Environmental Engineers

ANZSCO ID 233915

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,300
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
82%
Female Share
32%
Average age
36

Summary

Environmental Engineers assess the impact on air, water, soil and noise levels in the vicinity of engineering projects, plan and design equipment and processes for the treatment and safe disposal of waste material, and assess what may cause problems for the environment in the long-term.

Tasks

  • Specialises in the provision and operation of facilities for potable water supply, wastewater and solid waste collection, treatment and disposal, and air pollution prevention to protect public health and the environment.

  • Designs sewage treatment, water supply and refuse disposal systems.

  • Develops environmental health standards and checks that these are met.


Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Other Engineering Professionals, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 82% of people employed as Environmental Engineers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 16 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 43 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
56.6%
2
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services
14.8%
3
Public Administration and Safety
8.1%
4
Mining
4.6%
5
Other industries
12.6%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

30.1% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

29.8% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

21.0% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

4.7% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

11.7% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.5% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.4% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.9% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Environmental Engineers All Jobs Average
NSW 30.1 31.6
VIC 29.8 25.6
QLD 21.0 20.0
SA 4.7 7.0
WA 11.7 10.8
TAS 1.5 2.0
NT 0.4 1.0
ACT 0.9 1.9


  • Around 72% of Environmental Engineers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Victoria has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
36
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
32%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Environmental Engineers is 36 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 32% of the workforce. This is 16 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Environmental Engineers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 5.6 9.3
25-34 39.8 22.9
35-44 35.8 22.0
45-54 10.5 21.6
55-59 4.0 9.0
60-64 1.9 6.0
65 and Over 2.4 4.2
Median Age 36 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor degree in engineering majoring in environmental engineering is needed to work as an Environmental Engineer. Many workers have a postgraduate qualification.

Registration may be required in some states and territories. In addition, Engineers Australia has a non-compulsory National Engineering Register.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Environmental Engineers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 32.6 10.1
Bachelor degree 62.6 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 0.8 11.6
Certificate III/IV 1.2 21.1
Year 12 2.8 18.1
Year 11 0.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.0 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Other Engineering Professionals who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong interpersonal skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 64%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 63%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 63%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 61%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 61%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 61%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 59%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 59%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 59%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 57%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 57%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 55%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 54%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 52%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 50%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 50%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 50%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 50%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 50%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 45%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 85%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 77%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 76%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 75%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 71%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 70%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 70%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 69%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 69%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 68%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 65%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 64%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 63%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 63%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 58%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 56%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 56%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 54%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 49%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 45%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 66%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 64%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 64%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 64%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 64%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 61%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 61%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 57%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 57%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 57%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 55%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 55%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 55%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 54%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 54%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 52%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 50%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 48%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 46%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 43%

    Memorization

    Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 82%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 82%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 81%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 81%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 80%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 78%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 77%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 76%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 75%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 75%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 75%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 75%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 74%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 73%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 71%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 69%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 66%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 66%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 65%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 62%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 67%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 62%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 52%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 43%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 24%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 81%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 81%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 81%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 71%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 62%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 62%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 98%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 96%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 91%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 87%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 86%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 86%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 85%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 84%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 82%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 79%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 78%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 77%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 76%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 75%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 73%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 72%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 70%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 68%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 65%

    In an enclosed vehicle or equipment

    Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 17-2081.00 - Environmental Engineers.


Links and downloads

Back to top