Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar
Design, develop, or evaluate energy-related projects or programs to reduce energy costs or improve energy efficiency during the designing, building, or remodeling stages of construction. May specialize in electrical systems; heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems; green buildings; lighting; air quality; or energy procurement.
Also called: Energy Efficiency Engineer · Energy Engineer · Industrial Energy Engineer · Measurement And Verification Engineer · Test and Balance Engineer
Median pay (national)
$117,750
$62,840–$183,510 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
150,750
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+2.1%
~9,300 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for energy engineers, except wind and solar shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $183,510 versus $62,840 at the bottom 10% — 2.9x. The median of $117,750 leaves roughly 56% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +2.1% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 9,300 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 53 states with released data, District of Columbia pays the most for this role (median $167,270, +42% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $58,710 — a 185% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Autodesk AutoCAD, C++, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Mathematics
- Active Learning
- Science
- Learning Strategies
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Identify and recommend energy savings strategies to achieve more energy-efficient operation.
- Conduct energy audits to evaluate energy use and to identify conservation and cost reduction measures.
- Monitor and analyze energy consumption.
- Monitor energy related design or construction issues, such as energy engineering, energy management, or sustainable design.
- Inspect or monitor energy systems, including heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) or daylighting systems to determine energy use or potential energy savings.
- Advise clients or colleagues on topics such as climate control systems, energy modeling, data logging, sustainable design, or energy auditing.
- Analyze, interpret, or create graphical representations of energy data, using engineering software.
- Verify energy bills and meter readings.
- Collect data for energy conservation analyses, using jobsite observation, field inspections, or sub-metering.
- Manage the development, design, or construction of energy conservation projects to ensure acceptability of budgets and time lines, conformance to federal and state laws, or adherence to approved specifications.
Tools & technology
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- C++
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Python
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- Microsoft Visio
- R
- 360 Analytics eQUEST
- AIRMaster+
- Architectural Energy Corporation ENFORMA Building Diagnostics
- Architectural Energy Corporation VisualDOE
- Autodesk Ecotect
- Carrier Hourly Analysis Program HAP
- Chilled Water System Analysis Tool CWSAT
Knowledge areas
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Building and Construction
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Design