Water/Wastewater Engineers: Career Overview
Design or oversee projects involving provision of potable water, disposal of wastewater and sewage, or prevention of flood-related damage. Prepare environmental documentation for water resources, regulatory program compliance, data management and analysis, and field work. Perform hydraulic modeling and pipeline design.
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What Tasks Do Water/Wastewater Engineers Take On?
The core tasks performed by water/wastewater engineers include:
- Provide technical direction or supervision to junior engineers, engineering or computer-aided design (CAD) technicians, or other technical personnel.
- Review and critique proposals, plans, or designs related to water or wastewater treatment systems.
- Design domestic or industrial water or wastewater treatment plants, including advanced facilities with sequencing batch reactors (SBR), membranes, lift stations, headworks, surge overflow basins, ultraviolet disinfection systems, aerobic digesters, sludge lagoons, or control buildings.
- Evaluate the operation and maintenance of water or wastewater systems to identify ways to improve their efficiency.
- Design or select equipment for use in wastewater processing to ensure compliance with government standards.
- Design pumping systems, pumping stations, pipelines, force mains, or sewers for the collection of wastewater.
- Design water distribution systems for potable or non-potable water.
- Conduct water quality studies to identify and characterize water pollutant sources.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top water/wastewater engineers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Consulting Engineer
- County Engineer
- Dimensional Engineer
- Engineer
- Hydraulics Engineer
- Hydrologic Modeler
- Project Development Engineer
- Remediation Engineer
How Many Water/Wastewater Engineers Are There?
There are roughly 362,871 water/wastewater engineers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +5.6% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Water/Wastewater Engineers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $86,573 |
| Hourly median | $41.62 |
| 10th percentile | $53,527 |
| 25th percentile | $70,050 |
| 75th percentile | $103,097 |
| 90th percentile | $119,620 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $118,450 |
| Rhode Island | $112,250 |
| Alaska | $107,240 |
| Washington | $105,090 |
| New Mexico | $104,600 |
| Massachusetts | $104,450 |
| Mississippi | $103,940 |
| New Jersey | $103,690 |
| Oregon | $103,070 |
| New York | $102,440 |
| Louisiana | $102,350 |
| District of Columbia | $102,170 |
| Connecticut | $101,800 |
| Minnesota | $101,440 |
| Maryland | $100,320 |
| Kentucky | $100,200 |
| Delaware | $99,820 |
| South Carolina | $99,680 |
| Oklahoma | $99,540 |
| Nebraska | $99,360 |
| Nevada | $98,690 |
| Alabama | $98,100 |
| Florida | $97,810 |
| Tennessee | $97,730 |
| Illinois | $97,640 |
| Virginia | $96,210 |
| North Dakota | $96,160 |
| Wyoming | $95,800 |
| South Dakota | $95,110 |
| Texas | $95,050 |
| Indiana | $95,000 |
| Idaho | $94,990 |
| Hawaii | $94,970 |
| Maine | $94,880 |
| Iowa | $94,500 |
| North Carolina | $93,590 |
| Arizona | $93,500 |
| Ohio | $93,480 |
| Missouri | $93,020 |
| Pennsylvania | $92,460 |
| New Hampshire | $92,020 |
| Utah | $92,000 |
| Wisconsin | $90,770 |
| West Virginia | $88,200 |
| Kansas | $86,780 |
| Vermont | $85,720 |
| Michigan | $85,550 |
| Arkansas | $81,930 |
| Georgia | $81,030 |
| Montana | $80,390 |
| Guam | $72,770 |
| Puerto Rico | $60,510 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for water/wastewater engineers shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $113,900 | 21.6% | 1.31 |
| New England | $101,770 | 5.2% | 1.09 |
| Middle Atlantic | $99,175 | 12.9% | 0.87 |
| Southwest | $95,399 | 12.3% | 1.00 |
| Southeast | $95,315 | 23.6% | 1.02 |
| Plains States | $95,053 | 5.6% | 0.86 |
| Great Lakes | $93,032 | 11.4% | 0.84 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $62,858 | 0.7% | 1.45 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $130,310 | 5,190 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $129,260 | 3,180 |
| Redding, CA | CA | $127,130 | 330 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $126,560 | 9,920 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $122,820 | 160 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $121,170 | 500 |
| Walla Walla, WA | WA | $119,080 | 210 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | FL | $118,830 | 340 |
Which Industries Hire Water/Wastewater Engineers
The largest employers of water/wastewater engineers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 202,800 | $99,670 |
| Construction | 44,580 | $82,970 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 5,010 | $108,140 |
| Manufacturing | 4,190 | $104,310 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 3,180 | $117,740 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 2,500 | $90,510 |
| Educational Services | 2,070 | $102,000 |
| Utilities | 1,940 | $113,380 |
Water/Wastewater Engineers work in the following industries:
Software Water/Wastewater Engineers Use
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk Revit (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Bash (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Bentley MicroStation (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of water/wastewater engineers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Education and Training
Entry-level water/wastewater engineers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
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- Water Resource Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers (Primary-Short)
- Chemical Engineers (Primary-Long)
- Civil Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Transportation Engineers (Primary-Long)
- Environmental Engineers (Primary-Short)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for water/wastewater engineers often complete programs in:
Engineering
7 programs across 2 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 17-2051.02 (Civil Engineers).
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