Architecture and Engineering Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 17-2081

Environmental Engineers

O*NET task statements lead this Environmental Engineers card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Computer Hardware Engineers, Industrial Engineers, Marine Engineers and Naval Architects, Nuclear Engineers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Environmental Engineers: Computer Hardware Engineers ($162K) , Industrial Engineers ($102K) , Marine Engineers and Naval Architects ($112K) , Nuclear Engineers ($134K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Environmental Engineers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 17-2081 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality
  2. 2. Assess the existing or potential environmental impact of land use projects on air, water, or land
  3. 3. Collaborate with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, experts in law or business, or other special…
  4. 4. Advise corporations or government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment
  5. 5. Develop proposed project objectives and targets and report to management on progress in attaining them
  6. 6. Monitor progress of environmental improvement programs
  7. 7. Prepare, review, or update environmental investigation or recommendation reports
  8. 8. Prepare, maintain, or revise quality assurance documentation or procedures
  9. 9. Develop site-specific health and safety protocols, such as spill contingency plans or methods for loading or transporting waste
  10. 10. Provide technical support for environmental remediation or litigation projects, including remediation system design or determination of r…
  11. 11. Prepare or present public briefings on the status of environmental engineering projects
  12. 12. Assist in budget implementation, forecasts, or administration

Environmental Engineers: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 17-2081 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Engineering and Technology. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 4.0
  2. 2. Active Listening 4.0
  3. 3. Writing 4.0
  4. 4. Speaking 4.0
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 4.0
  6. 6. Monitoring 4.0
  7. 7. Complex Problem Solving 3.9
  8. 8. Judgment and Decision Making 3.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Engineering and Technology 5.0
  2. 2. Design 4.6
  3. 3. Chemistry 4.0
  4. 4. Mathematics 4.0
  5. 5. Building and Construction 3.9
  6. 6. English Language 3.8
National median after O*NET task lead
$107,110
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality
$107K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
3,000
Annual openings
38,340
Estimated US jobs
Computer Hardware Engineers
Highest-pay peer · $162K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Environmental Engineers

1. Washington $125,460
2. Idaho $117,520
3. Texas $123,060
4. California $130,410
5. Nebraska $120,620
6. Oregon $127,100
7. Louisiana $130,510
8. Florida $116,840
9. Minnesota $115,750
10. Massachusetts $115,800

Other Architecture and Engineering Occupations titles

  1. 1. Marine Engineers and Naval Architects $112,230
  2. 2. Nuclear Engineers $133,970
  3. 3. Petroleum Engineers $144,910
  4. 4. Computer Hardware Engineers $161,740
  5. 5. Industrial Engineers $102,440
  6. 6. Chemical Engineers $125,040

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Environmental Engineers (SOC 17-2081). The national OEWS median is $107,110 inside Architecture and Engineering Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Computer Hardware Engineers, Industrial Engineers, Marine Engineers and Naval Architects, Nuclear Engineers. Lead published task: Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 3,000 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Washington at $125,460. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Computer Hardware Engineers at $161,740. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Environmental Engineers pay-rank #13 in Architecture and Engineering Occupations

Environmental Engineers sits at pay-rank #13 of 36 detailed Architecture and Engineering Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 17-2081 · national median $107,110 · middle third of Architecture and Engineering Occupations (#13/36). The day-to-day tasks above set this role apart from peers with a similar title.

Environmental Engineers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 17-2081

Washington · top state for Environmental Engineers

$125K published median

Idaho · #2 state pay

$118K · behind Washington

Computer Hardware Engineers

Highest-pay peer vs Environmental Engineers · $162K

Industrial Engineers

Lower-pay peer beside Environmental Engineers · $102K

Compare Environmental Engineers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Environmental Engineers with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Environmental Engineers full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Environmental Engineers mid-table among Architecture and Engineering Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #13 of 36 detailed Architecture and Engineering Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers ($106K), Mechanical Engineers ($104K), Industrial Engineers ($102K), Civil Engineers ($101K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do environmental engineers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Environmental Engineers. Leading ones include: Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality; Assess the existing or potential environmental impact of land use projects on air, water, or land; Collaborate with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, experts in law or business, or other special…; Advise corporations or government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for environmental engineers? ▼
For SOC 17-2081, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (4.0), Active Listening (4.0), Writing (4.0), Speaking (4.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Engineering and Technology, Design, Chemistry. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Environmental Engineers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $107,110 as the national median for Environmental Engineers. The published 10th-90th range is $69,990 to $162,220. Beside Computer Hardware Engineers ($161,740), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Environmental Engineers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Environmental Engineers is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 3,000. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Environmental Engineers? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Environmental Engineers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Environmental Engineers? ▼
Washington ($125,460), Idaho ($117,520), Texas ($123,060) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Environmental Engineers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 17-2081. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Environmental Engineers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics