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The differences between water engineers and wastewater engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a water engineer and a wastewater engineer. Additionally, a water engineer has an average salary of $98,752, which is higher than the $84,524 average annual salary of a wastewater engineer.
The top three skills for a water engineer include infrastructure, cost estimates and GIS. The most important skills for a wastewater engineer are treatment facilities, conveyance, and treatment plant.
| Water Engineer | Wastewater Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,752 | $84,524 |
| Hourly rate | $47.48 | $40.64 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 8,851 | 11,135 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Water engineers and wastewater engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Water Engineer | Wastewater Engineer | |
| Average salary | $98,752 | $84,524 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $140,000 | Between $51,000 And $139,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redding, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Chevron | Oxford Solutions |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | - |
There are a few differences between a water engineer and a wastewater engineer in terms of educational background:
| Water Engineer | Wastewater Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between water engineers' and wastewater engineers' demographics:
| Water Engineer | Wastewater Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% | Male, 73.7% Female, 26.3% |
| 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, 1.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 10.6% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |