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The differences between senior environmental engineers and senior 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 a senior engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, 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 a senior engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Senior Environmental Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,515 | $108,743 |
| Hourly rate | $40.63 | $52.28 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 30,813 | 343,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
Senior environmental engineers and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Environmental Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,515 | $108,743 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $109,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | West Virginia | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior environmental engineer and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Environmental Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Chemical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of California, Berkeley | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior environmental engineers' and senior engineers' demographics:
| Senior Environmental Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.9% Female, 25.1% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 5% |