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Engineering · Environmental Engineering Rank #4 of 47

Environmental Engineeringat Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Graduates earn $70,008/yr in their first year — about 10.0% above the national Environmental Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $765K; scenarios range from $666K to $794K depending on AI disruption.

Atlanta, GA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
68 SOLID
69
Optimistic
66
Pessimistic
Earnings
$70,008
1-year post-graduation
ROI
17.5x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$765K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
55% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Georgia Tech

Your Georgia Tech degree in Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering positions you strongly, reflecting the program's rigor and national reputation. Atlanta's vibrant economy, home to numerous engineering and environmental consulting firms, utilities, and major corporate headquarters, provides a robust local job market that contributes significantly to these earnings. You'll find opportunities spanning water resources, air quality, waste management, and industrial hygiene, often working on critical infrastructure projects or ensuring regulatory compliance.

However, the "Very High" AI risk underscores a shifting landscape. Many analytical and design tasks in this field are becoming increasingly augmented by AI. To truly thrive, focus on developing advanced data analytics, machine learning application, or project management skills alongside your core engineering knowledge. This will allow you to leverage new technologies, not just compete with them.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$666K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score66/100
Earnings Multiple14.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$765K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score68/100
Earnings Multiple16.3x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$794K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score69/100
Earnings Multiple16.9x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Georgia Tech's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Environmental Engineering graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
+4.4% 10-yr growth · 1,500 openings/yr
$109,660/yr
High
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
4
Environmental engineers
+3.9% 10-yr growth · 3,000 openings/yr
$104,170/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Environmental Engineering

How Georgia Tech stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
71
DW Score
$82K
1-yr earn
18.5x
ROI
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
58
DW Score
$77K
1-yr earn
15.2x
ROI
Cornell University
NY · Private nonprofit
52
DW Score
$70K
1-yr earn
2.3x
ROI
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
WI · Public
68
DW Score
$69K
1-yr earn
21.5x
ROI
Oregon State University
OR · Public
65
DW Score
$68K
1-yr earn
14.0x
ROI
Also at Georgia Tech

Other top programs at Georgia Tech

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Georgia Tech, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech

How does Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus's Environmental Engineering program score?

This program scores 68/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Environmental Engineering graduates.

How vulnerable is Environmental Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Environmental Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 50% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.