Careers / Water/Wastewater Engineers
Water/Wastewater Engineers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$100,840
United States, 2025
Employment
367,840
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 17-2051.02
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
Typical 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$68,240
25th percentile
$79,930
75th percentile
$129,680
90th percentile
$163,220
Most important skills
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0
- Writing4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Mathematics3.9
- Systems Evaluation3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Systems Analysis3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Speaking3.8
- Time Management3.8
- Monitoring3.6
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 23 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
23
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 | 4.8 | Not selected | 4.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 4.4 | Not selected | 4.4 |
| Mathematics | 3.9 | 4.5 | Not selected | 4.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Writing | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Time Management | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.3 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.3 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.1 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Instructing | 3.1 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Science | 3.5 | — | Not selected | — |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
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Compare with Water/Wastewater EngineersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $130,280 | 3,170 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $130,160 | 10,990 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $130,150 | 5,590 | 2025 |
| Mankato, MN | $128,220 | 50 | 2025 |
| Redding, CA | $126,000 | 380 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $123,440 | 180 | 2025 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $123,030 | 190 | 2025 |
| Vallejo, CA | $122,510 | 300 | 2025 |
| CA | $122,500 | 55,180 | 2025 |
| Salinas, CA | $122,160 | 250 | 2025 |
| Kennewick, WA | $121,370 | 630 | 2025 |
| Yuba City, CA | $119,990 | 460 | 2025 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $119,980 | 610 | 2025 |
| Fresno, CA | $119,720 | 1,250 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $118,050 | 210 | 2025 |
| Stockton, CA | $116,990 | 610 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $116,480 | 7,680 | 2025 |
| Bremerton, WA | $116,210 | 300 | 2025 |
| Salem, OR | $115,480 | 480 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $115,120 | 3,510 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Water/Wastewater Engineers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.