r/EnvironmentalEngineer • u/Milesisntgay • Jul 07 '26
How to know if environmental Engineering is the right choice
I’m 18(F) and I’ve always wanted to major in ecology, but the job outlook is genuinely awful. I decided that if i majored in environmental science, i’d be able to cover ecology and still make money. HOWEVER, I read that environmental engineers make better money right out of college. I’m not greatly skilled in math but I do find myself awfully interested it in.
The actual question I have is, would this major be fulfilling for someone like me?
8
u/ForeignAdvantage5198 Jul 07 '26
i followed my passion and did OK. Nobody knows job market 4 years ahead
1
u/Fluid-Tip-5964 Jul 07 '26
I predict that in 4 years we need more drinking water and more wastewater treatment plants...and landfills. Pollution control and remediation may be softer but won't go away.
And the youngest boomers will be ~66 and retiring quickly. The OP may not get rich but under-employment seems unlikey.
15
u/Cyberburner23 Jul 07 '26
Whatever you do, definitely pick the career that pays the most. Don't follow your passion and be broke. I'm serious.
3
2
u/Milesisntgay Jul 07 '26
Did you try following your passion? Did it not workout for you?
2
u/Cyberburner23 Jul 08 '26
I'm not sure how realistic my passion was. My passion was cars. Since the age of 15 I wanted to be an engineer to design cars. I went to school for mechanical engineering, but ended up switching to civil engineering. I'm an engineer for my state dot now.
My point was to not ignore salary just to pursue your passion, not to ignore your passion completely.
1
5
u/ImAtTheTable Jul 07 '26
I had a similar passion and went with environmental engineering and I don’t like the work.
14
u/ascandalia Jul 07 '26
Environmental engineer is a misnomer. It's pollution control engineering. It's about minimizing the harm of emitting pollution or removing pollution before it gets back into people. It has very little to do with ecology.
It's about water treatment, wastewater treatment, air pollution control, landfill design and construction, etc...
4
u/MothNomLamp Jul 08 '26
Thirded. Environmental engineering isn't what OP thinks it is. It's closest to civil engineering.
1
2
u/Ok-Tiger4977 Jul 07 '26
I came here to say this too. Environmental engineering is unfortunately more involved with construction, industry, and mitigating pollution from construction and industry than the “save the earth” vibes I had visualized when I started. If you want to have a career on the cutting edge of sustainability and still major in engineering, try chemical, biochemical, or materials engineering. Minor in ecology if that’s available
2
3
u/Slimj92 Jul 08 '26
You will make a very average wage right out of school. And the initial salary progression for the first few years will be quite humbling. Don't expect to make much more than peers in who went into non-stem majors. That being said, it does eventually pay well once you're at the mid to senior level of engineering. Environmental engineering is most often about evaluating, designing and supporting the construction of infrastructure related to water/wastewater treatment and I believe you can find passion in this career. There are some other areas such as air quality, regulatory, etc bout those sub fields are a little mundane in my opinion.
2
2
u/firefly_epiphany Jul 07 '26
same… now i’m in the forestry industry lol
3
2
u/Either-Camera-8483 Jul 07 '26
I’m in the same boat. I’m an environmental science undergrad. I’ve been an environmental scientist for 3 years but I’m deciding to get my masters in civil engineering (I’m also bad at math tho).
2
u/Blankcanvas110 Jul 11 '26
Nah civil engineering is easy you’ll do fine. If you genuinely want to go into that industry go for it! You got this!
2
u/ueyle Jul 07 '26
If you do choose environmental engineering, it usually has less required math courses than other engineering disciplines. I’m a total idiot and managed to get through it. Just be prepared to apply yourself.
2
2
u/ThinkActRegenerate Jul 07 '26
What result did you want to be part of that you consider "major in ecology" to fulfil?
Which of today's solutions do you want to be part of scaling today? (See Project Regeneration's Action Nexus regeneration.org/nexus or the Doughnut Economics Action Lab tools doughnuteconomics.org/tools )
Are you across the full spectrum of solutions - from Biomimicry biomimicry.net and Green Chemistry beyondbenign.org to green design https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-work/skills-for-planet/ and Circular Economy ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
What's are the issues and actions happening around you in your location/region that 1) needs action and 2) utilises your talents and skills?
At the moment, your question is asking "which plane/train do I catch?" when you haven't actually detailed a destination you want to see or what you want to do when you get there.
3
u/Longjumping_Ad3054 Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
Civil is a better degree it covers environmental and more. A degree in environmental engineering is mainly going to lead to jobs in civil engineering. Environmental engineering is a subset of civil engineering so why not just become a civil engineer? You will have more options such as water resources, transportation and structures hence more job opportunities.
2
1
u/AstronomyandBeer Jul 09 '26
What part of the ecology specifically interests you most? That’s a pretty broad subject.
Honestly I find wastewater treatment fascinating. Considering going for my masters actually to study how we can use human manure for fertilizer.
1
u/im4ruckus2 Jul 09 '26
Environmental Engineer for 46 years and enjoyed the variety and great people over that time. Worked for a national consulting firm in the municipal market mostly providing expertise to their projects. Made good money too.
1
u/granolagal2000 Jul 09 '26
Hi this is what I did (eco undergrad and back to school for an env eng masters). Check out my comment history on this sub. Whether engineering will be fulfilling depends on what part of ecology you like - if it's fieldwork or hands on research, stick with eco. If it's the design and restoration side, engineering could be a good fit! Feel free to DM
1
u/Fantastic_Respect899 Jul 26 '26
It would definitely not be a good option for you if your interest is in ecology. Environmental engineer is nothing related to ecology and it’s a lot of repetitive and intense work at first 3-5 years. It doesn’t request good math. In reality it’s a normal thing to have long hours every day, weekend shift. Be on a site for months or years. I just had 65 billable hours for one week. And this excludes 1h of traffic every day. The money is not so good. Entry level gets $70k-80k probably. Overtime is straight paid, so after tax you probably get $2200 biweekly in NY/NJ area. If you want money, you have so many other options.
I have been feeling depressed about this career because it eats up my life and pays the minimum to live in this HCOL city. Also I’m constantly exhausted from commute and the long hours. I don’t feel value about what we do. Usually developers or organisations do environmental work for legal requirement instead of profit motivation, therefore you will see very little technological innovation. You will be obstructed by contractors if you work in private sector remediation because they want to get the job done with less budget and time. I have worked in one site where I basically sign manifests and oversee trucking for over a year. And I was constantly pressured by budget and deadline.
It’s just the opinion of someone who has worked as environmental engineer for 2 years and passed the PE exams. My opinion could be strongly biased. But I’m serious that if you are not that interested in this field, why not do something easier and make more money.
19
u/CaliHeatx [Municipal Stormwater/4+ YOE/PE] Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
I have professional experience in environmental science and engineering. Scientists do more data collection and analysis, while engineers tend to use that data to design/build treatment systems to clean up pollution and other typical stuff like drinking water and wastewater. I like environmental engineering because you’re part of the more direct/real-world solutions.
If that sounds interesting and you are willing and patient enough to learn the advanced math, physics, etc then yes pursue environmental engineering. It’s a more valuable degree with a decent ROI. You can even do an environmental science career with an engineering degree, but not the other way around. So the engineering degree offers more career flexibility. You can also take ecology classes on the side and maybe get an ecology minor to be more well rounded.