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Engineering

Environmental Engineers

Research, design, plan, or perform engineering duties in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental hazards using various engineering disciplines. Work may include waste treatment, site remediation, or pollution control technology.

Median salary

$104,170

Typical range

$65k – $162k

Job outlook

+4% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Plan a path to Environmental Engineers

Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

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Typical progression

  1. Environmental Engineers Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Environmental Engineers

    Entry / Junior

    $64,950

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Environmental Engineers

    Established

    $104,170

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Environmental Engineers

    Senior

    $133,040

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality.
  • Assess the existing or potential environmental impact of land use projects on air, water, or land.
  • Collaborate with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, experts in law or business, or other specialists to address environmental problems.
  • Advise corporations or government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment.
  • Develop proposed project objectives and targets and report to management on progress in attaining them.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Engineering

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.