Environmental Engineers
Environmental Engineers (SOC 17-2081) earn a median $107,110 a year ($51.50 an hour) in the United States, with 38,340 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Louisiana.
What environmental engineers do
Environmental engineers prevent, control, and clean up environmental hazards using principles from several engineering fields. Their work may include waste treatment, site remediation, and the development of pollution control technology. Typical tasks include designing or overseeing the design of systems and equipment for managing pollutants, assessing how land use projects may affect air, water, and soil quality, and working with scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, and other engineers on shared projects. They also advise corporations and public agencies on the procedures to follow when cleaning up contaminated sites. The occupation is different from environmental scientists, who study environmental conditions and sources of pollution but do not usually design the solutions, and from civil engineers, who focus on built infrastructure. Monitoring the progress of environmental improvement programs is another duty, along with preparing and updating investigation and recommendation reports and keeping quality assurance documentation current.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Air Quality Engineer, Air Pollution Control Engineer, Coastal Engineer, Civil Engineer, Engineer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $33.65 | $40.18 | $51.50 | $64.63 | $77.99 | $54.29 | 38,340 |
| Annual | $69,990 | $83,570 | $107,110 | $134,420 | $162,220 | $112,910 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where environmental engineers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Louisiana | Hourly | $36.78 | $47.83 | $62.74 | $82.52 | $96.78 | $66.44 | 340 | 0.18 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $76,500 | $99,490 | $130,510 | $171,630 | $201,300 | $138,180 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $38.36 | $46.13 | $62.70 | $71.46 | $82.11 | $60.52 | 4,550 | 0.25 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $79,790 | $95,950 | $130,410 | $148,650 | $170,790 | $125,870 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $38.81 | $48.67 | $61.10 | $68.23 | $87.16 | $61.50 | 650 | 0.33 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $80,720 | $101,220 | $127,100 | $141,930 | $181,280 | $127,920 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $38.78 | $48.17 | $60.32 | $77.53 | $84.43 | $61.22 | 1,920 | 0.54 | 2.19 |
| Annual | $80,660 | $100,200 | $125,460 | $161,250 | $175,610 | $127,330 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $36.79 | $44.52 | $59.17 | $74.51 | $85.49 | $59.81 | 1,940 | 0.14 | 0.56 |
| Annual | $76,510 | $92,600 | $123,060 | $154,970 | $177,820 | $124,400 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $38.36 | $46.13 | $62.70 | $71.46 | $82.11 | $60.52 | 4,550 | 0.25 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $79,790 | $95,950 | $130,410 | $148,650 | $170,790 | $125,870 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $32.39 | $38.17 | $48.69 | $61.45 | $75.72 | $52.09 | 3,170 | 0.33 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $67,370 | $79,390 | $101,270 | $127,820 | $157,490 | $108,360 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $36.79 | $44.52 | $59.17 | $74.51 | $85.49 | $59.81 | 1,940 | 0.14 | 0.56 |
| Annual | $76,510 | $92,600 | $123,060 | $154,970 | $177,820 | $124,400 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $38.78 | $48.17 | $60.32 | $77.53 | $84.43 | $61.22 | 1,920 | 0.54 | 2.19 |
| Annual | $80,660 | $100,200 | $125,460 | $161,250 | $175,610 | $127,330 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $37.09 | $41.53 | $55.67 | $68.33 | $83.14 | $57.30 | 1,880 | 0.52 | 2.09 |
| Annual | $77,150 | $86,370 | $115,800 | $142,130 | $172,920 | $119,180 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | Hourly | $29.00 | $41.50 | $68.60 | $70.80 | $77.25 | $58.48 | 50 | 0.15 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $60,320 | $86,310 | $142,700 | $147,260 | $160,670 | $121,630 | ||||
