Sustainability Specialists
Address organizational sustainability issues, such as waste stream management, green building practices, and green procurement plans.
Also called: Campus Energy Coordinator · Energy and Sustainability Strategic Advisor · Sustainability Advisor · Sustainability Champion · Sustainability Consultant · Sustainability Coordinator
Median pay (national)
$81,270
$46,230–$147,830 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
1,128,200
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3%
~108,200 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for sustainability specialists shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $147,830 versus $46,230 at the bottom 10% — 3.2x. The median of $81,270 leaves roughly 82% 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 +3% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 108,200 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 $106,810, +31% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $45,510 — a 135% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Writing, Speaking 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 Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Power BI 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
- Writing
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Power BI
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Tableau
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Autodesk Revit
- Bentley MicroStation
- Extensible markup language XML
- Google Analytics
Knowledge areas
- Administration and Management
- Law and Government
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Building and Construction
- Customer and Personal Service
- Communications and Media
- Engineering and Technology