Environmental Engineers

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Write reports or articles for Web sites or newsletters related to environmental engineering issues.
• Provide assistance with planning, quality assurance, safety inspection protocols, or sampling as part of a team conducting multimedia inspections at complex facilities.
• Coordinate or manage environmental protection programs or projects, assigning or evaluating work.
• Attend professional conferences to share information.
• Obtain, update, or maintain plans, permits, or standard operating procedures.
• Prepare, maintain, or revise quality assurance documentation or procedures.
• Monitor progress of environmental improvement programs.
• Assess the existing or potential environmental impact of land use projects on air, water, or land.
• Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality.
• Develop, implement, or manage plans or programs related to conservation or management of natural resources.
• Develop proposed project objectives and targets and report to management on progress in attaining them.
• Provide environmental engineering assistance in network analysis, regulatory analysis, or planning or reviewing database development.
• Write reports or articles for Web sites or newsletters related to environmental engineering issues.
• Prepare or present public briefings on the status of environmental engineering projects.
• Develop, implement, or manage plans or programs related to conservation or management of natural resources.
• Advise industries or government agencies about environmental policies and standards.
• Provide administrative support for projects by collecting data, providing project documentation, training staff, or performing other general administrative duties.
• Assess, sort, characterize, or pack known or unknown materials.
• Provide administrative support for projects by collecting data, providing project documentation, training staff, or performing other general administrative duties.
• Assist in budget implementation, forecasts, or administration.
• Prepare hazardous waste manifests or land disposal restriction notifications.
• Develop proposed project objectives and targets and report to management on progress in attaining them.
• Request bids from suppliers or consultants.
• Assess, sort, characterize, or pack known or unknown materials.
• Provide technical support for environmental remediation or litigation projects, including remediation system design or determination of regulatory applicability.
• Develop site-specific health and safety protocols, such as spill contingency plans or methods for loading or transporting waste.
• Prepare, review, or update environmental investigation or recommendation reports.
• Advise corporations or government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment.
• Inform company employees or other interested parties of environmental issues.
• Serve as liaison with federal, state, or local agencies or officials on issues pertaining to solid or hazardous waste program requirements.
• Attend professional conferences to share information.
• Direct installation or operation of environmental monitoring devices or supervise related data collection programs.
• Develop or present environmental compliance training or orientation sessions.
• Inspect industrial or municipal facilities or programs to evaluate operational effectiveness or ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
• Prepare, review, or update environmental investigation or recommendation reports.
• Prepare, maintain, or revise quality assurance documentation or procedures.
• Collaborate with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, experts in law or business, or other specialists to address environmental problems.

Skills

• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.

Abilities

• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

Knowledge

• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

Education

Education

Bachelor's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Saint Martin's University
  5000 Abbey Way SE, Lacey WA 98503-7500
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-491-4700
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.stmartin.edu/
  Program Name
  Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• University of Washington-Seattle Campus
  1400 NE Campus Parkway, Seattle WA 98195-4550
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 206-543-2100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.washington.edu/
  Program Name
  Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Washington State University
  French Administration Building, Pullman WA 99164-5910
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 509-335-3564
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://wsu.edu/
  Program Name
  Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree
  Save

  ---

Close

Pay

Washington Annual Salary

115770/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

55.66/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

2,500

Yearly Projected Openings

220

Personality

Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out. They do well at jobs that need:

• Integrity
• Attention to Detail
• Analytical Thinking
• Dependability
• Cooperation
• Initiative

Tools

• Air samplers or collectors
• Air sampling pumps
• Air velocity and temperature monitors
• Anaerobic chamber
• Atomic absorption AA spectrometers
• Atomizers
• Augers
• Autosamplers
• Bacteria transformation kits
• Bench refractometers or polarimeters
• Benchtop centrifuges
• Chemical absorption gas analyzers
• Chemiluminescence or bioluminescence analyzers
• Chromatographic detectors
• Colorimeters
• Conductivity meters
• Core drills
• Density gradient fractionators
• Desktop computers
• Dissolution or disintegration testers
• Dissolved carbon dioxide analyzers
• Dissolved oxygen meters
• Electrometers
• Electronic counters
• Electronic measuring probes
• Extracting equipment for laboratories
• Filtering machinery
• Flame ionization analyzers
• Flowmeters
• Fluorescent microscopes
• Forced air or mechanical convection general purpose incubators
• Freeze dryers or lyopholizers
• Fume hoods or cupboards
• Gas chromatographs
• Gas detector tubes
• Gas detectors
• Gas gauges
• Global positioning system GPS receiver
• Instrumentation for capillary electrophoresis
• Ion chromatographs
• Ionmeters
• Isolation glove boxes
• Laboratory balances
• Laboratory mechanical convection ovens
• Laboratory microwave ovens
• Liquid scintillation counters
• Mass spectrometers
• Mud pumps
• Nitrogen or nitrate or nitrite analyzer
• Notebook computers
• Open stream current meters
• Open stream water level recorders
• Orbital shakers
• Organic carbon analyzers
• Ozone analyzers
• Penetrometers
• Permeability testing apparatus
• Photo attachments for microscopes
• Photometer
• Potentiometers
• Programmable tube furnaces
• Rotary drills
• Sample holders
• Sample oxidizer
• Seismic recorders or seismographs
• Shear strength testers
• Soil core sampling apparatus
• Spectrophotometers
• Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
• Thermal conductivity analyzers
• Thermocouples
• Titration equipment
• Ultra violet water purification units
• Vacuum or centrifugal concentrators
• Vacuum pumps
• Water analyzers
• Water samplers
• pH meters

Technology

• Analytical or scientific software
• Compliance software
• Computer aided design CAD software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Desktop communications software
• Development environment software
• Geographic information system
• Graphics or photo imaging software
• Industrial control software
• Map creation software
• Object or component oriented development software
• Office suite software
• Presentation software
• Project management software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software