Career as Environmental Engineer

Last Updated By Ankita Jha on 06 Jan, 2023

How to Become a Environmental Engineer

About Environmental Engineer

Environmental Engineers as a career option is in demand in the current scenario because the impact of humans on the environment is very transparent. Environmental Engineers are professionals that help in protecting the natural world.. Environmental Engineers can choose a wide range of career options as they help in preserving the environment by Water Management, Building Designs, Land Management, Waste Management, etc.  The jobs of Environmental Engineers are very particular and crucial as they have to analyze and evaluate the impact of hazardous substances in the water or other things and they also provide solutions or recommendations to rectify the same. 

 The students who pursue a degree in Environmental Engineering have ideas about chemicals and hazardous materials that can impact the environment negatively and they can provide effective solutions for the same. Environment Engineers as career options also collaborate with environmental scientists, hazardous waste technicians, planners, engineers, and other specialists, such as experts in law and business, to address environmental problems and sustainability.

Roles and Responsibilities of Environmental Engineer

The role of Environmental Engineers is to protect the environment from all environment-related problems such Soil Erosion, Water Pollution, Air Pollution, etc.  They provide solutions for controlling the level of pollution and getting rid of hazardous materials. Environmental Engineering jobs in India primarily involve designing environmental friendly systems for both municipal and industrial water supplies and water treatment. The civil engineers who choose the path of becoming Environmental Engineers help in the construction of buildings, roadways, flyovers, by taking environmental measures into consideration. The students can check some of the common roles of Environmental Engineers as mentioned below.

Preparing Reports

One of the primary tasks of an Environmental Engineer is to prepare, review and update environmental investigation reports for different organizations.  These reports help Environmental Engineers to design their plan accordingly.

Designing

As part of the designing aspects of an Environmental Engineer, the job involves designing of several equipment for effective water management, waste disposal management, and also construction of buildings and roads with environmental measures. They also design machines and equipment for air pollution.

Planning

An Environmental Engineer with their scientific knowledge is accountable for obtaining, updating and maintaining plans, permits and standard operating systems. They also act as advisors to the government and corporation authorities in cleaning polluted and contaminated sites.

Inspection

An Environmental Engineer also inspects industrial and municipal facilities and programs. Industrial wastes are the biggest contributor to environmental and hazardous pollution. They inspect every parameter and their job duty also includes providing technical support for environmental remediation projects as well as legal actions.

What does an Environmental Engineer do?

There are plenty of career options as Environmental Engineer which one can explore depending upon their interest area and profile selected after completing the course. They can be seen working on the environmental impacts of different construction works that take place and provide remedies for controlling the level of pollution and several other aspects. They often visit all these sites, check for prospective problems, and analyze all other aspects. They also verify the legal documents that have been obtained for any construction work and the amount of damage that will be done to the environment. The job roles of an Environmental Engineer are mentioned below in brief:

  • Carrying out site assessments and visiting sites regularly
  • Conducting technical audits
  • Evaluating environmental impact
  • Organizations participation in reduction of negative impact on the environment
  • Data interpretation
  • Keeping abreast of all legislative changes in environmental law
  • Identification and consideration of potential contaminant sources for all the industries
  • Recommendations on clean-up, reclamation and waste management activities
  • Assessment of site compliance 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
  • Obtaining and maintaining plans, permits and standard operating procedures

Eligibility to become Environmental Engineer

The candidates need to fulfil the given below eligibility criteria to become an Environmental Engineer:

  • The candidates must have passed a graduation/ masters level degree in Environmental Engineering or a relevant stream such as Chemical Engineering/ Civil Engineering/ others from a recognised institute.
  • The candidate must have acquired a minimum aggregate of 55% in the qualifying examination.
  • It is important for the candidates to attend an internship or certification program in Environmental Engineering.

When and How to Start?

The candidate who has passed class 12th in Science stream can go for B.Tech or BE in Environmental Science. After pursuing a B.Tech in Environmental Engineering, the candidates can apply for a Masters degree in Environmental Engineering. During the Master degree, the candidates can attain a certification course and attend an industrial internship to gain hands-on approach and enhanced expertise in the field.

After completing a degree in Environmental Engineering, the candidates can go for either campus placement or direct interview session to pursue their career as an Environmental Engineer. 

