Occupations/17-2051.02
Water/Wastewater Engineers
Design or oversee projects involving provision of potable water, disposal of wastewater and sewage, or prevention of flood-related damage. Prepare environmental documentation for water resources, regulatory program compliance, data management and analysis, and field work. Perform hydraulic modeling and pipeline design.
Usually a four-year bachelor’s degree.
AI automation risk
42%
Mixed exposure
Human characteristics
59%
Balanced human and task mix
Task orientation
30%
More resilient
A day in this job
- Mostly human
Provide technical direction or supervision to junior engineers, engineering or computer-aided design (CAD) technicians, or other technical personnel.
- Mostly routine
Evaluate the operation and maintenance of water or wastewater systems to identify ways to improve their efficiency.
- Task
Review and critique proposals, plans, or designs related to water or wastewater treatment systems.
Split from the wording of these tasks, shown next to the occupation’s AI risk. It is not a separate score for each task, and it is not a forecast that the job disappears.
Core tasks
- 01Provide technical direction or supervision to junior engineers, engineering or computer-aided design (CAD) technicians, or other technical personnel.
- 02Review and critique proposals, plans, or designs related to water or wastewater treatment systems.
- 03Design domestic or industrial water or wastewater treatment plants, including advanced facilities with sequencing batch reactors (SBR), membranes, lift stations, headworks, surge overflow basins, ultraviolet disinfection systems, aerobic digesters, sludge lagoons, or control buildings.
- 04Evaluate the operation and maintenance of water or wastewater systems to identify ways to improve their efficiency.
- 05Design or select equipment for use in wastewater processing to ensure compliance with government standards.
- 06Design pumping systems, pumping stations, pipelines, force mains, or sewers for the collection of wastewater.
Model drivers (O*NET 1–5)
- Repeating same tasks2.39
- Degree of automation1.87
- Time sitting4.17
- Originality (ability)3.62
- Conflict situations2.87
- Hands-on objects/tools1.57
- Outdoors / weather2.86
- Disease exposure1.74
- Decision freedom3.87
Top abilities
- Written Expression4.00
- Written Comprehension4.00
- Oral Expression4.00
- Oral Comprehension4.00
- Information Ordering4.00
- Inductive Reasoning4.00
- Deductive Reasoning4.00
- Problem Sensitivity3.88
Essential skills
- Reading Comprehension4.00
- Active Listening3.88
- Writing4.00
- Speaking3.75
- Mathematics3.88
- Science3.50
- Critical Thinking4.00
- Active Learning3.25
- Learning Strategies3.12
- Monitoring3.62
CIP matches
Schools offering related programs
12 of 51 shown
Earnings are College Scorecard medians for that program, 1 and 2 years after completion. A dash means the Department suppressed the cell or the campus is not in the field file.
| Institution | Program | Tuition | Admit | Grad 6-yr | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stanford University Stanford, CA · Private nonprofit | Civil Engineering, General 14.0801 | $62,400 | 4% | 96% | 1 yr $81,948 2 yr $80,276 Master's · CIP 14.08 |
University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | Civil Engineering, General 14.0801 | $68,200 | 12% | 92% | 1 yr $78,514 2 yr $74,576 Bachelor's · CIP 14.08 |
San Jose State University San Jose, CA · Public | Civil Engineering, General 14.0801 | $8,200 | 77% | 71% | 1 yr $74,702 2 yr $74,845 Bachelor's · CIP 14.08 |
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA · Public | Civil Engineering, General 14.0801 | $14,800 | 11% | 93% | 1 yr $72,667 2 yr $72,645 Bachelor's · CIP 14.08 |
Howard University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit | Civil Engineering, General 14.0801 | $33,200 | 53% | 65% | 1 yr $72,605 2 yr $74,307 Bachelor's · CIP 14.08 |
Marquette University Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit | Civil Engineering, General 14.0801 | $48,800 | 87% | 85% | 1 yr $68,499 2 yr $64,493 Master's · CIP 14.08 |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA · Public | Civil Engineering, General 14.0801 | $12,600 | 48% | 84% | 1 yr $68,422 2 yr $66,342 Bachelor's · CIP 14.08 |
California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA · Public | Civil Engineering, General 14.0801 | $7,100 | 40% | 74% | 1 yr $67,626 2 yr $64,231 Bachelor's · CIP 14.08 |
Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY · Private nonprofit | Civil Engineering, General 14.0801 | $68,200 | 4% | 96% | 1 yr $67,324 2 yr $64,706 Bachelor's · CIP 14.08 |
Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN · Public | Civil Engineering, General 14.0801 | $10,000 | 53% | 83% | 1 yr $67,324 2 yr $62,707 Bachelor's · CIP 14.08 |
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA · Public | Civil Engineering, General 14.0801 | $11,800 | 17% | 91% | 1 yr $66,976 2 yr $65,238 Bachelor's · CIP 14.08 |
Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX · Public | Civil Engineering, General 14.0801 | $13,200 | 63% | 83% | 1 yr $66,653 2 yr $66,094 Bachelor's · CIP 14.08 |