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Environmental Engineer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an environmental engineer is $137,700 per annum, before tax, up $28,400 since 2018.
- Pay depends heavily on who you work for: private consultancies generally pay more than government agencies, while public sector roles often bring steadier hours and an enterprise agreement that sets each step.
- Chartership with Engineers Australia and a few years of leading projects are the main things that lift your rate, and site-based or remote project work usually comes with allowances on top.
The median salary rose by $28,400 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than environmental engineer
The largest typical pay rise is $45,300 a year, moving into Engineering Manager.
- Engineering Manager+$45,300/yr
- Chemical Engineer+$10,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher environmental engineer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time environmental engineer salary is $137,700; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Engineering design and analysis and CAD and technical drawing tend to command a premium over general environmental engineer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Engineering Manager pays a typical $45,300 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Environmental Engineer salary questions
How much do environmental engineers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an environmental engineer is $137,700 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is environmental engineer pay rising or falling?
The median environmental engineer salary is up $28,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than environmental engineer?
Engineering Manager pays a typical $45,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to environmental engineer.
Related salaries
- Civil Engineer salary
- Environmental Scientist salary
- Engineering Manager salary
- Chemical Engineer salary
- Aerospace Engineer salary
- Engineering Technologist salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.