Environmental Engineers

What Environmental Engineers 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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

1%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Engineering and Technologyimportance 5.0/5
• Designimportance 4.6/5
• Chemistryimportance 4.0/5
• Mathematicsimportance 4.0/5
• Building and Constructionimportance 3.9/5
• English Languageimportance 3.8/5
• Physicsimportance 3.8/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.6/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail5.0/5
• Telephone Conversations4.9/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.4/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.4/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.3/5
• Contact With Others4.0/5

Related Careers

• Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
• Civil Engineers
• Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Managers, All Other
• Compliance Officers
• Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
• Natural Sciences Managers
• Conservation Scientists

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Animal Scientists98% skill match
• Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists96% skill match
• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers96% skill match
• Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians96% skill match
• Conservation Scientists96% skill match
• Microbiologists96% skill match
• Industrial Engineers95% skill match
• Fire Inspectors and Investigators95% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.9/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.9/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.8/5
• Systems Analysisimportance 3.3/5
• Systems Evaluationimportance 3.3/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.3/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
• Persuasionimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Cautiousness
• Innovation
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Integrity
• Achievement Orientation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• InvestigativeHigh
• RealisticHigh
• ConventionalMedium
• EnterprisingMedium
• SocialLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where environmental engineers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Kennewick-Richland, WA12.12× national avg
2. 2Helena, MT8.65× national avg
3. 3Charleston, WV8.01× national avg
4. 4Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA5.83× national avg
5. 5Fairbanks-College, AK5.43× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthCareer Change
• Conservation ScientistsCareer Change
• Petroleum EngineersLateral Move
• Industrial EngineersLateral Move

See the full career path from Environmental Engineers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.