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.
Water/Wastewater Engineers design or oversee projects involving provision of potable water, disposal of wastewater and sewage, or prevention of flood-related damage. The role reports a median annual salary of $99,590 in the US with the middle 80% earning between $61,040 and $149,970 and is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Bachelor's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.42 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Mathematics.
Salary distribution (US)
Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £51,366 a year for Civil engineers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £39,802 to £65,000 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2121). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Water/Wastewater Engineers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
No single fixed route is listed for this career. These Indian degrees lead to it, according to the US CIP–SOC education-to-occupation crosswalk; open a degree for its entrance exams and colleges.[1]
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Civil Engineering — B.Tech / B.E. in Civil Engineering (four years)
Entrance exams: JEE Main, JEE Advanced, MHT CET, KCET, WBJEE, AP EAPCET, TS EAPCET
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- CIP 2020 – SOC 2018 crosswalk (NCES / BLS) (read on 2026-09-27)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Engineering and Technology
- Design
- Building and Construction
- Mathematics
- Physics
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Law and Government
What you'd actually do
- Provide technical direction or supervision to junior engineers, engineering or computer-aided design (CAD) technicians, or other technical personnel.
- Review and critique proposals, plans, or designs related to water or wastewater treatment systems.
- Design 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.
- Evaluate the operation and maintenance of water or wastewater systems to identify ways to improve their efficiency.
- Design or select equipment for use in wastewater processing to ensure compliance with government standards.
- Design pumping systems, pumping stations, pipelines, force mains, or sewers for the collection of wastewater.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Water/Wastewater Engineers do?
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.
How much does Water/Wastewater Engineers earn?
The median annual salary for Water/Wastewater Engineers in the US is $99,590. The middle 80% of workers earn between $61,040 and $149,970 annually. Entry-to-mid-career earners typically fall between $75,400 and $121,690.
What is the job outlook for Water/Wastewater Engineers?
The role is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 368,900 workers.
How do I become water/wastewater engineers?
The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Water/Wastewater Engineers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Mathematics, Judgment and Decision Making. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Water/Wastewater Engineers?
Our AI-durability model gives Water/Wastewater Engineers a score of 0.42 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Water/Wastewater Engineers has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.