U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsResearch, design, plan, or perform engineering duties in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental hazards using various engineering disciplines. Work may include waste treatment, site remediation, or pollution control technology.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50,850 | 1.9 % | $40.93 | $85,140 | 0.7 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $23.80 | $30.06 | $38.89 | $49.49 | $58.79 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $49,510 | $62,520 | $80,890 | $102,930 | $122,290 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 14,760 | 1.14 | $41.97 | $87,310 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 10,890 | 0.99 | $40.62 | $84,500 |
| State Government (OES Designation) | 6,630 | 0.30 | $33.12 | $68,900 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 3,570 | 0.18 | $46.48 | $96,680 |
| Local Government (OES Designation) | 3,310 | 0.06 | $36.94 | $76,830 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 14,760 | 1.14 | $41.97 | $87,310 |
| Waste Treatment and Disposal | 1,000 | 1.03 | $42.98 | $89,400 |
| Remediation and Other Waste Management Services | 1,290 | 1.02 | $39.33 | $81,810 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 10,890 | 0.99 | $40.62 | $84,500 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil | 50 | 0.59 | $49.51 | $102,980 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 580 | 0.32 | $66.14 | $137,560 |
| Other Support Services | (8) | (8) | $56.29 | $117,070 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil | 50 | 0.59 | $49.51 | $102,980 |
| Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing | 120 | 0.13 | $47.66 | $99,130 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,180 | 0.06 | $47.34 | $98,460 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 6,150 | 0.43 | 1.10 | $44.96 | $93,520 |
| Texas | 3,320 | 0.31 | 0.80 | $48.26 | $100,390 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,910 | 0.52 | 1.33 | $39.78 | $82,750 |
| Massachusetts | 2,860 | 0.89 | 2.29 | $38.15 | $79,340 |
| New York | 2,850 | 0.33 | 0.86 | $43.38 | $90,240 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 420 | 1.33 | 3.40 | $52.27 | $108,730 |
| New Mexico | 680 | 0.89 | 2.27 | $43.79 | $91,090 |
| Massachusetts | 2,860 | 0.89 | 2.29 | $38.15 | $79,340 |
| Wyoming | 210 | 0.76 | 1.94 | $39.65 | $82,480 |
| District of Columbia | 490 | 0.75 | 1.92 | $47.71 | $99,240 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 420 | 1.33 | 3.40 | $52.27 | $108,730 |
| Texas | 3,320 | 0.31 | 0.80 | $48.26 | $100,390 |
| District of Columbia | 490 | 0.75 | 1.92 | $47.71 | $99,240 |
| California | 6,150 | 0.43 | 1.10 | $44.96 | $93,520 |
| Tennessee | 980 | 0.37 | 0.95 | $44.71 | $93,000 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 1,980 | 0.85 | 2.17 | $47.75 | $99,330 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division | 1,910 | 1.11 | 2.86 | $38.67 | $80,430 |
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 1,360 | 0.26 | 0.68 | $47.20 | $98,180 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA | 1,270 | 0.56 | 1.44 | $36.13 | $75,160 |
| Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division | 1,150 | 0.63 | 1.62 | $39.65 | $82,470 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 1,150 | 0.44 | 1.12 | $58.19 | $121,040 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,100 | 0.29 | 0.73 | $46.72 | $97,170 |
| Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO | 1,040 | 0.84 | 2.16 | $42.67 | $88,750 |
| Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division | 960 | 0.68 | 1.75 | $44.04 | $91,610 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA | 840 | 0.66 | 1.70 | $38.79 | $80,690 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA | 230 | 2.35 | 6.03 | $48.75 | $101,390 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 420 | 2.07 | 5.29 | $44.67 | $92,910 |
| Taunton-Norton-Raynham, MA NECTA Division | 70 | 1.63 | 4.19 | $36.67 | $76,270 |
| Anchorage, AK | 280 | 1.62 | 4.15 | $55.59 | $115,630 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 200 | 1.47 | 3.77 | $41.93 | $87,220 |
| Fairbanks, AK | 50 | 1.45 | 3.71 | $42.88 | $89,200 |
| Springfield, IL | 150 | 1.42 | 3.63 | $38.19 | $79,430 |
| Trenton-Ewing, NJ | 300 | 1.40 | 3.60 | $41.68 | $86,690 |
| Jefferson City, MO | 100 | 1.40 | 3.59 | $24.87 | $51,720 |
| Olympia, WA | 110 | 1.21 | 3.09 | $43.32 | $90,100 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 140 | 0.51 | 1.30 | $58.73 | $122,150 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 1,150 | 0.44 | 1.12 | $58.19 | $121,040 |
| Anchorage, AK | 280 | 1.62 | 4.15 | $55.59 | $115,630 |
| Knoxville, TN | 370 | 1.14 | 2.92 | $53.41 | $111,100 |
| New Haven, CT | 40 | 0.14 | 0.35 | $52.61 | $109,430 |
| New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA | 120 | 0.22 | 0.57 | $52.39 | $108,970 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 150 | 0.51 | 1.31 | $49.79 | $103,560 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division | 740 | 0.74 | 1.88 | $49.37 | $102,700 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division | 770 | 0.79 | 2.02 | $49.29 | $102,520 |
| Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA | 230 | 2.35 | 6.03 | $48.75 | $101,390 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Montana nonmetropolitan area | 100 | 0.85 | 2.18 | $35.74 | $74,340 |
| Northeast Florida nonmetropolitan area | 100 | 0.71 | 1.82 | $35.35 | $73,530 |
| Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.73 | 1.86 | $39.40 | $81,950 |
| Northwest Florida nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 1.54 | 3.94 | $22.18 | $46,140 |
| Western Colorado nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 0.78 | 1.99 | $46.17 | $96,030 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Florida nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 1.54 | 3.94 | $22.18 | $46,140 |
| Northwestern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 1.49 | 3.83 | $43.57 | $90,620 |
| East Idaho nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 1.23 | 3.14 | $47.48 | $98,760 |
| Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 1.04 | 2.66 | $47.28 | $98,340 |
| Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.97 | 2.50 | $45.94 | $95,550 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $51.57 | $107,270 |
| Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.76 | 1.94 | $47.62 | $99,050 |
| East Idaho nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 1.23 | 3.14 | $47.48 | $98,760 |
| Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 1.04 | 2.66 | $47.28 | $98,340 |
| Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.61 | 1.57 | $46.56 | $96,840 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2012 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 29, 2013
