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The differences between senior environmental engineers and engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a senior environmental engineer, becoming an engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an engineer has an average salary of $92,077, which is higher than the $84,515 average annual salary of a senior environmental engineer.
The top three skills for a senior environmental engineer include environmental engineering, environmental compliance and OSHA. The most important skills for an engineer are python, cloud, and C++.
| Senior Environmental Engineer | Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,515 | $92,077 |
| Hourly rate | $40.63 | $44.27 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 30,813 | 618,207 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
Senior Environmental Engineers are responsible for the supervision and implementation of processes that protect the environment intending to reduce contamination, control pollution, and optimize resource usage. They are responsible for identifying contaminant sources, managing sites assessments, carrying out technical audits, making waste-management recommendations, creating environmental impacts forecast using computer modeling and mathematical techniques as well as design technical solution to reduce an organization's negative environmental impact. They also ensure the site achieves environmental regulation compliance, keeps updated with environmental law changes, and assist in managing permits.
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
Senior environmental engineers and engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Environmental Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,515 | $92,077 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $109,000 | Between $65,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Huntsville, AL |
| Highest paying state | West Virginia | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Fort Bend County |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior environmental engineer and an engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Environmental Engineer | Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Chemical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of California, Berkeley | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior environmental engineers' and engineers' demographics:
| Senior Environmental Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.9% Female, 25.1% | Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 13.0% White, 68.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 5% |