Environmental Engineer Career Assessment

2What is a Environmental Engineer?

An environmental engineer designs systems that control pollution or clean it up. They study how a project will affect the air, the water, and the land. They test sites and write reports. They tell companies and government agencies what steps to take to clean a contaminated site. They also write the safety rules for handling hazardous materials. Much of the work is tied to environmental law, so you learn the rules as well as the science.

The Reality: This is a four-year degree with hard math. Calculus 1, 2, and 3, differential equations, physics with calculus, and chemistry. For this branch chemistry matters more than it does for the other engineering fields, and you will take more of it. Be aware of one more thing: O*NET reports that about 62% of these jobs ask for a bachelor's degree but about 29% ask for a master's degree. So a graduate degree is common here. There is a two-year technician door, but be careful with it — North Dakota did not publish wage data for environmental engineering technicians, and the national middle is only about $28.81 an hour, or $59,920 a year. That is much less than the civil, mechanical, or electrical technician jobs pay.

Your Responsibilities:

• Design systems that control or clean up water, air, and soil pollution
• Study how a project will affect the environment
• Collect and test samples of water, air, and soil
• Advise companies and agencies on cleaning up contaminated sites
• Inspect facilities to check they follow environmental rules
• Write technical reports and permit applications
• Write safety rules for handling hazardous materials
• Work with scientists, planners, and other engineers

You keep the water safe to drink and the air safe to breathe.

3A Day in the Life

8:00 AM — Email. A city asks whether its water plant will meet a new rule.

8:30 AM — Read the rule carefully. Compare it to the plant's test numbers.

10:00 AM — Drive out to a site where fuel leaked into the ground.

11:00 AM — Take soil samples. Label them and log where each one came from.

12:30 PM — Lunch in the truck.

1:30 PM — Back at the office. Start the cleanup plan.

3:00 PM — Fill out a permit application for a client.

4:30 PM — Write up the site visit and log your project hours.

A real mix of office work, lab results, and field visits.

4Training in North Dakota

This needs a four-year degree, and many jobs want a master's degree too. For the engineer title you need a bachelor's degree in environmental engineering, or a civil engineering degree with an environmental focus. Look for an ABET accredited program. ABET is the national group that reviews engineering degrees, and the accreditation shortens the license path a lot. In North Dakota, NDSU is the school with an ABET accredited bachelor's degree in environmental engineering. UND offers environmental engineering at the graduate level, inside its civil engineering department.

Training Pathways:

• Two years here, then transfer (4 to 5 years total): United Tribes Technical College offers an Environmental Engineering AS and says the coursework is built to transfer directly into the NDSU Environmental Engineering BS. This is a cheaper, closer-to-home start.
• Straight to the university (4 to 5 years): Start at NDSU as an environmental engineering major. The NDSU department says the BS in Environmental Engineering is ABET accredited.
• Bachelor's plus a master's (about 6 years): Because many employers ask for a master's degree, some people go on to a graduate program. UND has an environmental engineering master's inside its civil engineering department.

Where to Train in North Dakota:

• North Dakota State University (Fargo) — Environmental Engineering, BS. The NDSU Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering department states the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET — ndsu.edu/ccee/about/accreditation
• United Tribes Technical College (Bismarck) — Environmental Engineering, AS, a two-year program. UTTC says the coursework is designed for direct transfer into the NDSU Environmental Engineering BS, and that graduates who do not transfer can work as environmental engineering technicians — uttc.edu/academics/programs/environmental-engineering
• United Tribes Technical College (Bismarck) — Environmental Science and Research, and Fisheries and Wildlife Biology, for people drawn to the science side instead of the engineering side — uttc.edu/academics
• University of North Dakota (Grand Forks) — Environmental Engineering at the graduate level (MS and MEng) inside the Civil Engineering department. UND does not list a bachelor's degree in environmental engineering — engineering.und.edu/academics/civil/environmental.html
• University of North Dakota (Grand Forks) — Civil Engineering, BS, 128 credits, on campus or online, ABET accredited. Civil is the usual bachelor's route into environmental work at UND — und.edu/programs/civil-engineering-bs
• Bismarck State College (Bismarck) — Liberal Arts Engineering Pathway, AS, and Civil Engineering Technology, AAS. BSC says the pathway courses may give you junior standing when you transfer to UND or NDSU — catalog.bismarckstate.edu
• North Dakota State College of Science (Wahpeton) — Liberal Arts (Engineering Transfer) AS and Liberal Arts (Chemistry Transfer) AS, both useful first steps for this field — ndscs.edu/academics/programs

Before You Start: High school diploma or GED. Take algebra 2, trigonometry, and pre-calculus if you can. Chemistry and biology matter more for this branch than for any other engineering field, so take them seriously in high school.

Tip: Start with financial aid and scholarships. Fill out the FAFSA, ask the school’s financial aid office what you qualify for, and ask an employer whether they help pay for school. That is where the money starts. After that, ask a career counselor or Job Service North Dakota whether WIOA or other programs can help with what is left over, like tuition, books, a laptop, or exam fees. What can be paid for depends on the program and on your own situation, so ask before you enroll rather than after. Worth asking about specifically: two-year degrees that train you for a job, like civil engineering technology, land surveying, mechatronics, electronics, or instrumentation. North Dakota two-year colleges also cost far less than a university. Ask about paid summer internships too — engineering firms, plants, and survey crews hire students while they are still in school.

