H-1B Demand for Water/Wastewater Engineers Skewed Towards FY2025, Primarily in Texas
Explore H-1B visa filings for Water/Wastewater Engineers. View sponsoring employers, salary data from 100 filings, and approval rates from DOL public records.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total H-1B Petitions | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $97,997 |
| Salary Range | $64,438 - $159,661 |
| Top Sponsor | Arcadis U.S., Inc. |
| Primary Location | Texas |
Water/Wastewater Engineers is one of the H-1B visa categories with 39 filings and an average salary of $107,972. H-1B hiring for Water/Wastewater Engineers is heavily concentrated in FY2025, with 38 out of 39 positions filed in this fiscal year. The total number of positions filed (39) is very small, suggesting a niche or emerging demand for this specific role. Texas is the leading state for H-1B filings in this category, accounting for 13 out of the 39 positions.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $97,997 |
| Median Salary | $93,600 |
| 25th Percentile | $81,224 |
| 75th Percentile | $115,000 |
| Minimum Salary | $64,438 |
| Maximum Salary | $159,661 |
| 10th Percentile | $71,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $81,224 |
| Median (50th) | $93,600 |
| 75th Percentile | $115,000 |
| 90th Percentile | $131,000 |
| Average | $97,997 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 98 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 2 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Arcadis U.S., Inc. | 9 | $98k |
| Stantec Consulting Services Inc. | 8 | $97k |
| WSP USA Inc. | 5 | $113k |
| HDR Engineering, Inc. | 4 | $124k |
| Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. | 4 | $101k |
| Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. | 3 | $99k |
| Rummel, Klepper & Kahl, LLP | 3 | $95k |
| GSI Environmental Inc. | 3 | $90k |
| Alan Plummer & Associates, Inc. | 3 | $80k |
| CDM Smith Inc. | 2 | $90k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| Texas | 23 |
| California | 16 |
| Virginia | 8 |
| Arizona | 8 |
| New York | 6 |
| Washington | 4 |
| New Jersey | 4 |
| Colorado | 4 |
| Florida | 4 |
| North Carolina | 3 |
Focus your H-1B job search on Texas and be prepared to apply for roles with start dates in FY2025, as this is where the current demand is concentrated.
The average H-1B salary for Water/Wastewater Engineers is $107,972, with a median of $108,347. The 25th-75th percentile range is $86,008 to $120,016.
Top H-1B sponsors for Water/Wastewater Engineers include Arcadis U.S., Inc., WSP USA Inc., Stantec Consulting Services Inc., CHA Consulting, Inc., Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.. A total of 27 employers have filed for this role.
There are 39 H-1B filings on record for Water/Wastewater Engineers positions. 100.0% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Water/Wastewater Engineers positions are Texas (13), Virginia (4), California (3), New Jersey (3), New York (3).
Yes, Water/Wastewater Engineers is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 39 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Water/Wastewater Engineers salaries range from $73,507 to $159,661. The median salary is $108,347.
The approval rate for Water/Wastewater Engineers H-1B petitions is 100.0%. The overwhelming majority of H-1B filings (38/39) are for FY2025, indicating a recent surge or future-focused hiring.
The low total number of filings (39) suggests limited overall H-1B opportunities for this specific engineering discipline.
Focus your H-1B job search on Texas and be prepared to apply for roles with start dates in FY2025, as this is where the current demand is concentrated.
Texas is the most active state for these H-1B roles, receiving over a third of all filings.
The Water/Wastewater Engineers occupation (SOC code 17-205102) is classified under the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SOC system groups workers into occupational categories based on the type of work performed, providing a standardized framework for comparing wages, employment levels, and workforce trends across the United States.
Water/Wastewater Engineers positions fall within the specialty occupation category required for H-1B visa sponsorship, meaning they typically require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in the specific specialty. Based on H-1B filing data, the most common education requirement for Water/Wastewater Engineers positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Water/Wastewater Engineers positions show an average offered salary of $97,997, with a range from $64,438 at the entry level to $159,661 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in Texas (23 filings) and California (16 filings).
Career outlook for Water/Wastewater Engineers professionals is closely tied to industry demand for specialized skills. Employers sponsoring H-1B workers for this role are demonstrating that they could not find sufficient qualified U.S. workers to fill these positions, which often signals strong demand and competitive compensation. Workers in this occupation may also be eligible for other visa categories including L-1 intracompany transfers, O-1 extraordinary ability visas, or employment-based green card sponsorship through the PERM process.
To sponsor a foreign worker for an H-1B visa in a Water/Wastewater Engineers role, U.S. employers must satisfy several requirements established by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and enforced by both the Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
The position must qualify as a "specialty occupation," meaning it requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a specific specialty directly related to the position. For Water/Wastewater Engineers roles, H-1B filings indicate that employers most commonly require a Not Specified degree. USCIS evaluates whether the position itself, not just the employer's preference, genuinely requires specialized education.
Employers must pay H-1B workers at least the prevailing wage for the occupation in the geographic area of employment, as determined by the DOL. The prevailing wage is based on four skill levels (Level 1 through Level 4) that reflect the complexity of the job duties and required experience. For Water/Wastewater Engineers positions, the average offered salary of $97,997 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 12.2%, with 83% of filings offering above the prevailing wage.
Before filing the H-1B petition, employers must obtain a certified LCA from the DOL. The LCA requires employers to attest to four conditions: (1) paying at least the prevailing wage or actual wage, whichever is higher; (2) providing working conditions that do not adversely affect similarly employed U.S. workers; (3) no strike or lockout at the worksite; and (4) proper notice of the filing to workers. The overall LCA approval rate for Water/Wastewater Engineers positions is 98%.
The annual H-1B cap is set at 65,000 regular visas plus 20,000 for beneficiaries with U.S. master's degrees or higher (the "master's cap"). Certain employers, including institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and government research organizations, are exempt from the cap. Water/Wastewater Engineers positions at cap-exempt employers can be filed at any time during the year, while cap-subject employers must participate in the annual H-1B lottery, typically held in March for the following fiscal year.
H-1B visas are initially granted for up to three years and can be extended for a maximum of six years total. Workers who have an approved I-140 immigrant petition (part of the green card process) may be eligible for extensions beyond the six-year limit under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21). The average contract duration for Water/Wastewater Engineers H-1B filings is approximately 36 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Water/Wastewater Engineers positions.
| City | State | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Houston | Texas | 7 |
| Phoenix | Arizona | 6 |
| Austin | Texas | 5 |
| Dallas | Texas | 3 |
| Tampa | Florida | 3 |
| Walnut Creek | California | 2 |
| Albany | New York | 2 |
| Boston | Massachusetts | 2 |
| New York | New York | 2 |
| MORRISTOWN | New Jersey | 2 |
Other H-1B job categories related to Water/Wastewater Engineers, grouped by similar SOC classification codes.