Renewable Energy Careers
Overview
Introduction
Renewable energy is defined as a clean and unlimited source of power or fuel. This energy is harnessed from different sources such as wind, sunlight (solar), water (hydro), organic matter (biomass), and the earth's internal heat (geothermal). Unlike nonrenewable energy sources like oil, natural gas, or coal, or nuclear energy, renewable energy is not based on extracting a limited resource.
The renewable energy industry is actually a vast group of sub-industries that offer employment opportunities for people with many differen...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Very little salary information is available for specific jobs in each sub-industry. However, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the median salary for electrical engineers was $98,530 in May 2019. Salaries ranged from less than $63,020 to $155,880 or more annually. Mechanics who worked as electrical and electronics repairers of commercial and industrial equipment had a median salar...
Work Environment
Work environment will vary depending on the industry and the type of position a worker holds. For example, meteorologists in the wind industry may need to travel to distant sites in order to better gauge wind capabilities for a proposed wind turbine project. Solar industry technicians often travel from site to site in order to install or maintain equipment needed for solar projects such as home...
Outlook
Prospects are bright for green-industry jobs. The International Renewable Energy Agency reported that more than 667,000 people worked in this field in the United States, with a total workforce of more than 11 million around the world as of 2018. Its Renewable Energy and Jobs Annual Report 2019 indicated that the biofuel sector accounted for 311,000 jobs, followed by solar (242,000), an...
