Chief Sustainability Officers: Career Profile
Communicate and coordinate with management, shareholders, customers, and employees to address sustainability issues. Enact or oversee a corporate sustainability strategy.
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The Daily Work of Chief Sustainability Officers Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of chief sustainability officers include:
- Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of sustainability programs.
- Develop or execute strategies to address issues such as energy use, resource conservation, recycling, pollution reduction, waste elimination, transportation, education, and building design.
- Develop, or oversee the development of, sustainability evaluation or monitoring systems.
- Supervise employees or volunteers working on sustainability projects.
- Develop sustainability reports, presentations, or proposals for supplier, employee, academia, media, government, public interest, or other groups.
- Develop, or oversee the development of, marketing or outreach media for sustainability projects or events.
- Identify and evaluate pilot projects or programs to enhance the sustainability research agenda.
- Create and maintain sustainability program documents, such as schedules and budgets.
What Chief Sustainability Officers Need to Know
Top chief sustainability officers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- CSR and Sustainability VP (Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Vice President)
- Chief Environmental Commitment Officer (CECO)
- Chief Green Officer (CGO)
- Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)
- Climate Change and Sustainability Manager
- Corporate Sustainability Manager
- Corporate Sustainability Process Manager
- ESG Manager (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance Manager)
How Many Chief Sustainability Officers Are There?
The U.S. employs around 438,786 chief sustainability officers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +0.5% over the projection horizon.
Chief Sustainability Officers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $96,628 |
| Hourly median | $46.46 |
| 10th percentile | $66,656 |
| 25th percentile | $81,642 |
| 75th percentile | $111,614 |
| 90th percentile | $126,600 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Chief Sustainability Officers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $231,500 |
| California | $220,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $220,510 |
| New York | $219,320 |
| Michigan | $219,230 |
| Rhode Island | $211,810 |
| Wisconsin | $209,090 |
| Ohio | $208,590 |
| Nebraska | $206,080 |
| Indiana | $205,780 |
| Georgia | $201,750 |
| Colorado | $194,810 |
| Montana | $194,460 |
| Minnesota | $194,160 |
| Delaware | $190,460 |
| West Virginia | $181,930 |
| South Carolina | $181,830 |
| Iowa | $178,530 |
| Tennessee | $173,870 |
| Idaho | $173,070 |
| North Dakota | $171,310 |
| Alaska | $168,680 |
| Vermont | $166,190 |
| Alabama | $164,400 |
| Utah | $163,980 |
| Missouri | $158,930 |
| Kansas | $154,700 |
| Arizona | $150,590 |
| Oklahoma | $148,870 |
| New Mexico | $148,790 |
| Kentucky | $146,630 |
| Wyoming | $140,000 |
| Virgin Islands | $139,160 |
| New Hampshire | $138,910 |
| Mississippi | $125,340 |
| Louisiana | $121,490 |
| Arkansas | $121,220 |
| Maine | $120,160 |
| Guam | $106,500 |
| Puerto Rico | $93,740 |
Where Chief Sustainability Officers Earn the Most
Pay for chief sustainability officers shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $194,008 | 25.9% | 1.41 |
| Plains States | $175,808 | 12.2% | 1.49 |
| Rocky Mountains | $167,724 | 2.8% | 1.56 |
| Middle Atlantic | $162,078 | 18.1% | 1.22 |
| Great Lakes | $157,187 | 12.0% | 0.71 |
| Southwest | $149,841 | 3.2% | 0.74 |
| Southeast | $129,145 | 17.5% | 0.92 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $97,169 | 1.7% | 2.06 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland, OH | OH | $239,130 | 870 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | NC | $236,800 | 60 |
| Wausau, WI | WI | $236,650 | 80 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | MI | $233,640 | 110 |
| Bend, OR | OR | $233,520 | 30 |
| Richmond, VA | VA | $232,850 | 690 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | CT | $232,600 | 70 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | IA | $232,510 | 350 |
Which Industries Hire Chief Sustainability Officers
The bulk of chief sustainability officers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 39,980 | $208,870 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 18,460 | $194,360 |
| Educational Services | 17,240 | $177,430 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 16,730 | n/a |
| Finance and Insurance | 16,720 | n/a |
| Manufacturing | 11,760 | n/a |
| Wholesale Trade | 11,050 | $217,770 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 9,900 | $167,270 |
Chief Sustainability Officers work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Customer relationship management CRM software: Salesforce software (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of chief sustainability officers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Telephone Conversations
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Education and Training
Entry-level chief sustainability officers positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Water Resource Specialists (Supplemental)
- Compliance Managers (Supplemental)
- Wind Energy Development Managers (Primary-Short)
- Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers (Primary-Long)
- Project Management Specialists (Supplemental)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Sustainability Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Information Technology Project Managers (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Future chief sustainability officers commonly pursue programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
8 programs across 6 majors
- Business Administration & Management
- Business & Commerce
- Finance & Financial Management
- Management Sciences & Methods
- Entrepreneurial Studies
- International Business
Public Administration and Social Service Professions
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-1011.03 (Chief Executives).
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