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Engineering · Environmental Engineering Rank #43 of 47

Environmental Engineeringat Wilkes University

Graduates earn $60,098/yr in their first year — about 6.0% below the national Environmental Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $640K; scenarios range from $575K to $655K depending on AI disruption.

Wilkes-Barre, PA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
49 AVERAGE
50
Optimistic
47
Pessimistic
Earnings
$60,098
1-year post-graduation
ROI
3.1x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$640K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
55% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Wilkes University

Graduates earn $60,098/yr, roughly in line with the $63,650 national median for Environmental Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

An earnings multiple of 3.8x means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition, but not by a dramatic margin. Returns are positive but modest.

Some AI exposure exists in Environmental Engineering's typical career paths, with 50% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 12% gap from the optimistic case.

With first-year pay of $60,098 far exceeding the $27,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

Ranked #43 of 47 Environmental Engineering programs, Wilkes University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

Five-year earnings of $69,726 are relatively flat compared to the $60,098 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.

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
$575K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score47/100
Earnings Multiple3.4x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$640K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score49/100
Earnings Multiple3.8x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$655K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score50/100
Earnings Multiple3.9x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Wilkes University'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 Wilkes University 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
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
GA · Public
68
DW Score
$70K
1-yr earn
17.5x
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
Also at Wilkes University

Other top programs at Wilkes University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Wilkes University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Environmental Engineering at Wilkes University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Environmental Engineering at Wilkes University?

A score of 49/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Environmental Engineering. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

Will AI replace Environmental Engineering careers?

With 50% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $575,033 in decade earnings vs $655,048 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.