Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for climate change analysts in the United States
Are climate change analyst jobs in demand?
Climate change analyst job and salary trends over time
Climate change analyst jobs over time
Climate change analyst job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,180 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,299 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,294 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,236 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,258 | 0.00% |
Average climate change analyst salary over time
Climate change analyst salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $77,387 | $37.21 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $75,411 | $36.26 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | $75,168 | $36.14 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $73,339 | $35.26 | +0.7% |
| 2021 | $72,822 | $35.01 | +2.1% |
Climate change analyst jobs by state
Most common states for climate change analysts
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 232 | 33% |
| 2 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 72 | 10% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 752 | 9% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 64 | 9% |
| 5 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 411 | 7% |
| 6 | Vermont | 623,657 | 44 | 7% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 422 | 6% |
| 8 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 80 | 6% |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 68 | 6% |
| 10 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 63 | 6% |
| 11 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 610 | 5% |
| 12 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 317 | 5% |
| 13 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 278 | 5% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 270 | 5% |
| 15 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 197 | 5% |
| 16 | Delaware | 961,939 | 50 | 5% |
| 17 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 27 | 5% |
| 18 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,540 | 4% |
| 19 | New York | 19,849,399 | 716 | 4% |
| 20 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 107 | 4% |
Most common cities for climate change analysts
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankfort | 1 | 4% | $78,440 |
| 2 | College Park | 1 | 3% | $84,523 |
| 3 | Juneau | 1 | 3% | $96,016 |
| 4 | Jeffersonville | 1 | 2% | $76,606 |
| 5 | Cambridge | 1 | 1% | $91,857 |
| 6 | Fort Collins | 1 | 1% | $74,525 |
| 7 | Springfield | 1 | 1% | $81,850 |
| 8 | Tallahassee | 1 | 1% | $58,309 |
| 9 | Topeka | 1 | 1% | $79,959 |
| 10 | Boston | 2 | 0% | $91,877 |
| 11 | Baton Rouge | 1 | 0% | $78,218 |
| 12 | Birmingham | 1 | 0% | $60,396 |
| 13 | Sacramento | 1 | 0% | $110,266 |
| 14 | San Jose | 1 | 0% | $109,434 |
| 15 | Washington | 1 | 0% | $99,859 |
Climate Change Analyst job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of climate change analyst experts
UMass Lowell
Merrimack College
University of Washington
University of Southern Maine
Western Kentucky University
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Coastal Carolina University
Drexel University
Molloy College
University of Wyoming
St. Mary's College of Maryland
San Francisco State University
Wake Forest University
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Program Coordinator, Masters of Science in EntrepreneurshipUMass Lowell
Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Innovation
What Climate Change Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.: Obviously we are seeing a tremendous increase in AI and other digital technologies. These will become a more crucial skill set for many careers going forward. But I wouldn't downplay the role of what are traditionally seen as soft skills like empathy, communications, and judgment. Not only can these distinguish you from robots but from your human competitors as well.
What will help Climate Change Analysts increase their earning potential?
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.: If all you want is the highest potential starting salary, then you should aim for careers that offer them. But that is a shortsighted way to view things. For example, many careers that have tournament-like pay structures (think entertainment) often have very low starting salaries but the so-called winners enjoy outsized financial gains. If you are thinking about a more traditional career, I think it's important to make sure you are more valuable to your employer than they are to you. This means you have to market yourself, both to your current employer as well as to potential ones. Of course, this approach may not be for everyone and maximizing your salary potential is only one thing you should be considering when assessing job and career opportunities.
What will help Climate Change Analysts increase their earning potential?
Reshad Osmani PhD: In the next 3-5 years, skills like data analysis, digital literacy, adaptability, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills are likely to become even more important across various fields due to the increasing influence of technology, automation, and remote work trends. Additionally, skills related to cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and sustainability may also gain prominence.
Renee Robinson Ph.D.
