Also called: Environmental Project Engineer, Environmental Consultant
Uses engineering, chemistry and biology to solve pollution problems in water, air and soil.
You spend the morning writing a permit so a factory can legally discharge treated water. In the afternoon you're at a gas station site in boots and a vest, watching a drill rig pull soil samples to see how far a fuel leak spread.
BLS May 2024 median $104,170; percentiles approximate.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in environmental, civil or chemical engineering; PE license for senior roles.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). BLS 2024-34 projection.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI drafts reports, permits and models, thinning junior desk work; field sampling, design and regulator trust stay human.
Classes: Chemistry, Biology, Environmental science, AP Calculus.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2081.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.