Environmental Engineers
Environmental Engineers earn an average annual salary of $131,201, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Environmental Engineers workforce.
Employment Over Time
4,770 Workforce in 2023
The Environmental Engineers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Environmental Engineers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$131,201 Average Wage
In 2023, Environmental Engineers earned an average of $131,201.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Environmental Engineers.
Salary distribution for Environmental Engineers.
Employment Growth Projections
-0.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
17,963 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -3.6%
17,311 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -7.1%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Environmental Engineers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Environmental Engineers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Environmental Engineers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Environmental Engineers.
Wage Trends by Industry
4.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Environmental Engineers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Environmental Engineers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 4,530 employees, $132,255 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Environmental Engineers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 1,200 employees, $137,138 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 880 employees, $129,194 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 460 employees, $126,846 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 390 employees, $126,481 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 300 employees, $146,758 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 250 employees, $145,577 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 240 employees, $116,667 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 180 employees, $136,563 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 120 employees, $121,145 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 90 employees, $139,193 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Environmental Engineers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Environmental Engineers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Environmental Engineers in 2023 was 4,770 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Environmental Engineers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Environmental Engineers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Environmental Engineers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Environmental Engineers in 2023 were Environmental Science, Engineering, Biology.
Common majors for Environmental Engineers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Environmental Engineers workers.
Education level distribution for Environmental Engineers.
Skills
Environmental Engineers need many skills, but most especially Writing, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving.
Required skills for Environmental Engineers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Environmental Engineers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Environmental Engineers include Engineering and Technology, Mathematics, Chemistry, English Language, Design.
Knowledge areas required for Environmental Engineers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Environmental Engineers include Written Comprehension, Written Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Deductive Reasoning, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Environmental Engineers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Environmental Engineers.
Daily Activities
Environmental Engineers spend their time on activities such as Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Environmental Engineers.
About
Environmental Engineers
The average yearly wage for Environmental Engineers was $131,201 in 2023.
SOC Code
17-2081 - Environmental Engineers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Environmental Engineers reports an average salary of $131,201, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 4,770 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.7%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.