Junior

Junior Environmental Engineering Technologist Engineer

As a Junior Environmental Engineering Technologist Engineer, you work alongside senior staff on environmental projects while building applied technical capability — supporting calculations, drawing work, field investigations, and regulatory documentation. The work tends to be supervised and field-and-office balanced.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
R
I
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Realistichands-on, practical
Investigativeanalytical, curious
Based on Holland Code framework
Job markets for Junior Environmental Engineering Technologist Engineers
Employment concentration · ~51 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Junior Environmental Engineering Technologist Engineer

Most days mix supporting senior staff with structured learning — running calculations under direction, supporting CAD drawing production, conducting site investigations, drafting permit sections, and learning the office's regulatory and project workflows. You're often working in environmental consulting firms, public agencies, or industrial environmental groups, and the program area shapes exposure.

What tends to be harder than people expect is the regulatory complexity layered onto engineering work. EPA programs, state agencies, and local rules all interact, and the line between technologist and engineer scope can vary by state and firm. Mentorship quality, field season pace, and subdiscipline exposure shape early development.

People who tend to thrive here are technically rigorous, comfortable in both field and office, detail-driven, and patient with regulatory complexity. If you want stamping authority, the engineer track offers that. If you like building a foundation in applied environmental work with strong technical breadth, the early years build a base across consulting, industry, and public sector.

SupportHigh
Working ConditionsModerate
AchievementModerate
IndependenceModerate
RelationshipsModerate
RecognitionLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Junior Environmental Engineering Technologist Engineers (SOC 17-3025.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Exploring the Junior Environmental Engineering Technologist Engineer career path? Truest helps you figure out if it's the right fit — and plan your path forward.
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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$40K–$92K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
13K
U.S. Employment
+1.2%
10yr Growth
1K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$77K$74K$71K$68K$65K201920202021202220232024$65K$77K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

Active ListeningReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive LearningScienceSpeakingMonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingTime ManagementQuality Control Analysis
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
17-3025.00

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.