Guide to Green Jobs
About Green Jobs
Green jobs are a fairly new concept and something you might be familiar with, or even heard of yet. Essentially green jobs are those where employees work in the environmental, fuel consumption, energy efficient, and recycling trades. It is about working for companies that are green and providing jobs for individuals interested in helping others save energy and reduce their carbon footprint. There are a variety of green jobs available now as well as those being introduced for future industries.
How Much do Green Jobs Pay?
As with any other type of field or industry, you can expect a wide variety of salaries for green jobs. You will find middle-skill jobs that pay very well as well as lower paying entry level positions, and management-level jobs that pay the highest salaries. As with other types of jobs, you more education, training, and experience you have with your green industry, the higher salary you can obtain. Engineers, scientists, executives, and management personnel for various government and environmental organizations tend to pay the most, but this also varies based on your location, skill level, educational background, and training.
Do I need a College Degree?
The short answer is no, though it also varies. Of course if you want to be a manager, scientist, engineer, botanist, or other type of high level career, you will need an associated high level degree from an accredited college or university. But there are also many lower level and entry level green jobs that require very little schooling or no schooling at all. For example, you can work in office and administration for a non-profit environmental organization which only requires cursory knowledge of general office tasks like phones, filing, faxing, correspondence, customer support, and similar administrative tasks. However if you want to be eligible for higher paying jobs, a certification or degree is recommended.
What is the Job Outlook?
Going green isn’t going out of a style; it isn’t a trend, it’s a new way of life. Sustainability is part of our future, and as such we will need to continue adding more green jobs. You will see many more green jobs in the coming years working for a variety of industries aside from those currently available. If you’re considering getting an education in environmental science, agriculture, botany, or other sciences, you can rest assured knowing you will be able to get a green job you qualify for.
Obtaining a degree is only the first step of getting a green job. You should also have some training and on-the-job experience, unless you’re trying to get an entry level position. Having a passion for the sustainability of our environment and wanting more people to be educated on how to be more eco-friendly will help you get your foot in the door.
Types of Green Jobs
The United Nations Environment Program is now introducing a classification of jobs called green jobs. These jobs, also known as green-collar jobs, are jobs working in research and development, services, agriculture, environmental, manufacturing, and administrative for the sustainability of the environment. The following jobs are just an example of the many career opportunities available to anyone who is educated and trained in environmental systems and practices. These jobs and more work with the sustainability of the environment and delicate eco-systems.
Work from Home
If you prefer working independently and want to work from home, you can work for a green company as well as living a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. Any type of job from home is more eco-friendly than an office or job-site job due to the lack of transportation and fuel emissions, among other reasons. There are also many green industries such as agriculture, biology, environmental sciences, botany, and others offering jobs you can do from the comfort of your home.
Agriculture
One of the more popular fields to be involved in when you want to help save the environment is agriculture. This includes a wide variety of agriculture careers including engineering, working with natural resource centers, for non-profit agricultural organizations, and more. Regardless of your skill set, you’re bound to find a green job in the agriculture field.
Environmental Science
Many environmental science careers offer green jobs such as being an environmental compliance inspector, consultant, engineer, health officer, health scientist, technician, technology assistant, scientist, or other job titles. Since there is such a wide range of jobs in environmental science, practically any level of degree or certificate will qualify for an environmental green job.
Other Sciences
If your area of expertise is in any other science field, you can also get a green job. This includes being a biomedical engineer, bucker and faller, biological scientist, aquarist, agronomist, geoscientist, marine biologist, conservation scientist, oceanographer, ecologist, geological engineer, geologist, meteorologist, life scientist, geophysicist, or any other science field.
Additional Green Jobs
Of course even more green jobs exist in various scientific or environmental fields such as EPA careers, being a fish and wildlife manager, working with forestry, extension agents, geomorphologist, geoscience technician, horticulture, hydrographer, microbiologist, mining engineer, natural gas industry career, natural resource manager, mineral exploration, ocean science, green recreation worker, paleontology green careers, park naturalist, surveyor, soil conservationist, or underwater exploration.
