You love the environment. Why not work for it? Many green-collar jobs not only help the planet's health but also bring in healthy salaries.
Take a look at these well-paid careers in a variety of green industries. Jobs like these will make you proud to go to work and happy to open your paycheck.
Green Job #1: Conservation Scientist
Put your environmental expertise to work behind the scenes as a conservation scientist. These specialized scientists study natural resources and work with governments or businesses to help shrink their carbon footprints. Whether you're restoring a damaged ecosystem or helping to ensure that future grazing land is clean, you'll have a real impact on the world around you.
- Mean Annual Wages: $60,170
- Career Training: A bachelor's degree in environmental science, rangeland management, natural-resource management, or agricultural science is recommended for entry-level jobs.
Green Job #2: Green Product Marketing Manager
Not all green careers are about getting your hands dirty. For this specialized marketing career, you'll spend most, if not all, of your time in an office. Marketing managers take charge of how a product is sold to consumers. Working with advertising and promotions managers, green product marketing managers work to determine how to make any given green product indispensable in our homes. The career tends to require rising through the ranks of a marketing firm and obtaining an advanced degree.
- Mean Annual Wages: $118,160
- Career Training: A bachelor's degree in marketing or business administration, combined with an MBA with an emphasis on marketing, is recommended for the job. If you want to focus your career on green products, a major or minor in environmental science (or a related field) can be a plus.
Green Job #3: Environmental Engineer
Use an engineering degree to repair environmental damage and prevent future problems. Environmental engineers work with governmental organizations and private companies, developing systems, policies, and machinery that help companies and organizations run cleaner.
- Mean Annual Wages: $77,970
- Career Training: A bachelor's degree in environmental engineering is required for even entry-level green jobs in engineering.
Green Job #4: Solar-Panel Installer
Stand on the front lines of the renewable-energy movement as a solar-panel installer. You'll need to understand the latest photovoltaic technology in order to properly address clients' questions. This career, which the U.S. Labor Department classifies in the category of heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, requires an eye for detail and an aptitude for technical knowledge.
- Mean Annual Wages: $42,240
- Career Training: An associate's degree or certificate is becoming the preferred minimum educational requirement for solar-panel installers.
Green Job #5: Green Interior Designer
Your vision for a beautiful, sustainable home can become a reality in your clients' floor plans when you work as a green interior designer. Using eco-friendly design principles, green designers work with local resources, seek out sustainable furniture and fixtures, and generally work to make their clients happy in a sustainable home.
- Mean Annual Wages: $51,020
- Career Training: An associate's or bachelor's degree in interior design is typically recommended for interior designers. Additionally, some states license interior designers, meaning a licensing exam would be necessary.
Earn Your Green-Collar Job
While no career training can guarantee a green job, the training you'll receive within the recommended degree programs above is generally preferred or required by hiring managers. Learn how you can turn your interest in conservation into a challenging career with real rewards.
Mary Fineday is a freelance writer from Austin, Texas.
Source: Mean salary figures were reported in 2008 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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