Environmental Engineering ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING IS A FIELD OF BROAD SCOPE THAT DRAWS ON SUCH DISCIPLINES AS CHEMISTRY, ECOLOGY, GEOLOGY, HYDRAULICS, HYDROLOGY, MICROBIOLOGY, ECONOMICS, AND MATHEMATICS. IT WAS TRADITIONALLY A SPECIALIZED FIELD WITHIN CIVIL ENGINEERING AND WAS CALLED SANITARY ENGINEERING UNTILTHE MID-1960S, WHEN THE MORE ACCURATE NAME ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING WAS ADOPTED.EDUCATION NEEDEDTHE EDUCATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS USUALLY INVOLVES GRADUATE-LEVEL COURSE WORK, THOUGH SOME COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ALLOW UNDERGRADUATES TO SPECIALIZE OR TAKE ELECTIVE COURSES IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL FIELD. PROGRAMS OFFERING ASSOCIATE (TWO-YEAR) DEGREES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR TRAINING ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICIANS. IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS ARE EMPLOYED BY NATIONAL AND REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES, LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, AND MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS. IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, CONSULTING ENGINEERING FIRMS, CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS, WATER AND SEWERAGE UTILITY COMPANIES, AND MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES EMPLOY THEM. COMPETITIVE SALARIES As the 1990's drew to a close, B.S. degree engineers were receiving starting salaries ranging from $36-$42,000 with some as much as $48,000; with a Masters degree, $40-$45,000; and with a Ph.D., $42-$50,000. A licensed engineer (it takes a minimum of four years of post B.S. degree experience to qualify) with five years experience can expect to earn $50-$60,000. Like most engineering disciplines, the salary versus time curve for environmental engineers is marked with rapid, significant increases early in the career and then flattening with time so that increases are not as rapid later in your career, the exception to this curve is for those that expand their work into management activities in addition to or in lieu of the technical aspects of engineering. Along with salary come the standard fringe benefits of vacation, insurance, etc. Job Secu...
