It kinda sounds like classism or wage related; "janitor" or "cleaner" sounds common, a "sanitation engineer" or "chief housekeeping manager" sounds like they would earn more.

Would I prefer to be a Janitor earning $20/hr or would I prefer being a sanitation engineer earning $15/hr. Sounds like I'm trading title for less money. There is probably some relationship with the now passe "rock star" "ninja".

I think it's worse than that because it actually devalues the role of engineer, and the role of janitor by presenting it as something it's not.

A sanitation engineer sounds like someone that knows how to safely build sewers or run a sewage processing plant. i.e. something you'd have a formal education and be accredited for.

With respect for honest hardworking janitors everywhere, that's not the same thing as minor plumbing or ensuring that places are properly cleaned. Neither task is engineering.

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“I understand that you’re a neurosurgeon.”

(Bert grins.) “…No; I’m a barber. But a lot of people make that mistake.”

Right, but that's a fictional example. No-one has actually unironically called a janitor a "sanitation engineer".

Not so fast:

Brand Evangelist (Marketing)

Outplacement consultant (someone who comes in to fire people)

Flueologist (Chimneysweep)

Loss prevention officer (Security guard)

Waste removal engineer (trashman/trashwoman)

https://www.businessinsider.com/recruiting-firm-shares-the-5...

So a clickbait piece in on a Buzzfeed-style site?

It’s fluff (trivia) but it’s real. Those titles exist. If buzzfeed has a listicle of the most populous cities, Does that mean those cities are not real?