Quick answer:Environmental Engineers in the Knoxville area earn a median $86,550 per year, below the national median of $107,110, and the metro employs about 190 of them (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Environmental Engineering Pay in Knoxville, TN
Metric
Knoxville metro
Tennessee
National
Median annual wage
$86,550
$97,190
$107,110
10th percentile
$62,630
$62,630
$69,990
25th percentile
$62,630
$74,890
$83,570
75th percentile
$134,260
$117,930
$134,420
90th percentile
$172,370
$142,660
$162,220
Employment
190
540
38,340
Location quotient
1.77
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Knoxville, TN metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Knoxville median of $86,550 is below the national median of $107,110, and below the Tennessee statewide median of $97,190 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.77 means environmental engineers are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Environmental engineering work tracks the region’s water and wastewater infrastructure, industrial permitting load and any active remediation sites.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Environmental engineering is licensure-dependent for a specific reason: water, wastewater, air and remediation designs are submitted to state environmental agencies for permitting, and those submittals generally carry a Professional Engineer seal. The national framework is an ABET-accredited degree, the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam, qualifying experience, then the PE exam in environmental engineering. Whether a state accepts an ABET ETAC (engineering technology) degree toward licensure varies, and so do comity rules between states.
See the Tennessee licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state engineering licensing board.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How We Rank Schools
We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that
local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal
IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%
Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
How much do environmental engineers make in Knoxville?
The median annual wage for environmental engineers in the Knoxville, TN metro area is $86,550, below the national median of $107,110 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many environmental engineers work in the Knoxville area?
The Knoxville, TN metro area employs about 190 environmental engineers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do environmental engineers in Knoxville need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Environmental engineering is licensure-dependent for a specific reason: water, wastewater, air and remediation designs are submitted to state environmental agencies for permitting, and those submittals generally carry a Professional Engineer seal. The national framework is an ABET-accredited degree, the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam, qualifying experience, then the PE exam in environmental engineering. Whether a state accepts an ABET ETAC (engineering technology) degree toward licensure varies, and so do comity rules between states. Confirm current requirements with your state engineering licensing board.
Can I study environmental engineering online from Knoxville?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state engineering licensing board.
Is Knoxville a better market than the rest of Tennessee?
The Knoxville metro median is $86,550 against a statewide median of $97,190 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Environmental Engineers (SOC 17-2081), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
