Water/Wastewater Engineer

Explore This Path

Ensure safe water access and protect communities from flood damage.
Impact public health by designing efficient water and wastewater systems.
Innovate with advanced treatment technologies like UV disinfection and SBRs.

💰 Earn $83K-$138K

📚 Bachelor Degree

⏱️ 24–48 MONTH TRAINING

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What You’ll Do

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.

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.

Scoop

Minimum Education

Bachelor Degree

Career Prospects

Excellent (Increasing by 5% or more)

Training Time

2 to 4 years

Median Earnings

$105,040 in California

$95,890 Nationally

$25K

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Real Talk Reel

Want to see what it's like to be a Water/Wastewater Engineer? We've curated a playlist for you to get a glimpse into a day in the life.

@uppercampus

Best For You If...

YOU Like 💕

Influencing or leading others
Thinking and problem solving
Working with my hands

You are skilled in 💫

Active Listening
Complex Problem Solving
Critical Thinking
Reading Comprehension
Speaking

You value 🙏

Accomplishing things
Having freedom
Job security

Deep Dive

Water/Wastewater Engineer

Explore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.

Pathways to this Career

Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.

Bachelor's Degree

A bachelor's degree typically results in increased knowledge about a variety of academic subjects, specialized knowledge in a focused field of study, and is considered the foundational qualification for many careers.

🎓 College

⏱️ FINISH IN 4-5+ years

Hybrid College

A hybrid college combines online learning with the student support typically offered on college campuses, giving students flexibility and accessibility while still providing a comprehensive educational experience.

🎓 College

⏱️ FINISH IN 2-5 years