# Environmental Engineers

> Research, design, plan, or perform engineering duties in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental hazards using various engineering disciplines. Work may include waste treatment, site remediation, or pollution control technology.

- **SOC code:** 17-2081.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-17-2081-00
- **Also known as:** Engineer, Environmental Engineer, Environmental Remediation Specialist, Sanitary Engineer, Air Pollution Control Engineer, Engineering Consultant, Environmental Analyst, Environmental Consultant
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality.
- Assess the existing or potential environmental impact of land use projects on air, water, or land.
- Collaborate with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, experts in law or business, or other specialists to address environmental problems.
- Advise corporations or government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment.
- Develop proposed project objectives and targets and report to management on progress in attaining them.
- Monitor progress of environmental improvement programs.
- Prepare, review, or update environmental investigation or recommendation reports.
- Prepare, maintain, or revise quality assurance documentation or procedures.
- Provide technical support for environmental remediation or litigation projects, including remediation system design or determination of regulatory applicability.
- Develop site-specific health and safety protocols, such as spill contingency plans or methods for loading or transporting waste.
- Prepare or present public briefings on the status of environmental engineering projects.
- Assist in budget implementation, forecasts, or administration.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Engineering and Technology _(knowledge)_
- Design _(knowledge)_
- Chemistry _(knowledge)_
- Reading Comprehension _(essential_skill)_
- Active Listening _(essential_skill)_
- Writing _(essential_skill)_
- Speaking _(essential_skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(essential_skill)_
- Monitoring _(essential_skill)_
- Mathematics _(knowledge)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Written Comprehension _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Chemistry _(Specialized Skill)_
- Writing _(Common Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Complex Problem Solving _(Common Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Physics _(Specialized Skill)_
- Active Learning _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Autodesk AutoCAD _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D _(hot technology)_
- Bentley MicroStation _(hot technology)_
- C++ _(hot technology)_
- ESRI ArcGIS software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Access _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Project _(hot technology)_
- Python _(hot technology)_

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 89th percentile (High) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 91st percentile (High) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 90th percentile (High) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 70th percentile (High) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 13th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** yes — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 3.9% growth (About average); 3k annual openings; 39.4k → 41k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $104,170; 37,950 employed.

## How people actually use AI here

Anthropic Economic Index — measured AI conversations mapped to this occupation's tasks:

- **Automation vs augmentation:** 40% automation, 40% augmentation (usage-weighted).
- **Autonomy median:** 3.0 (higher = AI acts more independently).
- **Dominant collaboration mode:** directive.

**Tasks most handed to AI here:**
- Provide administrative support for projects by collecting data, providing project documentation, training staff, or performing other general administrative duties. _(1.1% of measured AI use; directive)_

**Example prompts (honest phrasings of the tasks above — starting points, not endorsed instructions):**
- Help me provide administrative support for projects by collecting data, providing project documentation, training staff, or performing other general administrative duties.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Anthropic Economic Index** (v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27)) — Anthropic. https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-17-2081-00_