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For Educators: Military Resources
For Educators: Military Resources

Water / Wastewater Engineers

Median Salary
95,890
Job Outlook
+6%
In-Demand

Overview

What are the responsibilities of this role?

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.

What sectors do they work in?

Private for profit

72%

State and local government

13%

Self-employed

9%

Federal Government

4%

Private not for profit

2%

What is the job outlook?

Employment of civil engineers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations. About 22,900 openings for civil engineers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Compensation

What is the typical salary range?

$60,100

10%

$95,890

Median

$105,830

90%

How does location impact how much salary?

Education

What level of education do professionals in this role have?

Education Level

  • Bachelor's degree

    69%

  • Master's degree

    26%

  • First professional degree

    4%

Which college majors best prepare you for this role?

  • Civil Engineering, General
  • Construction Engineering
  • Water Resources Engineering
  • Civil Engineering, Other
  • Structural Engineering
  • Transportation and Highway Engineering
  • Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering

Skills and Interest

What knowledge should you bring to the table?

  • Engineering and Technology
  • Design
  • Mathematics
  • Building and Construction
  • Physics

What personality traits help people thrive in this role?

Realistic

You love hands-on work and solving practical problems — like fixing things and building stuff.

Investigative

You love figuring out how things work and researching subjects that interest you.

Conventional

You like structure, staying organized, and working with systems to get things done efficiently.

RIASEC represents six broad interest areas—Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional—helping individuals identify careers that match their skills and preferences.

Take the RIASEC Test

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Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.