Proponents of green jobs have touted the trend as a pathway out of poverty for millions of Americans. On the other side of the coin, naysayers claim that green jobs come with a significantly reduced salary and will only add to the country’s economic woes. However, not all green jobs are entry-level and moderate paying. Forbes Magazine has a list of ten green jobs that come with a six-figure salary.
- Chief Sustainability Officer
- Environmental Engineer
- Environmental Lawyer
- Climatologist/Environmental Meteorologist
- Renewable Energy Manager
- Environmental Specialist/Scientist
- Senior Urban Planner
- Commercial/Industrial Designer
- Conservation Scientist
- Senior Hydrologist
“In further proof that it's possible to support the environment while living a comfortable lifestyle, postings for environment-related jobs on TheLadders.com, a job search site for $100,000-a-year and more jobs, have increased by 25% over the past year.” Source: Forbes
Unfortunately, TheLadders.com requires a paid subscription to view any of their job listing and since I’m not in the market for a new job, I decided to do some salary research on other websites. According to the California Association of Professional Scientists, a high-ranking environmental scientist at the University of California Lawrence Berkeley Labs earned more than $120,000 in 2008.
The Forbes article explains that attorneys practicing environmental law can easily have salaries in excess of $145,000 per year, similar to attorneys practicing other specialties.
As you can see, these jobs require advanced college degrees. If you aren’t already in a position to enter one of these ten six-figure green jobs, check out the green college honor roll for their eco-focused degree programs. Learning about sustainable design or environmental science at an institution that practices what they preach is a great way to expose yourself to the benefits of a green job, first-hand.
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