Regardless of the type of career path you choose, you can find a green job you love and that offers a competitive salary. A passion for the environment and delicate eco-system are a must when choosing your green career path as it will be important to employers, aside from your education and other qualifications.
Degrees and Certifications for Green Jobs
Green jobs are those which involve working in the environmental, agricultural, and other fields where sustainability, going green, having energy efficient products, and producing solar energy products is essential. Some green jobs don’t require schooling, but the majority of them prefer for you to have a certificate or college degree. If you want to work in a green job in the future, it is highly recommended that you obtain a degree or certificate that offers education and training for green jobs, such as learning about energy efficiency, fuel consumption, carbon footprints, and others.
Types of Green Certificates and Degrees
You will find that there are many different green certificates and degrees out there. They really depend on where you want to go to school, how long you’re willing to put into your education, and what type of green job you want. One person might opt for a solar installation certificate while someone else gets their master’s degree in botany. There are so many options and your personal preferences, skills, and situation will depict what is best for you. Degrees include associates, bachelors, and masters in agriculture, botany, architecture, environmental studies, and similar areas. You can also get certificates for wind installation, solar installation, energy efficiency auditing, LEED certification, and more.
What is a Green Degree?
A green degree is one classifying you to work in the environmental field. This can be in any type of engineering or science field for sustainability, environment, the eco-system, even agriculture or architecture. You will learn different coursework necessary to be properly educated and trained for a green job or one working for a green company. If your future plans involve getting a career in the green or environmental industry, then a green degree is recommended for you.
Where to Get a Green Certificate or Degree
There are a variety of colleges and schools offering both green certifications and degrees. Your personal preferences and interests, locations, how much you have to spend, and how long you want to be in school will determine which school you choose to go through. If you want to get a bachelors or masters degree in botany, agriculture, or a similar industry, you will need to go to a college or university offering these degrees and majors. However there are also accredited online schools and community colleges offering four-year college degrees. Nearly every community college in the country offers two-year college degrees, many of which fall under the green category. Many online schools also offer major, certificates, and degrees for the green field of jobs and careers, along with special certification programs.
How Long Will it Take?
The length of time it will take to get your green certificate or degree depends on the program you choose. Bachelors degrees are green fields are four-year college degrees, but may take more or less time depending on where you to school and how quickly you get through your coursework. In general, certificates are available in much less time than degrees.
Work At Home Green Jobs
If you’re looking to work a green job, such as one in the environmental field, you have many options to choose from. Working from home in itself is better for the environment as you are using less fuel by not commuting to work every day, and the equipment at home is just used by you so you’re not having to run and power an entire office. Choosing to work from home takes a lot of commitment as you will be working on your own and need to keep up your motivation with loads of distractions. However, it is very possible to make a living working a green job from home.
What is a Green Job?
A green job is one where you work for a green company, such as one in the environmental field. Green jobs can be those working for non-profit environmental organizations to companies who help others learn more about sustainable living. You have a variety of choices when you want to work from home but also for a green company.
Sales and Marketing
One idea for working at a green job from home is to do sales and marketing. This involves working in the sales and marketing field for any type of green company, including environmental, waste management, electronic, or advertising firms that work hard to help save the environment through the choices their business makes. Working from home alone gives you somewhat of a green job since you’re saving a lot of resources and are in charge of your own recycling and energy efficiency. If you have good customer service skills, you can use these skills for sales or marketing jobs from home.
Writing
If you have a good sense of spelling, grammar, and sentence structure, you cand o writing work from home for green companies. To make this a green job, you can write for green peace or other organizations that spread the word about lowering your carbon footprint, write grants for environmental non-profit organizations, or write web articles and do research for various types of green companies. If you have a writing background, such as taking writing and journalism classes in college, writing may be the perfect career opportunity for you.
Web Design
If you’re someone that is familiar with graphic design and coding required to make websites, you can offer this service to different green companies around the world. Working from home, you may be in charge of the coding of websites, setting up donation or shopping cart systems, or designing the look and feel of the website and graphics. Anyone with a creative and imaginative mind and the technical experience needed for creating websites and graphics can be a home-based green web designer.
