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Sustainability Specialists in California

Sustainability Specialists in California

Thinking about a career as a Sustainability Specialists in California? Here’s what the data says. All business operations specialists not listed separately.

What do Sustainability Specialists Make in California?

For sustainability specialists working in California, the typical annual salary is $83,820 per year (or about $40.30/hour).Pay can range from $44,440 at the 10th percentile to $173,080 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic Annual Hourly
10th percentile $44,440 $21.36
25th percentile $60,870 $29.27
Median (50th) $83,820 $40.30
75th percentile $126,660 $60.90
90th percentile $173,080 $83.21
Salary ranges for Sustainability Specialists in California

The job concentration index in California compared to the national average — is 1.27, suggesting that sustainability specialists are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, sustainability specialists earn a median of $81,004 per year ($38.94/hour), above the California median.

Sustainability Specialists earnings in California vs. the national average

Employment Outlook

National employment for 493,692 sustainability specialists in the U.S.. In California alone, approximately 168,180 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 10,450 sustainability specialists.

Sustainability Specialists in California vs. the average state Forecasted number of jobs for Sustainability Specialists

Top California Metros for Sustainability Specialists

The metro areas below employ the most sustainability specialists in California.

Metro Area Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 54,870 $81,240
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 26,700 $100,440
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 17,790 $81,030
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 13,710 $106,680
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 11,200 $69,230
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 8,740 $81,390
Fresno, CA 3,280 $76,170
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 3,260 $84,850
Bakersfield-Delano, CA 2,940 $91,540
Stockton-Lodi, CA 2,030 $84,360
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 1,560 $80,220
Modesto, CA 1,510 $77,240
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 1,410 $76,940
Vallejo, CA 1,220 $87,600
Visalia, CA 1,160 $56,640
Salinas, CA 1,120 $82,100
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 770 $80,010
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 700 $78,770
Chico, CA 490 $75,460
Redding, CA 440 $73,140
Napa, CA 420 $80,920
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 390 $77,010
El Centro, CA 360 $79,090
Merced, CA 310 $74,630
Yuba City, CA 300 $81,370

Top States for Sustainability Specialists Employment

The table below shows the states where the most sustainability specialists work.

State Number Employed
California 168,180
Texas 92,850
Georgia 78,990
Florida 68,130
Washington 48,470
Colorado 46,350
Virginia 45,720
Illinois 41,810
North Carolina 40,580
Maryland 38,450
District of Columbia 38,240
New Jersey 35,820
Ohio 31,820
New York 31,170
Pennsylvania 29,690
Michigan 23,490
Massachusetts 19,850
Louisiana 17,410
Missouri 17,320
Oregon 17,260

Highest-Paying States for Sustainability Specialists

The highest-paying states for sustainability specialists.

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

Skills

Key sustainability specialists skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Reading Comprehension  4.0 / 5
0
5
Speaking  4.0 / 5
0
5
Writing  4.0 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  3.9 / 5
0
5
Critical Thinking  3.9 / 5
0
5
Judgment and Decision Making  3.6 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Administration and Management  3.7 / 5
0
5
Law and Government  3.5 / 5
0
5
English Language  3.5 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  3.5 / 5
0
5
Building and Construction  3.4 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  3.2 / 5
0
5

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for sustainability specialists, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Written Expression  4.0 / 5
0
5
Written Comprehension  4.0 / 5
0
5
Oral Expression  3.9 / 5
0
5
Oral Comprehension  3.9 / 5
0
5
Deductive Reasoning  3.8 / 5
0
5
Inductive Reasoning  3.8 / 5
0
5

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, sustainability specialists typically:

  • 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.
  • Research or review regulatory, technical, or market issues related to sustainability.
  • Identify or investigate violations of natural resources, waste management, recycling, or other environmental policies.
  • Identify or create new sustainability indicators.
  • Create marketing or outreach media, such as brochures or Web sites, to communicate sustainability issues, procedures, or objectives.

Work Activities

  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Getting Information
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  • Analyzing Data or Information
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization
  • Working with Computers
  • Processing Information
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
  • Developing and Building Teams

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign In-demand technologies: Microsoft Excel

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Programs that train for this career include:

  • Business Administration & Management
  • International Business
  • Hospitality Management
  • Business Support & Assistance

Careers similar to sustainability specialists include:

Also Known 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, Sustainability Advisor, Sustainability Analyst, Sustainability Champion, Sustainability Coach, Sustainability Consultant, Sustainability Coordinator, Sustainability Officer.

References

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