Also called: Reclamation Engineer
Turns old mines back into forests, prairies, lakes or solar farms.
You plan how to reshape a waste-rock pile, cover it with topsoil, and plant native species, then check every year if plants and water quality are recovering. It is part engineering, part ecology, and mostly outdoors.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in mining, environmental engineering or soil science.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Mining Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Soil Science.
Growing slowly (about 1% over 10 years). Mining engineers overall.
Low risk for 10 years. Drones and satellite images track regrowth; planting, soil work and planning new land uses stay hands-on.
Classes: Biology, Earth science, Environmental science, Agriculture CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2151.
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