Civil Engineers vs Environmental Engineers
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Civil Engineers and Environmental Engineers on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Civil Engineers | Environmental Engineers |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $99,590 | $104,170 |
| Employment | 355,410 | 37,950 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | About average (+5.0%) | About average (+3.9%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 23,600 | 3,000 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. | Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | High · 69th pct | High · 70th pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 57th pct · 30% of tasks | 73rd pct · 38% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | Augmentation-leaning (35.8%) | Augmentation-leaning (40.2%) |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | Yes | Yes |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Design, Engineering and Technology, Building and Construction, Mathematics, Active Listening, English Language, Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Written Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Mathematics, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Information Ordering, Science, Systems Analysis, Fluency of Ideas, Near Vision, Physics, Administration and Management, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity, Customer and Personal Service, Judgment and Decision Making, Writing, Active Learning.
Specific to Civil Engineers
- Mathematical Reasoning
- Time Management
- Category Flexibility
- Number Facility
- Visualization
- Operations Analysis
- Flexibility of Closure
- Perceptual Speed
Specific to Environmental Engineers
- Chemistry
- Monitoring
- Coordination
- Biology
- Originality
- Computers and Electronics
- Law and Government
- Mechanical
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Computer aided design CAD software , Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Presentation software , Development environment software , Geographic information system , Data base user interface and query software , Project management software , Word processing software , Analytical or scientific software , Map creation software .
Specific to Civil Engineers
Specific to Environmental Engineers
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Civil Engineers or Environmental Engineers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Civil Engineers vs Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Civil Engineers vs Transportation Engineers
- Civil Engineers vs Construction Managers
- Civil Engineers vs Water/Wastewater Engineers
- Civil Engineers vs Construction and Building Inspectors
- Civil Engineers vs Architectural and Civil Drafters
- Civil Engineers vs Architectural and Engineering Managers
- Civil Engineers vs Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Civil Engineers vs Environmental Engineers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/civil-engineers-vs-environmental-engineers
Singulariki. (2026). Civil Engineers vs Environmental Engineers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/civil-engineers-vs-environmental-engineers
@misc{singulariki-civil-engineers-vs-environmental-engineers,
title = {Civil Engineers vs Environmental Engineers},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/civil-engineers-vs-environmental-engineers}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.