# Water/Wastewater Engineers

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/water-wastewater-engineers
- SOC code: 17-2051.02
- Career family: Architecture and engineering
- Median annual pay: $100,840 (10th percentile $68,240, 90th percentile $163,220)
- Projected growth: Faster than average, +6.4%
- Openings a year: 22,700
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections
- Pay and outlook are for the broader BLS group "Civil engineers".

## Interest profile (code RIC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 77 |
| Investigative (I) | 73 |
| Artistic (A) | 14 |
| Social (S) | 13 |
| Enterprising (E) | 32 |
| Conventional (C) | 59 |

## What you'd do

- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 89/100)
- Getting Information (importance 88/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 86/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 85/100)
- Analyzing Data or Information (importance 83/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 81/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 81/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 79/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 77/100)
- Processing Information (importance 74/100)

## Skills

Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Mathematics, Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation, Speaking

## Knowledge

Engineering and Technology, Design, English Language, Mathematics, Building and Construction, Administration and Management, Mechanical, Physics, Chemistry, Customer and Personal Service

## Also called

Consulting Engineer, County Engineer, Dimensional Engineer, Engineer, Hydraulics Engineer, Hydrologic Modeler, Project Development Engineer, Remediation Engineer, Remediation Project Engineer, Wastewater Design Engineer

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Civil Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1408) (CIP 1408, 326 colleges)
- [Construction Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1433) (CIP 1433, 59 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Arizona State University Campus Immersion](https://www.collegesref.com/college/arizona-state-university-campus-immersion-101) | Construction Engineering | not reported | $116,219 | not reported |
| [University of California-Berkeley CAL](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Civil Engineering | $84,461 | $108,548 | $11,634 |
| [Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art-704) | Civil Engineering | not reported | $108,466 | not reported |
| [Columbia University in the City of New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york-656) | Civil Engineering | not reported | $108,246 | not reported |
| [University of Southern California USC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-southern-california-usc-3050) | Civil Engineering | $81,387 | $106,308 | $18,817 |
| [Oregon State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/oregon-state-university-2035) | Construction Engineering | $81,808 | $105,964 | $20,875 |
| [Santa Clara University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/santa-clara-university-2371) | Civil Engineering | not reported | $105,594 | $21,500 |
| [Carnegie Mellon University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/carnegie-mellon-university-406) | Civil Engineering | $79,750 | $105,199 | $21,000 |

## Related careers

- [Water Resource Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/water-resource-specialists): $167,220 median pay
- [Environmental Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/environmental-engineers): $107,110 median pay
- [Civil Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/civil-engineers): $100,840 median pay
- [Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/brownfield-redevelopment-specialists-and-site-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Petroleum Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/petroleum-engineers): $144,910 median pay
- [Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/energy-engineers-except-wind-and-solar): $122,930 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.