Sustainability Specialists: Job Description
Address organizational sustainability issues, such as waste stream management, green building practices, and green procurement plans.
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The Daily Work of Sustainability Specialists Do?
The core tasks performed by sustainability specialists cover:
- Develop sustainability project goals, objectives, initiatives, or strategies in collaboration with other sustainability professionals.
- Monitor or track sustainability indicators, such as energy usage, natural resource usage, waste generation, and recycling.
- Assess or propose sustainability initiatives, considering factors such as cost effectiveness, technical feasibility, and acceptance.
- Provide technical or administrative support for sustainability programs or issues.
- Review and revise sustainability proposals or policies.
- Develop reports or presentations to communicate the effectiveness of sustainability initiatives.
- Create or maintain plans or other documents related to sustainability projects.
- Collect information about waste stream management or green building practices to inform decision makers.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top sustainability specialists rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Building Performance Specialist
- Campus Energy Coordinator
- Energy Analyst
- Energy and Sustainability Manager
- Energy and Sustainability Strategic Advisor
- Green Consultant
- Integrated Solutions Consultant
- Renewable Energy Consultant
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 493,692 sustainability specialists working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +14.3% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Sustainability Specialists Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $81,004 |
| Hourly median | $38.94 |
| 10th percentile | $52,323 |
| 25th percentile | $66,663 |
| 75th percentile | $95,344 |
| 90th percentile | $109,684 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Sustainability Specialists Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $106,810 |
| Maryland | $100,740 |
| Alabama | $98,070 |
| Washington | $93,450 |
| Hawaii | $90,580 |
| Alaska | $90,150 |
| Colorado | $89,860 |
| Oklahoma | $89,170 |
| New Hampshire | $88,860 |
| New Jersey | $88,070 |
| Rhode Island | $86,880 |
| Massachusetts | $86,030 |
| Virginia | $85,800 |
| Arizona | $85,390 |
| New York | $84,310 |
| Connecticut | $84,170 |
| California | $83,820 |
| South Dakota | $82,900 |
| Guam | $82,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,340 |
| Kansas | $81,100 |
| Missouri | $81,060 |
| North Dakota | $80,200 |
| Utah | $79,790 |
| Texas | $79,540 |
| South Carolina | $79,190 |
| Iowa | $78,970 |
| Nebraska | $78,590 |
| Illinois | $77,980 |
| Florida | $77,930 |
| Michigan | $77,920 |
| Ohio | $77,710 |
| Minnesota | $77,340 |
| North Carolina | $77,090 |
| New Mexico | $76,490 |
| Georgia | $75,820 |
| Indiana | $75,800 |
| Kentucky | $75,800 |
| Mississippi | $74,990 |
| Idaho | $74,960 |
| Maine | $74,510 |
| Wyoming | $74,470 |
| Montana | $72,690 |
| Tennessee | $72,550 |
| Oregon | $72,370 |
| Vermont | $67,160 |
| Wisconsin | $66,600 |
| Nevada | $63,970 |
| Virgin Islands | $62,510 |
| Louisiana | $62,300 |
| West Virginia | $62,210 |
| Arkansas | $60,610 |
| Puerto Rico | $45,510 |
Where Sustainability Specialists Earn the Most
Earnings for sustainability specialists differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $92,280 | 15.3% | 2.46 |
| Rocky Mountains | $86,084 | 5.7% | 1.80 |
| Far Western US | $84,231 | 22.0% | 1.36 |
| New England | $83,073 | 3.1% | 0.73 |
| Southwest | $80,519 | 10.7% | 0.89 |
| Plains States | $79,575 | 5.3% | 0.83 |
| Southeast | $77,005 | 26.6% | 1.35 |
| Great Lakes | $76,365 | 10.4% | 0.79 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington Park, MD | MD | $131,610 | 2,210 |
| Huntsville, AL | AL | $120,910 | 3,130 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $106,680 | 13,710 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $104,000 | 77,770 |
| Gettysburg, PA | PA | $102,500 | 110 |
| Decatur, IL | IL | $101,950 | 400 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $101,420 | 34,600 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | WA | $100,610 | 2,310 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of sustainability specialists work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 155,730 | $85,150 |
| Educational Services | 100,750 | $66,200 |
| Finance and Insurance | 76,760 | $83,480 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 71,430 | $68,010 |
| Manufacturing | 70,690 | $101,460 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 67,210 | $85,920 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 62,030 | $66,550 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 46,900 | $66,050 |
Below are examples of industries where sustainability specialists work:
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk Revit (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Bentley MicroStation (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Data mining software: Google Analytics (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: JavaScript (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for sustainability specialists tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Contact With Others
Education and Training
Typical sustainability specialists positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (Supplemental)
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers (Supplemental)
- Water Resource Specialists (Supplemental)
- Wind Energy Development Managers (Primary-Short)
- Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers (Supplemental)
- Project Management Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Management Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Information Technology Project Managers (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Future sustainability specialists often complete programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
5 programs across 4 majors
- Business Administration & Management
- International Business
- Hospitality Management
- Business Support & Assistance
References
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: 13-1199.05 (Business Operations Specialists, All Other).
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