Environmental Engineer job description

Environmental engineering pays better than anything else on this board: a median of $107,110 for May 2025, $51.50 an hour, with the federal government paying $124,760 and the reported range running $69,990 to $162,220. Engineers design the systems that keep pollutants out of air, soil, and water, including remediation schemes, stormwater and wastewater controls, air quality controls, hazardous waste evaluations, and the compliance plans behind them. Engineering services employs 24 percent of the 39,100 engineers BLS counted in 2025, state government 20 percent, and management consulting 19 percent. Four years of study is enough to start, and the Professional Engineer license matters later rather than at the door.