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Water treatment plant engineer vs environmental consultant

The differences between water treatment plant engineers and environmental consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a water treatment plant engineer and an environmental consultant. Additionally, a water treatment plant engineer has an average salary of $76,284, which is higher than the $74,913 average annual salary of an environmental consultant.

The top three skills for a water treatment plant engineer include water treatment plant, EPA and plant operations. The most important skills for an environmental consultant are environmental compliance, OSHA, and technical reports.

Water treatment plant engineer vs environmental consultant overview

Water Treatment Plant EngineerEnvironmental Consultant
Yearly salary$76,284$74,913
Hourly rate$36.67$36.02
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs15,48621,723
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age4343
Years of experience1212

Water treatment plant engineer vs environmental consultant salary

Water treatment plant engineers and environmental consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Water Treatment Plant EngineerEnvironmental Consultant
Average salary$76,284$74,913
Salary rangeBetween $55,000 And $105,000Between $56,000 And $98,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-ConocoPhillips
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between water treatment plant engineer and environmental consultant education

There are a few differences between a water treatment plant engineer and an environmental consultant in terms of educational background:

Water Treatment Plant EngineerEnvironmental Consultant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common majorChemical EngineeringEnvironmental Science
Most common collegeGeorgia Institute of TechnologyStanford University

Water treatment plant engineer vs environmental consultant demographics

Here are the differences between water treatment plant engineers' and environmental consultants' demographics:

Water Treatment Plant EngineerEnvironmental Consultant
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 65.7% Female, 34.3%Male, 69.0% Female, 31.0%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 12.8% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage13%13%

Differences between water treatment plant engineer and environmental consultant duties and responsibilities

Water treatment plant engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage and conduct various environmental engineering projects at DOD facilities.
  • Prepare and review project drawings/specifications to ensure compliance with OSHA environmental/quality standards, and federal, state and local environmental laws.
  • Oversee the NJDEP DPCC program (SPCC) for the facility by auditing above grind storage tanks for leaks.
  • Conduct spill prevention control and countermeasure plans (SPCC) site visits and plan updates for clients across the southeast.
  • Coordinate highly involve, complex RCRA permit modifications and projects to objectively meet needs of internal and external stakeholders.

Environmental consultant example responsibilities.

  • Develop and implement SPCC regulations, and manage and coordinate routine policy audits for oil and gas industry operators.
  • Manage a project for the U.S.EPA Superfund program that evaluate flexible methods to distribute Superfund monies to state and tribal governments.
  • Manage environmental restoration waste site characterization activities in support of CERCLA cleanup.
  • Audit EHS programs for deficiencies, prepare reports with recommend corrective actions.
  • Prepare SPCC plans and other documentation associate with storage of large volumes of fuel oil.
  • Collect GPS points in the field to produce GIS maps of trees inventory and upload marks to database.
  • Show more

Water treatment plant engineer vs environmental consultant skills

Common water treatment plant engineer skills
  • Water Treatment Plant, 41%
  • EPA, 19%
  • Plant Operations, 15%
  • Waste Water, 11%
  • Equipment Installation, 10%
  • Water Samples, 4%
Common environmental consultant skills
  • Environmental Compliance, 9%
  • OSHA, 6%
  • Technical Reports, 5%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • EPA, 4%
  • Due Diligence, 4%

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