Are you looking to jump-start your career in the energy sector? Do you want to learn about some of the best paying jobs in energy for individuals with a range of professional experiences and educational backgrounds — including folks who don’t have a college degree?
Whether you have a masters in mechanical engineering or a valuable construction apprenticeship under your belt (or both!), you’ll be sure to find a career in energy that aligns with your unique skill set and that promises to pay you handsomely. Plus, this is an industry with some seriously promising growth trends. In 2022, the energy sector added almost 300,000 jobs to its workforce, with clean energy jobs representing 38% of those new positions. 2024 projections point to a 40% increase in employment opportunities through 2030 in the renewable energy sector.
While certain energy jobs are projected to grow more than others — like solar photovoltaic installers and wind turbine service technicians, with growth projections of 52% and 68% between 2020 and 2030 — the energy sector as a whole is hiring faster than the overall national economy. And it’s paying above-average wages, too, particularly for clean energy jobs. Brookings Institution research from 2019 shows that clean energy jobs can equal as much as an 8-19% increase in income, and not just for those with four-year degrees. According to Brookings, 45% of clean energy workers have a high school diploma only.
Feeling sold on energy as your next career move? Read on to find a list of the top seven highest-paying jobs in energy for 2024.
1. Solar Consultants
Average salary:133,878/year in the United States.
What do they do? Solar consultants promote and support the adoption of solar energy systems, particularly in residential settings. They handle various sales and support functions to facilitate installation. This includes making sales calls, delivering persuasive sales pitches and presentations, and scheduling consultations to educate potential clients about the benefits of solar energy.
Preferred Qualifications: While a bachelor’s or graduate degree in business is preferred, many solar consultants have a high school diploma or equivalent, along with a background in sales or customer service.
Key Skills: Strong customer relations, persuasive sales pitching, negotiation abilities, critical thinking.
Responsibilities: Making sales calls, delivering sales pitches and presentations, scheduling consultations with potential clients, educating clients about the benefits of solar energy.
Find open solar consultant roles.
2. Petroleum Engineers
Average salary: $128,459 in the United States
What do they do? Petroleum engineers specialize in developing, producing, and extracting petroleum products. They assess gas and oil reservoirs for profitability and feasibility, identify optimal drilling sites, and design efficient drilling and production methods. Additionally, they lead research and development initiatives to enhance the efficiency and safety of drilling operations.
Preferred Qualifications: While a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering is essential, some employers may prefer candidates with additional specialized training or master’s degrees in the field.
Key Skills: Proficiency in engineering principles, analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, effective communication.
Responsibilities: Assessing gas and oil reservoirs, identifying optimal drilling sites, designing efficient drilling and production methods, leading research and development initiatives, conducting cost and risk analyses, ensuring project viability while minimizing environmental and safety concerns.
Find open petroleum engineer roles.
3. Renewable energy project manager
Average salary: USA: $107,492 in the United States.
What do they do? Renewable energy project managers oversee the development, construction, and operation of renewable energy projects, such as solar and wind farms. They prepare and manage project budgets, generate progress reports, and conduct site investigations and feasibility studies.
Preferred Qualifications: Typically, a bachelor’s degree in engineering, business administration, or a related field is required for this position. Relevant experience in renewable energy projects is highly preferred.
Key Skills: Strong project management abilities, proficiency in budgeting and risk assessment
Responsibilities: Overseeing the development and construction of renewable energy projects, preparing and managing project budgets, generating progress reports, conducting site investigations and feasibility studies.
Find open renewable energy project manager roles.
4. Environmental Engineer
Average salary:$101,545,545 in the United States.
What do they do? Environmental engineers plan, design, and supervise processes to prevent, control, or restore environmental impacts while improving energy efficiency. They conduct thorough environmental impact assessments for energy projects such as power plants, pipelines, and transmission lines.
Preferred Qualifications: This position requires a first degree in environmental sciences or a related field. Relevant international Environmental Certifications, such as ISO 4001 and NEBOSH environmental management, are beneficial for career advancement.
Key Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities and proficiency in environmental regulations and technologies.
Responsibilities: Planning and designing processes to prevent or control environmental impacts, supervising restoration processes to mitigate environmental damage, conducting environmental impact assessments for energy projects.
Find open environmental engineer roles.
5. Power Plant Operator
Average salary: $85,371 in the United States.
What do they do? Power plant operators' primary responsibility is to monitor the equipment and systems in the plant. They use advanced computer programs to track performance metrics and promptly address any deviations to maintain optimal operations. Solar power plant operators specifically oversee the generation, transmission, and distribution of solar energy, troubleshoot technical issues, and implement preventive maintenance measures to ensure the plant’s reliability and longevity.
Qualifications: Becoming a solar power plant operator usually requires a combination of education, experience, and specialized skills. Some employers may accept candidates with a high school diploma and relevant work experience from other power plants, while others may prefer applicants with a bachelor’s degree, particularly in fields related to science or sustainability.
Key Skills: Ability to work under pressure, technical troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, effective use of computer monitoring systems.
Responsibilities: monitoring equipment and systems, using computer programs to track performance metrics, addressing deviations to maintain optimal operations, overseeing generation, transmission, and distribution of solar energy, troubleshooting technical issues, implementing preventive maintenance measures.
Find open power plant operator roles.
6. Solar Installer
Average salary: $70,512 in the United States.
What do they do? Solar photovoltaic installers work to install and maintain solar panel systems on land and buildings.
Preferred Qualifications: While many employers do not require a specific degree, an associate's degree in a related field may be preferable for some.
Key Skills: Knowledge of electrical systems and solar panel installation, ability to assess locations for solar panel suitability, proficiency in performing maintenance checks.
Responsibilities: Assessing locations for solar panel suitability, connecting solar panels to electrical systems, performing maintenance checks to ensure efficient conversion of solar power into renewable energy.
Find open solar installer roles.
7. Wind farm site manager
Average salary: $68,934 in the United States.
What do they do? Managers of wind farm sites oversee the day-to-day operations of wind farms from a planning, logistical, and execution perspective. While a degree is not required, candidates with at least an associate's degree in business management and/or administration may be favored.
Preferred Qualifications: An associate's degree in business management and/or administration is preferred but not required.
Key Skills: Strong organizational and logistical abilities, effective management of contractor and vendor relationships, proficiency in maintenance scheduling and handling unexpected maintenance needs.
Responsibilities: Ensuring staff has all necessary tools to perform their duties, managing relationships with contractors and vendors to ensure smooth operations, overseeing maintenance schedules and regulating unexpected maintenance needs, responding to changes in energy demands and attending to system faults, facilitating on-site training, including environmental safety and health training, and optimizing scheduling and service.
Find open wind farm site manager roles.
8. Role: Solar project developer
Average salary:$100,491 in the United States.
What do they do? Solar project developers manage the installation of solar-powered systems on commercial, industrial, and residential properties. They serve as the essential link between the engineering, procurement, and construction of solar energy systems.
Preferred Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related subject is typically required, with some companies favoring candidates with more advanced degrees.
Key Skills: Knowledge of emerging solar technologies and market trends, proficiency in project management and securing funding, ability to obtain land rights, building permits, and property tax agreements.
Responsibilities: Securing funding opportunities and incentives, obtaining land rights, building permits, and property tax agreements, collaborating with financing, engineering, and commercial teams during pre-construction phases, maintaining a thorough knowledge of emerging solar technologies and relevant market and policy developments.
Find open solar project developer roles.
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