Environmental Engineers build complex problem solving, judgment and decision making and coordination skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Water Resource Specialists (93%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water Resource Specialists | 93% | $167,220Pay for the broader BLS group “Natural Sciences Managers” | Not compared | None |
| 2 | Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | 89% | $141,900Pay for the broader BLS group “Managers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 3 | Hydrologists | 81% | $96,600 | −10% | None |
| 4 | Materials Scientists | 80% | $117,790 | +10% | None |
| 5 | Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 79% | $82,220 | −23% | None |
| 6 | Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers | 78% | $171,270Pay for the broader BLS group “Architectural and Engineering Managers” | Not compared | None |
| 7 | Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | 76% | $90,150 | −16% | None |
| 8 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | 76% | $101,920 | −5% | None |
| 9 | Environmental Compliance Inspectors | 75% | $80,730Pay for the broader BLS group “Compliance Officers” | Not compared | None |
| 10 | Atmospheric and Space Scientists | 73% | $99,070 | −8% | None |
Compared with Environmental Engineers, median $107,110. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as environmental engineers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
93% skill match · $167,220 (broader BLS group)
Time Management · Quality Control Analysis · Troubleshooting
89% skill match · $141,900 (broader BLS group)
Management of Financial Resources · Management of Material Resources · Negotiation
81% skill match · $96,600 · −10% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Equipment Selection · Repairing
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Water Resource Specialists (93% skill match, median $167,220), Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers (89% skill match, median $141,900) and Hydrologists (81% skill match, median $96,600), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 5 pay more than environmental engineers at the median. The biggest increases: Medical Dosimetrists (+38%, $147,470), Database Architects (+30%, $139,500) and Information Security Analysts (+21%, $129,180).
22 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones. 3 usually need a graduate degree: Industrial Ecologists, Environmental Restoration Planners and Architects, Except Landscape and Naval.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.