How to Become a Sanitation Engineer: Career Guide
To become a sanitation engineer, you need to begin by determining if this career is right for you. If you’re interested in a professional career that involves working with others in the protection of the environment, a career as a sanitation engineer may be well suited for you.
Below we've outlined what you'll need to succeed in a career as a sanitation engineer. We've also included helpful information for this career, such as job description, job duties, salary expectations, a list of possible employers and much more!
Education Needed to Become a Sanitation Engineer
To become a sanitation engineer, you typically must have an engineering degree in sanitation engineering, environmental engineering or a related discipline. These programs will give you the skills required to design effective municipal waste disposal systems or devise new ways to reduce the amount of industrial waste in a community.
Please Note: The educational requirements to become a sanitation engineer vary by employer
Sanitation Engineer Job Description
Sanitation engineers perform must research and implement methods of preventing and controlling environmental hazards related to waste management. They may be involved in waste treatment, site remediation or pollution control.
Sanitation Engineer Job Duties
• Work with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, and experts in law and business to address environmental problems
• Write and revise quality assurance documentation and procedures
• Design or supervise the design of systems, equipment and processes for the control, management and remediation of water, air or soil quality
• Oversee the progress of environmental improvement programs
• Request bids from suppliers and consultants
• Maintain plans permits or operating procedures
• Evaluate the operational effectiveness of industrial or municipal facilities
• Assess the impacts of existing or proposed land use projects on the environment
• Assist in budget forecasting
• Inform company employees or other relevant parties of environmental issues
Licensing Needed to Become a Sanitation Engineer
Once you’ve completed the necessary educational requirements, you will need to become licensed in your province or state in order to be eligible to work as a sanitation engineer. Each province and state has a unique set of licensing requirements, however a common requirement is that prospective professional sanitation engineers need to have a bachelor’s degree. Subsequent license renewals will usually require additional training in sanitary engineering techniques.
Who Hires Sanitation Engineers?
Sanitation engineers are typically employed by the following types of organizations:
• Cities, towns and rural municipalities
• Waste management organizations (often contracted to work for municipalities)
Sanitation Engineer Salary
The salary of sanitation engineers can vary depending on a number of factors, including their level of education, their level of experience, where they work and many others.
It is difficult to determine the average salary of sanitation engineers, as there is no reliable data available for this specific occupational group. We can however get a good idea of their salary level by looking at the salary level of the comparable career Landfill Engineer, as it involves many of the same duties and responsibilities.
Sanitation Engineer Salary Canada: According to ECO Canada, an entry-level landfill engineer can make between $36,600 and $41,000 per year in Canada. With additional experience and education, ECO Canada reports that their salaries average between $44,000 and $83,000 per year.
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Careers Similar to Sanitation Engineer
Listed below are jobs that are similar in nature to Sanitation Engineer, as they may involve many of the same skills, competencies and responsibilities.
• Hazardous Waste Technologist
• Wastewater Treatment Engineer
References: Sanitation Engineer Career
Please consult the references below to find more information on the various aspects of a career as a Sanitation Engineer.
Occupations in Alberta: “Civil Engineer.” (March 31, 2018). ALIS website - Alberta Learning Information Service. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
Explore Careers: “Landfill Engineer.” (n.d.). ECO Canada website. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
Potential Career/Occupation Information: “Sanitary Engineer.” (n.d.) Queensborough Community College website. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
Scholarships for Becoming a Sanitation Engineer
Scholarships listed for majors that apply to becoming a Sanitation Engineer can be found on our Environmental Science Scholarships and Environmental Engineering Scholarships pages.
Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any scholarships that you even barely qualify for, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants!
Becoming a Sanitation Engineer: Applicable Majors
Studying one of the university majors listed below is an excellent starting point to becoming a sanitation engineer. Click on the links to find out what else you can do with these majors!