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | Hourly | $42.18 | $54.66 | $68.06 | $80.18 | $92.91 | $66.70 | 100 | 0.51 | 2.07 |
| Annual | $87,740 | $113,700 | $141,560 | $166,770 | $193,260 | $138,740 | ||||
| Redding, CA | Hourly | $44.34 | $59.94 | $67.58 | $74.88 | $79.17 | $64.87 | 40 | 0.57 | 2.31 |
| Annual | $92,230 | $124,670 | $140,570 | $155,750 | $164,670 | $134,930 | ||||
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | Hourly | $42.23 | $48.17 | $67.34 | $79.33 | $89.56 | $67.41 | 390 | 2.99 | 12.12 |
| Annual | $87,830 | $100,200 | $140,060 | $165,000 | $186,290 | $140,210 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $37.04 | $51.94 | $66.75 | $77.79 | $84.93 | $65.11 | 550 | 0.23 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $77,050 | $108,040 | $138,840 | $161,800 | $176,660 | $135,420 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $33.65 | $41.93 | $51.88 | $73.50 | $81.41 | $56.71 | 1,810 | 0.19 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $69,990 | $87,210 | $107,910 | $152,870 | $169,340 | $117,950 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $37.09 | $41.08 | $52.70 | $63.93 | $77.99 | $55.47 | 1,460 | 0.54 | 2.18 |
| Annual | $77,150 | $85,450 | $109,620 | $132,970 | $162,220 | $115,370 | ||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | $41.60 | $53.74 | $64.06 | $72.17 | $83.38 | $62.86 | 1,200 | 1.11 | 4.50 |
| Annual | $86,530 | $111,770 | $133,240 | $150,120 | $173,440 | $130,750 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $37.94 | $48.89 | $61.74 | $78.31 | $84.43 | $62.12 | 1,050 | 0.50 | 2.04 |
| Annual | $78,920 | $101,700 | $128,410 | $162,880 | $175,610 | $129,200 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $32.39 | $38.70 | $62.21 | $70.71 | $72.11 | $54.91 | 1,040 | 0.36 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $67,380 | $80,490 | $129,390 | $147,080 | $149,990 | $114,220 | ||||
Top industries employing environmental engineers
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services employ 26.0% of environmental engineers nationally (9,960 jobs) at a median $107,990 a year ($51.92 an hour), followed by Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (19.5%) and State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (18.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 9,960 | 26.0% | $107,990 | $51.92 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services NAICS 541600 | 7,460 | 19.5% | $101,840 | $48.96 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 7,140 | 18.6% | $102,160 | $49.12 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 2,760 | 7.2% | $104,140 | $50.07 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 2,350 | 6.1% | $124,760 | $59.98 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (38,340). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $96,820 for environmental engineers in May 2021 and $107,110 in May 2025, with employment of 42,660 and 38,340.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $96,820 | $46.55 | 42,660 |
| May 2022 | $96,530 | $46.41 | 45,440 |
| May 2023 | $100,090 | $48.12 | 39,880 |
| May 2024 | $104,170 | $50.08 | 37,950 |
| May 2025 | $107,110 | $51.50 | 38,340 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
50 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana profile | $62.74 | $130,510 | $76,500 | $201,300 | 340 | 0.18 | 0.72 |
| 2 | California profile | $62.70 | $130,410 | $79,790 | $170,790 | 4,550 | 0.25 | 1.01 |
| 3 | Oregon profile | $61.10 | $127,100 | $80,720 | $181,280 | 650 | 0.33 | 1.35 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $60.32 | $125,460 | $80,660 | $175,610 | 1,920 | 0.54 | 2.19 |
| 5 | Texas profile | $59.17 | $123,060 | $76,510 | $177,820 | 1,940 | 0.14 | 0.56 |
| 6 | Nebraska profile | $57.99 | $120,620 | $69,240 | $165,590 | 270 | 0.27 | 1.08 |
| 7 | Idaho profile | $56.50 | $117,520 | $69,780 | $165,810 | 400 | 0.47 | 1.89 |
