Engineers

How to become a Water or Wastewater Engineer

Official title: Water/Wastewater Engineers

Also called: Consulting Engineer, County Engineer, Engineer, Project Development Engineer

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.

Main tasks

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.
Design pumping systems, pumping stations, pipelines, force mains, or sewers for the collection of wastewater.
Design water distribution systems for potable or non-potable water.
Conduct water quality studies to identify and characterize water pollutant sources.

How to become one

Civil engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in civil engineering or a related field to enter the occupation. They typically need a state-issued license if they provide services directly to the public.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Engineering degrees, Offered by 36 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $100,840 a year The middle half earn $79,930 to $129,680.
About 380,600 people work in this job now, and about 405,100 are projected by 2035. (+6.4%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Water or Wastewater Engineer?

How much does a Water or Wastewater Engineer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $100,840 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $79,930 to $129,680.

Is a Water or Wastewater Engineer a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6% by 2035, from about 380,600 to about 405,100 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Water or Wastewater Engineer?

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

Will AI change the work of a Water or Wastewater Engineer?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the 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. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.