Business & Finance
Sustainability Specialists
Also called: Campus Energy Coordinator, Energy and Sustainability Strategic Advisor, Sustainability Advisor, Sustainability Champion
US median pay
$83,050
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+3.9%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
98,700
1,157,600 employed
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Preparation 4/5 · Considerable preparation
What this job is
Address organizational sustainability issues, such as waste stream management, green building practices, and green procurement plans.
What they do day to day
- 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.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.6/5
- Systems Evaluation3.2/5
- Coordination3.2/5
- Systems Analysis3.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.1/5
- Persuasion3.1/5
- Time Management3.0/5
Knowledge
- Administration and Management3.7/5
- Law and Government3.5/5
- English Language3.5/5
- Education and Training3.5/5
- Building and Construction3.4/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.2/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 4 of 5 — Considerable preparation. Usually a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Bachelor's degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Bachelor's degree52%
- Master's degree39%
Who this job suits
Mostly Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Enterprising
Leading, persuading and starting things
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.