| 8 | Florida profile | $56.17 | $116,840 | $57,240 | $154,130 | 1,800 | 0.18 | 0.73 |
| 9 | Massachusetts profile | $55.67 | $115,800 | $77,150 | $172,920 | 1,880 | 0.52 | 2.09 |
| 10 | Minnesota profile | $55.65 | $115,750 | $95,330 | $143,330 | 1,080 | 0.37 | 1.49 |
| 11 | Connecticut profile | $55.15 | $114,710 | $80,280 | $156,830 | 450 | 0.26 | 1.07 |
| 12 | Ohio profile | $54.42 | $113,180 | $69,000 | $145,490 | 730 | 0.13 | 0.53 |
| 13 | Alaska profile | $52.99 | $110,220 | $78,940 | $155,530 | 260 | 0.81 | 3.28 |
| 14 | Nevada profile | $52.75 | $109,720 | $85,250 | $168,630 | 290 | 0.19 | 0.77 |
| 15 | New Mexico profile | $52.10 | $108,360 | $80,470 | $200,170 | 500 | 0.58 | 2.35 |
| 16 | Illinois profile | $51.92 | $107,990 | $71,990 | $153,150 | 940 | 0.15 | 0.62 |
| 17 | Hawaii profile | $51.86 | $107,880 | $76,180 | $156,640 | 150 | 0.23 | 0.94 |
| 18 | Kentucky profile | $51.69 | $107,520 | $76,310 | $157,130 | 350 | 0.17 | 0.70 |
| 19 | Colorado profile | $51.39 | $106,890 | $66,390 | $165,870 | 1,320 | 0.46 | 1.86 |
| 20 | Wyoming profile | $51.12 | $106,330 | $71,320 | $143,360 | 200 | 0.72 | 2.92 |
| 21 | Michigan profile | $50.52 | $105,080 | $73,090 | $142,570 | 810 | 0.18 | 0.74 |
| 22 | Virginia profile | $50.45 | $104,940 | $65,520 | $157,990 | 1,010 | 0.25 | 1.00 |
| 23 | Utah profile | $49.70 | $103,380 | $76,230 | $148,830 | 410 | 0.24 | 0.96 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania profile | $49.68 | $103,330 | $47,930 | $149,990 | 1,750 | 0.29 | 1.17 |
| 25 | Alabama profile | $49.35 | $102,650 | $66,720 | $158,910 | 780 | 0.37 | 1.50 |
| 26 | New Jersey profile | $49.34 | $102,630 | $69,830 | $161,990 | 990 | 0.23 | 0.94 |
| 27 | New York profile | $48.69 | $101,270 | $67,370 | $157,490 | 3,170 | 0.33 | 1.33 |
| 28 | Rhode Island profile | $48.63 | $101,140 | $83,980 | $135,800 | 200 | 0.40 | 1.61 |
| 29 | Montana profile | $48.15 | $100,140 | $63,920 | $154,530 | 300 | 0.60 | 2.42 |
| 30 | North Carolina profile | $47.81 | $99,440 | $69,000 | $143,040 | ** | ** | ** |
| 31 | South Dakota profile | $47.54 | $98,890 | $78,890 | $124,350 | 90 | 0.21 | 0.83 |
| 32 | Missouri profile | $47.20 | $98,170 | $56,430 | $128,490 | 510 | 0.17 | 0.70 |
| 33 | Maryland profile | $46.91 | $97,570 | $62,380 | $156,750 | 1,030 | 0.37 | 1.51 |
| 34 | Tennessee profile | $46.73 | $97,190 | $62,630 | $142,660 | 540 | 0.17 | 0.67 |
| 35 | Georgia profile | $46.41 | $96,530 | $64,810 | $144,870 | 830 | 0.17 | 0.69 |
| 36 | South Carolina profile | $46.22 | $96,140 | $47,740 | $149,340 | 560 | 0.24 | 0.99 |
| 37 | Delaware profile | $46.02 | $95,720 | $70,100 | $151,890 | 150 | 0.30 | 1.23 |
| 38 | Iowa profile | $45.59 | $94,830 | $66,780 | $134,050 | 150 | 0.10 | 0.38 |
| 39 | Kansas profile | $45.23 | $94,070 | $69,850 | $139,210 | 320 | 0.22 | 0.90 |
| 40 | Arizona profile | $45.18 | $93,970 | $63,790 | $130,190 | 690 | 0.21 | 0.86 |
| 41 | Maine profile | $45.16 | $93,930 | $69,310 | $139,510 | 220 | 0.34 | 1.38 |
| 42 | Vermont profile | $44.51 | $92,580 | $72,450 | $153,440 | 110 | 0.36 | 1.45 |
| 43 | Indiana profile | $44.45 | $92,460 | $65,120 | $142,780 | 520 | 0.16 | 0.66 |
| 44 | Oklahoma profile | $44.27 | $92,090 | $60,790 | $136,990 | 530 | 0.31 | 1.26 |
| 45 | North Dakota profile | $43.93 | $91,370 | $61,310 | $170,090 | 90 | 0.21 | 0.85 |
| 46 | Mississippi profile | $43.80 | $91,100 | $57,320 | $145,910 | 260 | 0.23 | 0.92 |
| 47 | Wisconsin profile | $43.26 | $89,990 | $69,940 | $154,010 | 890 | 0.30 | 1.22 |
| 48 | New Hampshire profile | $42.60 | $88,610 | $55,780 | $134,280 | 210 | 0.31 | 1.25 |
| 49 | Arkansas profile | $41.00 | $85,280 | $51,910 | $132,700 | 210 | 0.16 | 0.67 |
| 50 | West Virginia profile | $40.00 | $83,200 | $57,460 | $155,170 | 370 | 0.53 | 2.14 |
Part of Architecture and Engineering Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 17-2081 Environmental Engineers.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 17-2081, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 17-2081.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.