Brick and Mortar Green Jobs
Many of the green jobs available are working for brick and mortar companies. These companies are known as “in person” companies as opposed to working online, or from home through telecommuting. If you work for an environmental company, for example, in the branch office then you have a brick and mortar job as opposed to an online job. Many brick and mortar businesses are now offering green jobs, such as in research and development, office and administration, manufacturing, and agriculture companies who are dedicated to the health and longevity of the environment.
Types of Brick and Mortar Green jobs
You will find that there are a wide variety of green jobs working in a brick and mortar atmosphere. These are also included in various areas of environment and agriculture, as well as other industries. Some of the types of brick and mortar green jobs include green energy jobs in transportation, shipping and distribution, research, production, product development, energy conservation, energy efficiency, green building and construction, technology jobs such as in clean technology, manufacturing green vehicles, forestry, organic agriculture, corporate sustainability, the study of climate change, environmental sciences, and more.
Architecture
Green jobs in architecture are plentiful, and include the design and construction of sustainable and green buildings. These structures are built to be more energy efficient and use more environmentally-friendly and recycled materials. In a green brick and mortar job in the architecture field, you can be an architect who is experienced with designing buildings and receive extensive training in green buildings, or work for various construction company with the actual constructing of the buildings, such as in administration.
Botany
Another choice for a green brick and mortar job is to work in the botany field. With a college degree in botany, you have a wide variety of green jobs working in brick and mortar type buildings. You can work with soil analysis, gardening, cultivation, teaching, plant identification, or other types of jobs. Most botany jobs require a degree in botany as well as working knowledge fo sustainability and being eco-friendly. To work in a brick and mortar green job, you will most likely be in charge of labeling, administration, teaching, or similar roles.
Public Transportation
If you want to work in a green brick and mortar job, you can work for the public transit department of your local city. Rather than driving or operating different public transportation vehicles, yu will work in accounting, bookkeeping, administration, customer support, marketing, sales, or other similar departments. You can also be a green consultant for public transportation, educating the industry on how best to have green transportation possibilities for the public. You can teach the local transit authority how to reduce fuel emissions and other green options.
Becoming a Green Consultant
A green consultant is someone who works with the sustainability and health of the environment and associated eco-systems. If you want to be a green consultant as your future career, there are many things to consider. You will need to properly educated and trained with agriculture, environment, research and development, as well as understand basic business practices such as business law, accounting, and taxes. You will need proper degrees in green and environmental technology, along with possible work experience, in order to start your career as a green consultant.
About Being a Green Consultant
To be a green consultant, you will need more than just a passion for being environmentally friendly and knowing the important of reducing carbon footprints. You will also need to be prepared on the business aspect, including understanding the daily operations of a business from general administration to customer support, communication skills, business taxes and law, accounting practices, and more. To be a green consultant, you also need some experience in various areas of business and being green in general, as well as having proper education and training.
Corporate Management
One area of expertise and experience you should have to be a green consultant is in corporate management. Most companies that hire green consultants are looking for those who work independently, as well as working within corporate management. Having a strong business and management background is a great first step to becoming a green consultant. Similarly, you will need to understand various industry publications, again which you will learn in corporate management.
Pick an Environment Field
Just wanting to be a green consultant in environmental industries in general is not specific enough. There are so many different fields you can be involved in, even if you already know you want to be a consultant. You may have architectural or construction training that helps you be a green consultant for energy efficient building companies, or sales experience that let you be a green consultant for green advertising and marketing firms. Use your current skill sets to pick a field that is most suitable for you.
Get Formal Education and Training
Part of your plan to become a green consultant includes considering your educational and training path. You will find that many colleges, universities, and online schools are offering special degrees and certificates in the green fields. This provides you with excellent opportunities or expanding your green and environmental knowledge which will help you further your career as a green consultant. Having at least basic training as a green consultant or in the environmental industry in general can take you far and help you get hired as a consultant much more quickly than someone with no training.