 

Types of Job Roles Environmental Engineer

  • Biologists: Biologists are the professionals who study the plants and organisms mechanisms in order to evaluate their habitat, composition and the way they interact with the environment. They are responsible for conducting research and preparing a report on the same.
  • Agricultural Engineers: Agricultural Engineers are the professionals who develop and manage agricultural projects. They are responsible for taking up different environmental tasks such as inspecting sites, monitoring equipment, and water management projects.
  • Geologists: Geologists are the professionals who work with the concept of Geology to develop solutions to environmental geology problems. They are responsible for work in the stream of geoscience, glacial geology,  pollution control, geological surveying, engineering geology, water supplies, ground investigation, volcanology,  geochemistry, geotechnical engineering and field seismology.
  • Ecologists: An Ecologist is a professional who studies the interrelationships between the organisms and the environment. The Ecologists are responsible for research in terms of forests, deserts, wetlands, or other ecosystems to evaluate how they interact with each other and the environment as a whole.
  • Chemical Engineers: Chemical Engineers are the professionals who are responsible for managing the production of Chemical processes and maximise the productivity of the Chemical Industries while minimising the overall costs.

How to Become an Environmental Engineer?

The job of Environmental Engineers is challenging as well as fascinating. As the problems related to the environment are increasing, the job opportunities are enormous and the candidates are also willing to take up their profile as Environment Engineers. In order to become an Environmental Engineer, the candidates must follow the following steps:

Step 1: Clear Class XIIth Exam

The students must complete their class XII exam from a recognized board in science stream in any combination such as physics-chemistry-biology-computer science/physics-chemistry-biology/ physics-chemistry-biology-math with minimum of 50% marks.

Step 2: Entrance Exam

There are certain colleges that grant admission on the basis of merit but must grant admission through different competitive entrance examinations. The students must be aware of the fact that in order to study Environmental Engineering technologist courses from top colleges, they will have to qualify entrance examinations. The candidates also need to score good marks in the entrance exam so that they are eligible for the admission in their choice of college. One can check the popular entrance exam for Environmental Engineer Technologist as mentioned below for the reference of the students 

  • JEE Main ( Joint Entrance Examination Main)
  • JEE Advance (Joint Entrance Examination AdvancedA)
  • BIT SAT (Birla Institute of Technology and Science Admission Test)
  • VITEE (Vellore Institute of Technology and Engineering Entrance Examination)
  • KIITEE (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Entrance Examination) 

Step 3: Pursue Bachelor's Degree

The candidates can pursue graduation in Environmental Engineer Technologist after completing their 10 +2 in science stream. BSc (Bachelor of Science) Specialisations and BE (Bachelor of Engineering) /BTech (Bachelor of Technology) specialisations are the popular streams in Environmental Engineering. Some of the common and famous courses for doing bachelors are mentioned below for becoming Environmental Engineer Technologist.

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Hospital Administration
  • Medical and Health Science

Step 4: Pursue Post Graduation

The candidates can also opt for a master’s degree in the relevant stream after completing bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering. They can also prefer to do a job after completing graduation and can pursue masters at a later stage after dropping a year or two as per the situation. MSc (Master of Science) Specialisations and ME (Master of Engineering) /MTech (Masters of Technology) Specialisations are the popular streams in Environmental Engineering. Some of the common programs for doing masters in Environmental Engineering are mentioned below.

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Hospital Administration
  • Medical and Health Science

Employment Sector or Industry

An Environmental Engineer can go for a private or a government based company where they will be responsible to manage and evaluate the different problems related to Environmental Science and develop a cost-effective solution to the problems.

The Environmental Engineers can also pursue their career as a researcher along with other researchers where they can collect chemical samples and formulate how different organisms interact with each other and the environment.

An Environmental Engineer can also become a professor in top universities where they can educate the students about the different theoretical and practical concepts of Environmental Science.

Top Recruiting Companies/ Agencies/ Organizations

Some of the top recruiting companies/ agencies/ organisations for Environmental Engineers are given below:

  • AECOM
  • MACTEC
  • Privi Organics Limited
  • UEM GROUP
  • Goodrich Corporation
  • Kalpan Hydro Company
  • SPML Infra Limited
  • The Indure Private LImited
  • Brunel India Pvt Ltd
  • Sima Labs Pvt Ltd.
  • Dresser-Rand India Pvt Ltd.
  • IDS Group

Employment Opportunities for Environmental Engineer

The numerous job profiles offered for Environmental Engineers are the main reason for the maximum number of students opting for this course. Some of the popular career opportunities in Environmental Engineering with interesting job profiles are mentioned below.

  • Technical Engineering Manager
  • Super yacht Housekeeper
  • Assistant Policy Specialist
  • Senior ROV Technician
  • Reservoir Engineer
  • Air Quality Engineer
  • Drilling Personnel Marine Mammal Observer Environmental eng
  •  Field Engineer
  •  Seismic Acquisition Consultant
  • Lead Project Engineer

Skills Required for Environmental Engineer

Apart from their course knowledge about environment, impact on environment by human beings, different hazardous materials, etc. the students must possess additional skills for getting jobs in different sectors. The students can check additional skills as mentioned below:

  • Excellent communicator
  • Technically inquisitive
  • Aptitude for collecting and analyzing scientific data
  • Good organizational skills
  • Able to work under pressure 
  • Meet strict project deadlines.

