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Wastewater Engineer

Wastewater Engineer

I-19

I Other Semiconductor fab jobs · Skilled level · O*NET 17-2051.02

Texas median
whole occupation, 2025
$96,860
work over
40 h a week
65%
load index
from O*NET data
1.8/5
Texas jobs
2024 to 2034
+13.0%

Pay

This level's pay

No headline for this level: records that name this level: only 7 H-1B filings (headline needs 30 or more). The records are listed below with their year and size; the occupation-wide figure further down is for all experience levels.

  • H-1B filings, n = 7, TX+AZ, 7 filings, 2026: $85,405 a year (median of 7 H-1B filings), SOC 17-2051 and job title contains every word of 'Wastewater Engineer' and no seniority word, TX+AZ, effective 2026-06-30 source
All pay records and context (4)
  • H-1B filings, n = 7, TX+AZ, 7 filings, 2026: $85,405 a year (median of 7 H-1B filings), SOC 17-2051 and job title contains every word of 'Wastewater Engineer' and no seniority word, TX+AZ, effective 2026-06-30 source
  • DOL prevailing-wage levels I-IV for the whole occupation (wage tiers set by DOL, not job titles or seniority): Level I $76,440 · Level II $90,000 · Level III $110,968 · Level IV $134,055 (739 filings, TX) Base wages offered on H-1B/E-3 Labor Condition Applications (TX and AZ, FY2026 Q1-Q3); covers only employers who filed. source
  • DOL prevailing-wage levels I-IV for the whole occupation (wage tiers set by DOL, not job titles or seniority): Level I $79,776 · Level II $88,739 · Level III $100,000 · Level IV $120,144 (137 filings, AZ) Base wages offered on H-1B/E-3 Labor Condition Applications (TX and AZ, FY2026 Q1-Q3); covers only employers who filed. source
  • State of Texas class salary ranges for this occupation (which class equals this rung is not published here): Engineer I $61,184 to $99,658 · Engineer II $65,104 to $106,634 · Engineer III $69,572 to $114,099 · Engineer IV $76,530 to $129,430 · Engineer V $84,182 to $142,374 · Engineer VI $92,600 to $156,612 Fiscal 2026-27 (Sept 1, 2025 - Aug 31, 2027) source

Whole occupation: Water/Wastewater Engineers (17-2051), Texas
BLS OEWS May 2025
  • Series OEUS480000000000017205113 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
  • Based on an estimated 34,870 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000017205101).

Half of all Water/Wastewater Engineers in Texas earn more than $96,860; the bottom 10% earned less than $63,240 and the top 10% more than $164,330 (May 2025, base pay, about 34,870 jobs). U.S. median $100,840.

Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Water/Wastewater Engineers, not level-specific
TWC, BLS

Texas
+13.0% jobs · about 2,520 openings a year (34,000 jobs in 2024)
United States
+5.0% jobs · about 23,600 openings a year (368,900 jobs in 2024)

Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.

Hours
O*NET 31.0
  • Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2020, n = 23 respondents, O*NET OnLine

About 2 in 3 work more than 40 hours a week (65%).

Schedule: regular 83% · irregular 17% · seasonal 0%

Physical load 1.8 of 5, our index from O*NET
Method
  • Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (1.53, 6 measures) and an exposure index (1.96, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
  • O*NET OnLine

Body

  • Standing2.04
  • Walking or running1.83
  • Bending or twisting1.45
  • Climbing ladders1.39
  • Kneeling or crawling1.26
  • Keeping balance1.18

Exposure

  • Outdoors, all weather2.86
  • Very hot or cold2.22
  • Hazardous equipment2
  • High places1.7
  • Hazardous conditions1.7
  • Protective gear1.7
  • Cramped space1.52
Body 1.53 · exposure 1.96. O*NET Work Context means, 1 = never, 5 = continually or every day.

Getting in

License
Texas PE license (TBPELS) is required for the practice of engineering as defined in Occ. Code 1001.003; whether this job needs it depends on the work.
Degree
100% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year of related experience is the most common answer (23% of workers).
O*NET
  • O*NET Related Work Experience, Water/Wastewater Engineers, O*NET OnLine
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Why this level
Skilled: O*NET Job Zone 4 (1-2 start, 3-4 skilled, 5 senior).

Moves to the side 6

  • I Environmental Engineer O*NET lists Environmental Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.94.
  • M Civil Engineer O*NET lists Civil Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.90.
  • E Energy Engineer O*NET lists Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.94.
  • E Wind Energy Engineer O*NET lists Wind Energy Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.90.
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What the work is 6 core tasks

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.

  1. Provide technical direction or supervision to junior engineers, engineering or computer-aided design (CAD) technicians, or other technical personnel.
  2. Review and critique proposals, plans, or designs related to water or wastewater treatment systems.
  3. 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.
  4. Evaluate the operation and maintenance of water or wastewater systems to identify ways to improve their efficiency.
  5. Design or select equipment for use in wastewater processing to ensure compliance with government standards.
  6. Design water distribution systems for potable or non-potable water.

Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.

Top skills

  • Critical Thinking
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Writing
  • Active Listening
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Mathematics
  • Systems Analysis
Sources (4)

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license

Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.

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Not a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas or any U.S. state. Does not offer engineering services. Exam-prep education only.