Environmental Engineer
To protect against environmental dangers, an environmental engineer often develops, constructs, and implements measures. For waste management, wastewater treatment, and pollution control, their knowledge and abilities are frequently needed.
An environmental engineer is what?
Duties
You would be carrying out the following duties as an experienced environmental engineer:
- Gather, organize, and keep track of spatial or geographic data from a variety of sources, such as satellite imaging, maps, field observations, and aerial photography.
- In compliance with environmental regulatory standards, assist in the production of regular communication and reports on data, job schedules, client proposals, health and safety documentation, budget projections, and purchase orders.
- Plan and carry out a variety of field-related tasks, including groundwater monitoring, remedial system operations, and staff supervision, using sophisticated mathematical calculations and computer modeling.
- To ensure compliance, compare results to state, federal, and local laws and relevant research.
- Enter and collect fresh geographic data via hand-entering data or by using tools like a digitizer for coordinates, including longitude, latitude, map scales, and topography.
Everyday Life
The majority of an environmental engineer’s time is spent using their knowledge to develop and implement mechanisms for the correct management of waste or pollution for the preservation of public health.
As an illustration, you might work on intricate infrastructure and processes for managing waste and pollution, such as stack scrubbers, activities in wastewater management systems, and reclamation.
To guarantee that all waste products are handled correctly and prepared for disposal by environmental and health guidelines, the function also entails managing the coordination of various recycling and repurposing efforts at manufacturing and mining sites.
In connection with this, you can serve as a contractor for several businesses or industrial organizations that want to guarantee adherence to rules for continuing development or construction projects.
You are also responsible for offering guidance on the environmental dangers of construction projects, noting relevant laws as you design, and conducting checks to ensure compliance.
To produce environmental research reports that expound on major results, you must also be expressive and communicate clearly.
Schedule For Work And Typical Hours
Due to impending deadlines, this job’s schedule is full-time with frequent overtime. The person in this position must feel at ease working in a variety of environments outside of the typical office. Depending on the project you are working on, you may have to travel frequently to conduct technical audits.
This may require you to travel after work on weekends and in the evenings. The exposure to various weather conditions that comes with outdoor fieldwork is also very typical. Meetings with other team members and planners, however, would probably happen at a workplace.
Expansion of the job
Between 2016 and 2026, employment of environmental engineers is anticipated to expand by 8%, or about average for all occupations. There will be more need for environmental engineering specialists as state and local government organizations’ worries about water security and resource availability grow.
A bigger emphasis is also being placed on recycling waste products like industrial wastewater, particularly those produced during the fracking process for natural gas.
There will be more openings for new people in this industry as older workers retire. Postgraduate degree holders will be given additional consideration for open vacancies.
Common Employers
Most environmental engineers work for firms that specialize in architecture, engineering, and environmental design.
Some of them work in fields including management, building construction, real estate development, manufacturing, energy, and technical consultancy.
Many also take up advisory and research responsibilities in municipal, national, and state government positions as well as executive bodies like the Environment Agency.
A Guide to Environmental Engineering
A bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as environmental engineering, geology, chemical engineering, or civil engineering, is typically required of environmental engineers.
Environmental engineering concentrations are now offered in several engineering schools at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Ecosystem processes, alternative energy technology, wastewater, and water treatment, air quality control systems, statistical process controls, remediation technology, sustainability concepts, etc. are a few of the subjects you might study in a degree program.
Since real-world experience is so highly valued, several programs also provide you the chance to receive college credit for your employment in the business.
To succeed in this type of work, regular communication with technical specialists, clients, and regulatory officials is essential, as well as organizational abilities. Additionally, it is advantageous to have knowledge of and understanding of state and federal environmental laws.
Salaries for environmental engineers
The information below will help you learn more about this profession. The editorial material and recommendations on this page are based on our research, while the income and growth information is based on newly released Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Low Range for National Annual Salaries
$64,610 High Range $128,440 Average $88,040
Nationwide minimum wage
Low Range: $31; Average: $42; High Range: $62
How do environmental engineer salaries compare to those of other careers nationwide?
According to the most recent data on employment in the country, environmental engineers may expect to earn an average yearly salary of $88,040, or $42 per hour. When just starting or depending on the state you live in, they may make as little as $64,610, or $31 per hour.