What do they do?

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.

Also known as:

Air Pollution Control Engineer, Engineer, Engineering Consultant, Environmental Analyst, Environmental Consultant, Environmental Engineer, Environmental Remediation Specialist, Hazardous Substances Engineer, Sanitary Engineer

Typical Wages

Wages$0$40K$80K$120K$160K$200KPercentiles10th25thMedian75th90th$64k$80k$104k$130k$161k

Projected Growth Rate

As fast as average

Employment of Environmental Engineers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment in OH

No Data Available
Employment202220321,5501,650
  • 6.5%

    Change

    Ranks #39 in job growth rate
    110

    Job Openings

    Ranks #14 in net job growth

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Bachelor's degree  (48%)
  • Master's degree  (38%)
  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (6%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (4%)
  • Some college, no degree  (3%)
  • Associate's degree  (2%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (<1%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Environmental Engineers

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People in this career often have these skills:

  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
  • Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  • Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
  • Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Design environmental control systems.
  • Investigate the environmental impact of projects.
  • Confer with other personnel to resolve design or operational problems.
  • Advise others regarding green practices or environmental concerns.
  • Determine operational criteria or specifications.
  • Prepare operational reports.
  • Monitor activities affecting environmental quality.
  • Prepare technical or operational reports.
  • Maintain operational records or records systems.
  • Prepare procedural documents.
  • Develop technical methods or processes.
  • Explain project details to the general public.
  • Prepare project budgets.
  • Direct environmental development activities.
  • Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards.
  • Purchase materials, equipment, or other resources.
  • Confer with technical personnel to prepare designs or operational plans.
  • Train personnel on proper operational procedures.
  • Assist engineers or scientists with research.
  • Teach safety standards or environmental compliance methods.
  • Prepare detailed work plans.
  • Test characteristics of materials or structures.
  • Package materials for transport.
  • Attend conferences or workshops to maintain professional knowledge.
  • Exchange information with colleagues.
  • Write reports or evaluations.
  • Prepare research or technical reports on environmental issues.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 29.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

careeronestop logo Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development

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