5Certification & Licensing

The license matters here, because reports and permits often need a stamp. The North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors licenses engineers here. Environmental engineers often sign permit applications and cleanup plans that go to a government agency, and those usually need a licensed engineer's stamp. A stamp is an official mark that says you take responsibility for the work.

The License Ladder in North Dakota:

• Bachelor's degree first — the ND board says all registration in North Dakota is based on the bachelor's degree (ndpelsboard.org)
• FE exam — the Fundamentals of Engineering exam from NCEES. There is an Environmental version of the exam, and also a Civil: Water Resources and Environmental version (ncees.org)
• Engineer Intern (EI, also called EIT) — after you pass the FE exam. With an ABET accredited engineering degree the board asks for no work experience for this step. Three character references and official transcripts are required (ndpelsboard.org)
• Work experience — 4 years with an ABET accredited engineering degree, 8 years with a non-ABET engineering degree, 12 years with an engineering technology or engineering-related degree (ndpelsboard.org)
• PE exam — the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. NCEES says it is for engineers with at least four years of work after college, and there is an Environmental discipline version (ncees.org)
• Professional Engineer (PE) — the full license. Five references: three licensed PEs who know your work and two character references. The ND board says applications take 6 to 8 weeks to process (ndpelsboard.org)

The Exams: The FE exam has 110 questions in a 6-hour appointment, with 5 hours and 20 minutes of test time. It is taken on a computer at a Pearson test center and offered year-round. The PE exam is also on a computer, with one try per testing window and no more than three tries in 12 months. Results usually come in 7 to 10 business days (ncees.org).

Cost: NCEES lists $225 for the FE exam and $425 for the PE exam in most U.S. states. The ND board charges its own application fee, so call and ask. The degree, and possibly a master's degree, is the real cost.

Keeping It Current: ND personal licenses renew every two years and expire December 31 of even-numbered years. The board asks for 30 Professional Development Hours each two years, with 20 technical and 1 in ethics (ndpelsboard.org).

6Salary & Job Outlook

North Dakota Environmental Engineer Pay (May 2025):

• Starting out (bottom 10–25%): $29.48–$37.60/hour ($61,310–$78,210/year)
• Middle (median — half earn more, half earn less): $43.93/hour ($91,370/year)
• Experienced (top 25–10%): $52.47–$81.77/hour ($109,140–$170,090/year)

What that means: North Dakota data was published for this job, so these are real ND numbers. The middle ND environmental engineer earns about $43.93 an hour, or about $91,370 a year. Read the top number carefully. The 90th percentile jumps to $81.77 an hour, or $170,090 a year, which is far above the ND 75th percentile of $52.47 and even above the national 90th percentile. Only about 130 people hold this job in the whole state, so one small group of very high earners can pull that top number way up. Do not plan on it. The middle and the 25th percentile are the honest picture of what most people here earn.

Jobs in North Dakota: About 130 people do this work in ND today. By 2034, that should be about 140 (about 6% growth). Expect about 10 job openings every year in ND from growth and people retiring or changing jobs. Across the U.S., the change is about 4% growth — average.

Outlook: Steady but very small. About 10 openings a year in North Dakota, because only about 130 people hold this job statewide. Growth is slow and steady, not booming. Many people get into this work through a civil engineering degree instead, which opens far more doors.

Who Hires in ND: Environmental consulting firms, the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, the ND Department of Water Resources, city water and wastewater utilities, oil and gas companies, coal and power companies, tribal environmental offices, and federal agencies.

Work Setting: An office, plus real field work. Site visits mean sampling soil and water outdoors, sometimes at a landfill, a spill site, or an oil field location. That means North Dakota weather, mud, and long drives. Personal protective gear is often required at contaminated sites.

Physical Demands: Medium. More field work than most engineering jobs. Carrying sampling equipment, walking uneven ground, bending and kneeling, and sometimes wearing protective suits or respirators. Office days are ordinary desk work.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Dakota, May 2025 (SOC 17-2081); North Dakota and U.S. long-term employment projections 2024–2034, via O*NET OnLine. Numbers are rounded.

7Where This Leads

Path 1: Environmental Technician — A two-year-degree job doing sampling and testing. Note the lower pay.

Path 2: Engineer Intern (EI) — Passed the FE exam. Working under a licensed engineer.

Path 3: Staff Environmental Engineer — You do the studies, designs, and reports.

Path 4: Professional Engineer (PE) — Licensed. You can stamp reports and permits.

Path 5: Compliance or Permitting Manager — You keep a whole company inside the rules.

Path 6: Project Manager or Consultant — You run projects, or your own consulting work.

8The Real Talk

What's Great:

• Work that protects health and the land
• Real mix of office, lab, and field time
• ND middle pay near $91,370
• Skills wanted by oil, coal, and government alike
• A licensed profession you own for life
• Clear tie to tribal and state water work

What's Hard:

• Four-year degree with heavy chemistry
• Many jobs also want a master's degree
• Only about 10 ND openings a year
• Only about 130 people hold this job in ND
• The two-year technician path pays much less here
• Field work in mud, heat, and cold

Be Honest: Are you willing to take calculus, physics, and a lot of chemistry? Can you accept that there are only about 10 openings a year in North Dakota? Would you go on to a master's degree if employers ask for one?

9Part 1: What Attracts You?

10Part 2: Are You Ready?

11Part 3: Your Next Move

Your Environmental Engineer Assessment Results