Wind Energy Development Managers: Job Description
Lead or manage the development and evaluation of potential wind energy business opportunities, including environmental studies, permitting, and proposals. May also manage construction of projects.
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What Tasks Do Wind Energy Development Managers Do?
The core tasks performed by wind energy development managers include:
- Coordinate or direct development, energy assessment, engineering, or construction activities to ensure that wind project needs and objectives are met.
- Manage wind project costs to stay within budget limits.
- Lead or support negotiations involving tax agreements or abatements, power purchase agreements, land use, or interconnection agreements.
- Create wind energy project plans, including project scope, goals, tasks, resources, schedules, costs, contingencies, or other project information.
- Supervise the work of subcontractors or consultants to ensure quality and conformance to specifications or budgets.
- Develop scope of work for wind project functions, such as design, site assessment, environmental studies, surveying, or field support services.
- Provide verbal or written project status reports to project teams, management, subcontractors, customers, or owners.
- Update schedules, estimates, forecasts, or budgets for wind projects.
What Wind Energy Development Managers Need to Know
Successful wind energy development managers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Business Development Director
- Business Development Manager
- Development Director
- Development Manager
- Energy Director
- Energy Project Director
- Environmental Projects Advisor
- Project Development Leader
Job Outlook
There are about 97,662 wind energy development managers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +10.1% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Wind Energy Development Managers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $169,952 |
| Hourly median | $81.71 |
| 10th percentile | $97,434 |
| 25th percentile | $133,693 |
| 75th percentile | $206,210 |
| 90th percentile | $242,469 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Wind Energy Development Managers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $172,380 |
| District of Columbia | $171,910 |
| California | $170,740 |
| Delaware | $170,310 |
| Washington | $165,080 |
| Colorado | $164,010 |
| New Jersey | $163,630 |
| Virginia | $162,610 |
| New York | $161,360 |
| Minnesota | $158,680 |
| Connecticut | $149,690 |
| Maryland | $148,680 |
| Rhode Island | $147,240 |
| New Hampshire | $142,650 |
| Illinois | $134,810 |
| Texas | $133,070 |
| Michigan | $133,040 |
| Arizona | $132,040 |
| North Carolina | $131,990 |
| Pennsylvania | $129,170 |
| Iowa | $127,680 |
| New Mexico | $127,060 |
| Ohio | $126,600 |
| West Virginia | $126,250 |
| Oklahoma | $124,800 |
| Oregon | $124,190 |
| Maine | $123,950 |
| Vermont | $123,930 |
| Alaska | $123,160 |
| Kentucky | $123,010 |
| Hawaii | $122,520 |
| Georgia | $120,810 |
| South Carolina | $120,640 |
| Kansas | $118,310 |
| North Dakota | $118,010 |
| Wyoming | $117,060 |
| Missouri | $117,050 |
| Alabama | $116,830 |
| Nebraska | $114,050 |
| South Dakota | $111,630 |
| Idaho | $107,800 |
| Montana | $105,840 |
| Wisconsin | $105,690 |
| Florida | $102,670 |
| Louisiana | $100,890 |
| Nevada | $99,590 |
| Mississippi | $97,780 |
| Guam | $97,210 |
| Virgin Islands | $92,270 |
| Tennessee | $88,110 |
| Arkansas | $84,610 |
| Indiana | $79,080 |
| Puerto Rico | $78,740 |
Where Wind Energy Development Managers Earn the Most
Pay for wind energy development managers differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $160,982 | 22.6% | 1.34 |
| New England | $156,233 | 3.9% | 0.83 |
| Middle Atlantic | $153,807 | 17.6% | 2.07 |
| Southwest | $132,453 | 11.2% | 0.90 |
| Plains States | $126,095 | 4.1% | 0.64 |
| Southeast | $116,490 | 29.4% | 1.35 |
| Rocky Mountains | $112,945 | 3.8% | 1.01 |
| Great Lakes | $112,898 | 6.4% | 0.72 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Wind Energy Development Managers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $215,120 | 13,530 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $203,030 | 22,980 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | ME | $190,070 | 100 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $175,070 | 400 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $174,840 | 9,240 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $173,490 | 1,080 |
| Binghamton, NY | NY | $171,190 | 190 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $168,750 | 7,580 |
Top Industries Employing Wind Energy Development Managers
Most wind energy development managers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 94,490 | $164,060 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 50,980 | $163,830 |
| Manufacturing | 46,390 | $160,640 |
| Finance and Insurance | 44,890 | $162,780 |
| Information | 38,680 | $167,740 |
| Educational Services | 32,840 | $102,450 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 32,500 | $109,990 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 31,360 | $108,810 |
Wind Energy Development Managers work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (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)
- Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of wind energy development managers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level wind energy development managers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Geothermal Production Managers (Primary-Long)
- Biofuels Production Managers (Supplemental)
- Biomass Power Plant Managers (Supplemental)
- Hydroelectric Production Managers (Primary-Short)
- Construction Managers (Primary-Long)
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (Supplemental)
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers (Supplemental)
- Wind Energy Operations Managers (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Students preparing for wind energy development managers commonly pursue programs in:
Social Sciences
40 programs across 14 majors
- Economics
- Political Science & Government
- Sociology
- General Social Sciences
- International Relations & Security
- Anthropology
- Criminology
- Geography & Cartography
- Other Social Sciences
- Urban Studies
- Sociology & Anthropology
- Archeology
- Demography & Population Studies
- Geography and Anthropology
Psychology
28 programs across 4 majors
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
15 programs across 5 majors
- Business Administration & Management
- Business & Commerce
- Entrepreneurial Studies
- Hospitality Management
- Telecommunications Management
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
12 programs across 10 majors
- Systems Theory
- History and Language/Literature
- Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
- Digital Humanities and Textual Studies
- Economics and Computer Science
- History and Political Science
- Historic Preservation
- Geoarcheaology
- Linguistics and Anthropology
- Economics and Foreign Language/Literature
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
9 programs across 4 majors
History
9 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on 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: 11-9199.10 (Managers, All Other).
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