn upwards of $100,000. Engineers in leadership positions often benefit from additional bonuses and benefits.
Location Matters
Salary potential is often higher in metropolitan regions where water management projects are more prevalent. For instance, cities like San Francisco and New York offer some of the highest salaries, with figures reaching up to $90,000 or more. Understanding the demand in specific locations can help engineers negotiate better pay.
Conclusion
The role of a wastewater project engineer is critical in today's environmental landscape, providing numerous opportunities for career growth and financial advancement. As the industry expands, so does the potential for higher earnings.
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Where can a Wastewater Project Engineer earn more?
Wastewater project engineer salaries by experience level
Average wastewater project engineer salary by state
The average wastewater project engineer salary in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average wastewater project engineer salary states are Minnesota, Ohio, and Wyoming.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for wastewater project engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | $101,951 | $49.01 |
| 2 | Maine | $96,032 | $46.17 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $98,098 | $47.16 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $87,251 | $41.95 |
| 5 | Oregon | $107,716 | $51.79 |
| 6 | Tennessee | $85,540 | $41.13 |
| 7 | Washington | $103,338 | $49.68 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $82,722 | $39.77 |
| 9 | Michigan | $81,659 | $39.26 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $81,321 | $39.10 |
| 11 | Nevada | $81,636 | $39.25 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | $82,595 | $39.71 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $94,782 | $45.57 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $81,941 | $39.39 |
| 15 | Georgia | $80,647 | $38.77 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $88,077 | $42.34 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $80,508 | $38.71 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $88,189 | $42.40 |
| 19 | Vermont | $84,904 | $40.82 |
| 20 | California | $88,044 | $42.33 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $76,574 | $36.81 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $79,635 | $38.29 |
| 23 | Texas | $81,710 | $39.28 |
| 24 | Colorado | $82,030 | $39.44 |
| 25 | Virginia | $81,579 | $39.22 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $81,977 | $39.41 |
| 27 | Kansas | $75,754 | $36.42 |
| 28 | Delaware | $80,597 | $38.75 |
| 29 | Iowa | $75,408 | $36.25 |
| 30 | Maryland | $81,180 | $39.03 |
| 31 | New York | $82,057 | $39.45 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $82,544 | $39.68 |
| 33 | Arizona | $77,218 | $37.12 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $77,093 | $37.06 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $68,047 | $32.71 |
| 36 | Utah | $75,812 | $36.45 |
| 37 | Ohio | $67,303 | $32.36 |
| 38 | Florida | $77,699 | $37.36 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $74,896 | $36.01 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $70,333 | $33.81 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $71,212 | $34.24 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $67,492 | $32.45 |
| 43 | Indiana | $67,514 | $32.46 |
| 44 | Illinois | $76,998 | $37.02 |
| 45 | Alabama | $67,593 | $32.50 |
| 46 | Montana | $74,367 | $35.75 |
| 47 | Alaska | $72,084 | $34.66 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $65,458 | $31.47 |
| 49 | Missouri | $62,183 | $29.90 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $67,220 | $32.32 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $60,393 | $29.04 |
Highest paying cities for wastewater project engineers
The highest-paying cities for wastewater project engineers are Bellevue, WA, Boston, MA, and Los Angeles, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bellevue, WA | $103,670 | $49.84 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $88,168 | $42.39 |
| 3 | Los Angeles, CA | $85,967 | $41.33 |
| 4 | Burlington, VT | $84,450 | $40.60 |
| 5 | Rio Rancho, NM | $83,015 | $39.91 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $82,653 | $39.74 |
| 7 | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ | $82,587 | $39.71 |
| 8 | Tulsa, OK | $82,201 | $39.52 |
| 9 | Denver, CO | $81,989 | $39.42 |
| 10 | Arlington, TX | $81,942 | $39.40 |
| 11 | Bismarck, ND | $81,194 | $39.04 |
| 12 | Dover, DE | $80,627 | $38.76 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $80,485 | $38.69 |
| 14 | Tallahassee, FL | $79,062 | $38.01 |
| 15 | Grand Island, NE | $76,583 | $36.82 |
| 16 | Raleigh, NC | $75,438 | $36.27 |
| 17 | Kansas City, KS | $74,813 | $35.97 |
| 18 | Green Bay, WI | $68,226 | $32.80 |
| 19 | Minneapolis, MN | $67,524 | $32.46 |
| 20 | Indianapolis, IN | $67,440 | $32.42 |
Wastewater project engineer salary details
A wastewater project engineer's salary ranges from $55,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $104,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a wastewater project engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $104,000 | $8,667 | $50 |
| 75th Percentile | $89,000 | $7,417 | $43 |
| Average | $76,181 | $6,348 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
Highest paying wastewater project engineer jobs
The highest paying types of wastewater project engineers are director water and waste services, water engineer, and wastewater design engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Water Resources Engineer | $80,432 | $6,703 | $38.67 | 38,911 |
| Water Engineer | $98,752 | $8,229 | $47.48 | 8,851 |
| Water/Wastewater Engineer | $85,682 | $7,140 | $41.19 | 7,052 |
| Project Engineer | $75,050 | $6,254 | $36.08 | 176,689 |
Top companies hiring wastewater project engineers now:
Which companies pay wastewater project engineers the most?
