Engineering professionals (excluding electrical, electronics and telecommunications)

How to become an environmental engineer

Official title: Environmental engineers

Also called: Air pollution control engineer, Environmental analyst, Environmental engineer, Environmental remediation specialist, Wastewater process engineer

Environmental engineers conduct research, advise on, design and direct implementation of solutions to prevent, control or remedy negative impacts of human activity on the environment utilizing a variety of engineering disciplines. They conduct environmental assessments of construction and civil engineering projects and apply engineering principles to pollution control, recycling and waste disposal.

Main tasks

Conducting research, assessing and reporting on the environmental impact of existing and proposed construction, civil engineering and other activities
Inspecting industrial and municipal facilities and programmes to evaluate operational effectiveness and ensure compliance with environmental regulations
Designing and overseeing the development of systems, processes and equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air or soil quality
Providing environmental engineering assistance in network analysis, regulatory analysis, and planning or reviewing database development
Obtaining, updating, and maintaining plans, permits, and standard operating procedures
Providing engineering and technical support for environmental remediation and litigation projects, including remediation system design and determination of regulatory applicability
Monitoring progress of environmental improvement programmes
Advising corporations and government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment
Collaborating with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers from other disciplines, and specialists in law and business to address environmental problems

Ways in

University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 14 universities in Hong Kong
Licence or registration: Registering body: Engineers Registration Board. Law: Engineers Registration Ordinance (工程師註冊條例), Cap. 409. Summary by Peernovo; check the body's current rules.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: HK$48,000 a month
About 1,542,900 people in 2025, and about 1,639,100 projected by 2028. (+6.2%)
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Questions people ask

How do I become an environmental engineer?

Ways in include: Engineering degrees.

Do you need a degree to become an environmental engineer?

Usually. 88% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an environmental engineer?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Census and Statistics Department (2021 Population Census): 2021 Population Census, Interactive Data Dissemination Service: working population by occupation (38 groups) and sex, age, education, income; median income and field of education (9 groups) (2021 Population Census), retrieved 4 October 2026
Census and Statistics Department (General Household Survey): Median monthly employment earnings by occupation (9 groups), excluding foreign domestic helpers (Table 210-06317A); employed persons by occupation, age and sex (210-06307A) and by industry (210-06308A) (2025 annual (series to 2026-07)), retrieved 4 October 2026
Labour and Welfare Bureau; tables published by C&SD: Mid-term Update of Manpower Projection to 2028: supplementary statistical tables (5 occupation groups, 17 selected industries) (2025 to 2028 (published 2026-09)), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026