Career Tips and So Much More

Being an environmental engineer involves cleaning up past mistakes and plans new facilities designed to prevent mistakes in the future. Private environmental consulting firms are usually hired by state and federal government to determine the ideal way to clean up contaminated industrial sites. An environmental engineer may be invited in, if, for instance, a manufacturing plant has buried toxic waste that has started seeping into the water supply. The engineer will evaluate the site, introduce a plan for cleaning it up, and assist in overseeing the cleanup process.

Environmental engineers are also employed to design and oversee construction of facilities like water and sewage treatment pipe lines, plants and pump stations,. This job calls for a lot of fieldwork. Instead of just sitting in front of a computer all day, environmental engineers spend a lot of time in doing biological and chemical analysis, research and working with regulators, clients, contractors, and the public, which in several cases is determining the bill for cleanups and new facilities.

When it comes to salary, Environmental Engineers can expect to start at  $43,000 to $53,300 a year (as of 2010). The average mid-level salary is about $46,800 to $59,000, while salaries for those in the top management can surpass $200,000. The pay is basically dependent on experience and, in a few cases, on the quantity of work an individual brings in.

Not too long ago, somewhere in the late 80s and early 90s, growth was explosive and demand for engineers was quite high. Then it was a steady decline from 10 to 15 percent a year to about 5 percent. The industry is more crowded, and breaking in isn't as easy as it used to be. Recently, though, there has been an increasing demand for environmental engineers with companies needing assistance in complying with environmental regulations.

A minimum of a bachelor's degree in engineering or geology is required, and a master's degree is occasionally preferred. Some companies hire engineers right out of college, while others opt to hire those having a few years of field experience.

You can expect to meet with clients and producing presentations, so you have to be comfortable speaking in public and working closely with other people.

© 2012 Tip Writer