Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between water engineers and junior engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a water engineer, becoming a junior engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a water engineer has an average salary of $98,752, which is higher than the $70,653 average annual salary of a junior engineer.
The top three skills for a water engineer include infrastructure, cost estimates and GIS. The most important skills for a junior engineer are control systems, java, and C++.
| Water Engineer | Junior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,752 | $70,653 |
| Hourly rate | $47.48 | $33.97 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 8,851 | 107,703 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A water engineer is responsible for performing a wide range of duties. They supply, manage and maintain both wastewater and clean water services to avert flood damage. They are in charge of preparing environmental documents for regulatory program compliance, water resources, fieldwork, data analysis, and management. They also provide technical direction to various technical personnel such as junior engineers, computer-aided design technicians, and other technicians.
A Junior Engineer helps design, build, or maintain engines, machines, or public works. They work under the supervision of an engineer.
Water engineers and junior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Water Engineer | Junior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $98,752 | $70,653 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $140,000 | Between $54,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Chevron | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a water engineer and a junior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Water Engineer | Junior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between water engineers' and junior engineers' demographics:
| Water Engineer | Junior Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 13.1% White, 68.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 5% |