Environmental engineers

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

35.8k

Average Age

43.2

Estimated Job Growth

4.06%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$108,199

Average Male Salary

$112,855

Average Female Salary

$98,855

About

Environmental engineers are most often employed by the Architectural, engineering & related services industry. The average yearly wage for Environmental engineers was $108,199 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Environmental engineers are Elmore & Montgomery (South & Far East) Counties PUMA, AL, Strafford & Rockingham (Northern) Counties PUMA, NH, and Alameda County (North)--Berkeley & Albany Cities PUMA, CA. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Environmental engineers are Sacramento County (Central)--Elk Grove City (West) PUMA, CA, Elmore & Montgomery (South & Far East) Counties PUMA, AL, and Fairfield County PUMA, OH.

Photo by U.S. Department of the Interior

Management, business, science, & arts occupations Computer, engineering, & science occupations Architecture & engineering occupations

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Environmental engineers workforce. Environmental engineers workforce in 2024 was 35,771 people, of which 33.3% were women and 66.7% were men.

Environmental engineers are paid most in South Jefferson PUMA, CO but are relatively concentrated in Sacramento County (Central)--Elk Grove City (West) PUMA, CA.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

23,876

Male Workforce

± 3.79k

11,895

Female Workforce

± 2.68k

The Environmental engineers workforce in 2024 was 35,771 people (33.3% women and 66.7% men). This implies an average annual growth of 22.2% between 2014 (29,268) and 2024 (35,771).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Environmental engineers.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were District of Columbia ($238,728), Louisiana ($163,977), and Minnesota ($144,468).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$108,199

AVERAGE WAGE

#54 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Environmental engineers earned an average of $108,199, $38,322 more than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Environmental engineers in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

In 2024, Environmental engineers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.289, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Environmental engineers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Environmental engineers compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Environmental engineers and on wages for those in the field. Architectural, engineering & related services is the industry that employs the most Environmental engineers, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Environmental engineers, by average wage, is Oil & gas extraction ($245,681).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

35.8k

2024 Workforce

± 4,643

5.22%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 17.7%

This graphic shows the share of Environmental engineers employed by various industries. Architectural, engineering & related services employs the largest share of Environmental engineers at 51.2%, followed by Administration of environmental quality & housing programs with 20% and Water, steam, air-conditioning, & irrigation systems with 15.3%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Environmental engineers in the US. The workforce of Environmental engineers in 2024 was 35,771 people, with 33.3% woman, and 66.7% men. The average age of male Environmental engineers in the workforce is 45 and of female Environmental engineers is 39.4, and the most common race/ethnicity for Environmental engineers is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Environmental engineers in 2024 was 35,771 people, with 33.3% woman, and 66.7% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 25 to 29 years (6,058 people), 30 to 34 years (4,908 people), and 60 to 64 years (3,856 people). Among them they concentrated 41.8% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 7.93% of Environmental engineers workers were Hispanic and 92.1% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (61%), Puerto Rican (17.6)%, and All Other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino (6.1)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 73% of the Environmental engineers workforce were White, of which 33.3% were women and 66.7% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Asian (11.2%) and Two or More Races (7.67%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Environmental engineers from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Environmental engineers is Engineering but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Engineering.

Among the necessary skills for Environmental engineers, Reading Comprehension stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Environmental engineers need more than the average amount of Science.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Environmental engineers in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Engineering (21,108 people), Physical Sciences (2,198 people), and Natural Resources & Conservation (1,825 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Environmental engineers workers were Bachelors Degree (18,116 people), Graduate Degree (14,290 people), and High School or Equivalent (1,496 people).

The graphic shows the Environmental engineers workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Environmental engineers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Environmental engineers need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Writing, Speaking.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Environmental Engineers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Environmental Engineers are expected to see a growth of 4.06% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

4.06%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Environmental engineers. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.