What is the Workplace of an Environmental Engineer like?

The work place of Environmental Engineers is dependent on the organization they have selected for giving their service. They work in different settings as per the project they are working on and the kind of people they are interacting with. They adjust with the kind of environment they are exposed to. Sometimes they might work with big corporate houses and design their factories and industries and sometimes they become part of Clean Ganga, Clean Yamuna Project. For all construction related work, they are supposed to be present on construction sites. They might have to travel to different places to carry out projects and they are also responsible for carrying out awareness programs for environmental protection in the form of Lectures, Workshops, Seminars, etc.

Planning to choose Environmental Engineer as your career?

Pay Scale/Salary of Environmental Engineer

The salary structure of Environmental Engineers varies as per their profile and experience. The initial salary may not be very motivating, but once you get experience in this field, there is no looking back.  The salary structure also varies with time, place of work, experience or any additional factors.

  • Newly trained Environmental Engineers can earn anything between 3-4 lakhs per annum
  • Trained Environmental Engineers with some experience can earn 4-7 lakhs per annum.
  • Senior, chartered or experienced Environmental Engineers’ can earn up to 7-15 lakhs per annum.

The pay scale for an Environmental Engineer depends upon the expertise and experience of the engineer. The average pay school for different job roles of an Environmental Engineer on the basis of experience level is given in the table below:

Job Role

Starting Salary Package (INR)

Mid Level Salary Package (INR)

Senior Level Salary Package (INR)

Biologists

30,000

80,000

1,00,000

Agricultural Engineers

40,000

70,000

1,50,000

Geologists

35,000

60,000

1,00,000

Ecologists

45,000

70,000

1,50,000

Chemical Engineers

50,000

90,000

2,00,000

Note: The above-specified payscale is an estimated average package and may vary depending on the expertise of the person and different organisation.

Books & Study Material to Become Environmental Engineer

Some of the recommended books and study materials for Environmental Engineers are given below:

  • Green Sustainable Process for Chemical and Environmental Engineering and Science: Ionic Liquids as Green Solvents
  • Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century: Addressing Grand Challenges
  • Water Resource Engineering by Larry M. Ways
  • Air Pollution Control Engineering for Environmental Engineers by Jeff Kuo
  • Civil Engineering by Brightwood Engineering Education

Pros of becoming a Environmental Engineer

  • High Paying job after gaining expertise
  • Great Exposure to research and problem-solving Methodologies

Cons of becoming a Environmental Engineer

  • Long Working Hours
  • Need for extensive knowledge and expertise to get into the Environmental Engineering field

Do you think this is the right career choice for you?

Take our test and find out if it suits your strengths.

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FAQs about Environmental Engineer

What does an environmental engineer do?

An environmental engineer finds solutions to environmental problems by using the principles of chemistry, biology, social science and engineering.

Do environmental engineers have the conventional 9 to 5 job?

Yes, usually environmental engineers have the conventional 8 hours job but at certain times they have to out in some extra hours as well.

How much starting salary is offered to an environmental engineer?

An environmental engineer makes around INR 30K and INR 50K per month at the beginning which increases to around INR 1 LPA and INR 2 LPA after a few years.

Is creative thinking a key skill to becoming an environmental engineer?

Yes, to become an environmental engineer, the candidates must have creative thinking skills along with a set of various other skills like good writing skills, strong project management skills, exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills etc.

What kind of job roles are offered to environmental engineers?

Environmental engineers are offered various kind of job roles like ecologists, geologists, biologists etc.

What are the major environmental engineering fields?

The major environmental engineering fields are stormwater management, wastewater management, toxic materials control, radiation protection, air pollution control etc.

Is environmental engineering a good career option for those who think about the well-being of the planet?

Yes, those who think about the well-being of the planet and want to lessen the impact of industries on the planet should definitely pick up environmental engineering as their career.

Do environmental engineers also use maths?

Yes, environmental engineers do use maths like trigonometry, algebra, statistics, probability, calculus etc.

Where do environmental engineers get hired?

Environmental engineers get hired in various government and private companies like IDS Group, UEM Group, Sima Labs Pvt Ltd, Goodrich Corporation, AECOM etc.

Which the best environmental engineering college in India?

There are many top environmental engineering colleges in India like Saveetha School of Engineering Chennai, IIT Dhanbad, Amity University Raipur, KL College of Engineering Guntur etc.

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