Environmental Engineer

Environmental engineering focuses on protecting the environment by reducing waste and pollution. Environmental engineers optimise the use of natural resources, help to develop renewable energy resources and maximise the use of existing materials. They design technologies and processes that control pollution and clean up contamination.

Office
Environment and Sustainability
Higher qualifications
Numerical-analytical

Qualifications

England

To become an environmental engineer, you could complete a:

Level 3 NVQ in Engineering Maintenance
Level 2 Building Services Engineering Installer apprenticeship

Scotland

To become an environmental engineer, you could complete a:

SVQ at SCQF Level 4 in Construction and Civil Engineering Operations
Modern apprenticeship at SCQF Level 6 in Engineering

Wales

To become an environmental engineer, you could complete a:

Level 4 NVQ in Engineering Maintenance
Level 3 Mechanical Maintenance Technician apprenticeship

What does an environmental engineer do?

As an environmental engineer you will be responsible for a variety of tasks relating to reporting on the environmental impacts of construction work. You could be visiting sites and taking readings, developing solutions around problems, or obtaining legal documentation.

The job role of an environmental engineer involves the following duties:

Carrying out site assessments
Conducting technical audits
Evaluating environmental impact
Making recommendations on clean-up, reclamation and waste management activities
Assessing how a site complies with environmental regulations
Using mathematical techniques and computer modelling to assess or forecast past, present and future environmental problems
Designing, developing, testing and implementing technical solutions which will help organisations actively reduce their negative impact on the environment
Interpreting data
Keeping abreast of legislative changes in environmental law
Identification and consideration of potential contaminant sources
Obtaining and maintaining plans, permits and standard operating procedures

How to become an environmental engineer

There are several routes to becoming an environmental engineer. You can gain the qualifications you need by doing a university or college course or you could apply for an apprenticeship. If you have the relevant skills or experience you may be able to apply directly to an employer and train on-the-job. It’s also possible to move into environmental engineering from other related occupations, such as environmental consultancy or sustainability.

You should explore these routes to become an environmental engineer to find out which is the right one for you.

You may need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card to work on a construction site.

University/graduate training scheme

You can become an environmental engineer by completing an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject such as:

Civil engineering
Environmental engineering
Marine engineering
Mechanical engineering
Chemical engineering
Process engineering.

You can also study for a relevant postgraduate programme, in areas such as environmental monitoring, contaminated land or environmental engineering, which may make you more attractive to an employer. However, you can enter this area without a postgraduate qualification through a graduate scheme, which many employers offer in this field.

Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship with an environmental company or local authority is a good way into the industry.

You could complete a degree apprenticeship as an environmental practitioner to help you become an environmental engineer.

Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16. As an apprentice, you will be fully employed by your company and expected to work a minimum of 30 hours a week. Your time will be split between on-the-job experience and a college or training provider.

Guide to apprenticeships

Work

If you have some previous knowledge or qualifications, you could apply directly to an environmental company or local authority to gain experience as an environmental engineer. You might start out as an assistant to a more experienced environmental engineer and progress as your abilities improve.

Work experience

Work experience is essential to gaining employment within the construction industry. You could gain this at school, or by working weekends and holidays with a company or relative who works as an environmental engineer. Potential employers will always be pleased to see work experience listed on your CV.

Find out more about work experience

Skills

Additional skills which may benefit anyone considering a job as an environmental engineer include:

Technically inquisitive
Aptitude for collecting and analysing scientific data
Excellent communicator
Good organisational skills
Able to work under pressure and meet strict project deadlines.

How much could you earn as a environmental engineer?

The expected salary for an environmental engineer varies as you become more experienced.

• Newly trained environmental engineer can start at £20,000

• Trained with experience environmental engineer can earn up to £45,000

Salaries depend on location, employer, level of responsibility, any overtime you may do, and whether you have completed an industry recognised training route.

* Salaries have been collected from multiple industry sources

Career path and progression

As you gain experience on a wide range of projects, you may choose to specialise in a particular field of environmental engineering such as land reclamation, waste disposal or water and air pollution control.

Or, you could choose to go down a management route and supervise other engineers or technicians, or manage entire projects. If leadership appeals to you, you could aim for an executive position within an organisation.

With considerable experience you may be able to work in a freelance capacity, offering your technical skills and knowledge to a range of clients, or start up your own environmental engineering consultancy.