Career Profile: Environmental Engineers

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 44,000 people employed as environmental engineers in the United States. The median annual salary is $96,820. Entry level employees earn approximately $59,820 per year and senior employees earn approximately $153,200 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Assist in budget implementation, forecasts, or administration.
• Prepare, maintain, or revise quality assurance documentation or procedures.
• Develop proposed project objectives and targets and report to management on progress in attaining them.
• Request bids from suppliers or consultants.
• Monitor progress of environmental improvement programs.
• Serve as liaison with federal, state, or local agencies or officials on issues pertaining to solid or hazardous waste program requirements.
• Provide assistance with planning, quality assurance, safety inspection protocols, or sampling as part of a team conducting multimedia inspections at complex facilities.
• Provide technical support for environmental remediation or litigation projects, including remediation system design or determination of regulatory applicability.
• Collaborate with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, experts in law or business, or other specialists to address environmental problems.
• Assess the existing or potential environmental impact of land use projects on air, water, or land.
• Advise corporations or government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment.
• Develop, implement, or manage plans or programs related to conservation or management of natural resources.
• Inform company employees or other interested parties of environmental issues.
• Advise industries or government agencies about environmental policies and standards.
• Provide environmental engineering assistance in network analysis, regulatory analysis, or planning or reviewing database development.
• Prepare hazardous waste manifests or land disposal restriction notifications.
• Develop or present environmental compliance training or orientation sessions.
• Assess, sort, characterize, or pack known or unknown materials.
• Write reports or articles for Web sites or newsletters related to environmental engineering issues.
• Develop site-specific health and safety protocols, such as spill contingency plans or methods for loading or transporting waste.
• Obtain, update, or maintain plans, permits, or standard operating procedures.
• Prepare or present public briefings on the status of environmental engineering projects.
• Provide administrative support for projects by collecting data, providing project documentation, training staff, or performing other general administrative duties.
• Coordinate or manage environmental protection programs or projects, assigning or evaluating work.
• Inspect industrial or municipal facilities or programs to evaluate operational effectiveness or ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
• Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality.
• Direct installation or operation of environmental monitoring devices or supervise related data collection programs.
• Prepare, review, or update environmental investigation or recommendation reports.

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