Wastewater project engineer salaries at EMA and CDM Smith are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average wastewater project engineer salary at companies like HDR and Arcadis are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EMA | $129,488 | $62.25 |
| 2 | CDM Smith | $83,627 | $40.21 |
| 3 | HDR | $82,328 | $39.58 |
| 4 | Arcadis | $82,323 | $39.58 |
| 5 | AECOM | $81,816 | $39.33 |
| 6 | Gannett Fleming | $80,857 | $38.87 |
| 7 | Huitt-Zollars | $79,886 | $38.41 |
| 8 | Olsson | $79,297 | $38.12 |
| 9 | Black & Veatch | $78,826 | $37.90 |
| 10 | Timmons Group | $78,263 | $37.63 |
| 11 | Century Engineering | $76,568 | $36.81 |
| 12 | Cp&y, Inc. | $76,300 | $36.68 |
| 13 | Lochmueller Group | $76,161 | $36.62 |
| 14 | Ruekert & Mielke | $76,077 | $36.58 |
| 15 | JEO Consulting Group | $75,853 | $36.47 |
| 16 | CES | $75,608 | $36.35 |
| 17 | Lkb Consulting Engineers | $75,608 | $36.35 |
| 18 | McCarthy Holdings, Inc. | $75,560 | $36.33 |
| 19 | The Foth Companies | $75,475 | $36.29 |
| 20 | Murraysmith | $75,312 | $36.21 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Wastewater project engineer salary trends
The average wastewater project engineer salary has risen by $10,809 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average wastewater project engineer earned $65,372 annually, but today, they earn $76,181 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for wastewater project engineers over the last decade.
Compare wastewater project engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average wastewater project engineer salary over time
Compare wastewater project engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Wastewater project engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $76,200 | $36.63 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $73,500 | $35.33 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $72,500 | $34.84 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | $71,800 | $34.51 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $70,200 | $33.75 | +0.4% |
Recently added wastewater project engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennedy/Jenks Consultants | Project Engineer-Water/Wastewater | San Diego, CA | 06/26/2025 | $105,000 |
| Tetra Tech, Inc. | Water/Wastewater Project Engineer | Denver, CO | 06/25/2025 | $90,000 |
| Kennedy/Jenks Consultants | Project Engineer-Water/Wastewater | Urban Honolulu, HI | 06/24/2025 | $100,000 |
| Actalent | Senior Water/Wastewater Project Engineer | Carlsbad, CA | 06/21/2025 | $115,000 |
| Arcadis | Water Wastewater Project Engineer | Maryland | 06/19/2025 | $86,000 |
| Aecom | Water/Wastewater Project Engineer | Indianapolis, IN | 06/16/2025 | $100,000 |
| Muller Engineering Company | Project Engineer-Water/Wastewater Utilities | Lakewood, CO | 06/12/2025 | $90,000 |
| Metric Geo | Water & Wastewater Project Engineer | Dallas, TX | 06/11/2025 | $130,000 |
| Arcadis | Water Wastewater Project Engineer | Mobile, AL | 06/10/2025 | $82,400 |
| Respec Acquires Haight & Associates, Inc. | Water/Wastewater Project Engineer/Manager | Denver, CO | 06/10/2025 | $110,000 |
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