Professor of CommunicationWhat Climate Change Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Renee Robinson Ph.D.: What skills do you think will become more important and prevalent in the field in the next 3-5 years?
What general advice would you give to a Climate Change Analyst?
Melissa Zimdars: To remember that you're going to learn a lot on the job and that failure is part of the learning process. It's okay to ask questions and to not know things, but you must be willing to take feedback, adjust, and grow.
What will help Climate Change Analysts increase their earning potential?
Melissa Zimdars: Recognize that your first career opportunity won't be your last. If the job you land after college does not have opportunities for growth or advancement, it's imperative that you keep an eye out for them elsewhere as you continue to gain experience in your field.
What will help Climate Change Analysts increase their earning potential?
Victor Menaldo: Develop oral communication skills that allow you to speak in an articulate manner and organize your thoughts to signal your competence, knowledge, work ethic, and willingness to keep learning and improving.
Tove Rasmussen
LecturerUniversity of Southern Maine
Specialized Sales, Merchandising And Marketing Operations
What general advice would you give to a Climate Change Analyst?
Tove Rasmussen: Tove Rasmussen advises graduates beginning their career in the field to...
What Climate Change Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tove Rasmussen: Tove Rasmussen believes that the skills that will become more important and prevalent in the field in the next 3-5 years are...
What Climate Change Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Timothy Rich PhD: Think about the types of jobs that interest you and the skills necessary for those jobs early. So many students start thinking about post-graduation life spring their senior year, when it should be an incremental process much earlier. Another pieces of advice would be to talk to faculty and alum about your interests, find internship or research opportunities when possible, and try to figure out early your strengths and weaknesses. It's easy for students, especially high performing ones, to not fully consider what their weaknesses are. I encourage students to jot down what they see as their skills too and to share them with others. It helps them to identify what's a common skill versus something that might make them stick out.
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.
ProfessorJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What general advice would you give to a Climate Change Analyst?
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.: Being able to negotiate a salary is also a skill that students need to learn and one that is rarely taught in college. Students need to be able to ask for more than they are offered, but also take jobs at entry levels, prove themselves and then ask for an increase in pay six months into the job after they have shown that they are doing the work and achieving their goals.
What Climate Change Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.: Analysis and critical thinking, writing and making strong arguments are indispensable job market skills. Concepts such as 'ethnicity,' 'gender' and 'minority' are constructed in social and historical spaces and times, and students with college degrees can help de-naturalize these categories to make others understand how policy, programming and marketing might not be achieving their stated goals.
What will help Climate Change Analysts increase their earning potential?
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.: My advice to anyone graduating in any field is to think about the skills they have acquired in college and to represent them well on their resume. If students have been trained in quantitative or qualitative research methods, they should be able to talk cogently about the types of analysis they can do for businesses, policymakers and the like. They should also be open to any field when they are first starting out. Today, businesses are interested in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and because many of these programs are not perfect, well-trained students in Ethnic, Gender And Minority Studies--as well as related fields like Cultural Anthropology-- are well positioned to take entry level jobs and critically analyze programs and implement them in justice-oriented ways.
What general advice would you give to a Climate Change Analyst?
Stephanie Lain Ph.D.: Look for a unionized job, preferably in a large institution where there is room for job growth. For students trained in linguistics, there are also often opportunities to work in tech, so this might be something to explore.
What Climate Change Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Stephanie Lain Ph.D.: I would advise graduates to be open to considering jobs in lots of different fields. The skills acquired through their major- such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and writing- are ones that transfer well to a variety of situations.
What general advice would you give to a Climate Change Analyst?
Dr. Paige Novak P.E. (Minnesota), BCEE: Ask questions, stay curious and open minded, take opportunities to learn and develop new skills.
What Climate Change Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Paige Novak P.E. (Minnesota), BCEE: The so-called 'soft skills' have already become more important and will continue to be important for successfully interacting with clients, the public, and other stakeholders. A familiarity and comfort with AI is also likely to be more and more important in the field.
Mark Chandler
Director of Government Relations and Professor of PracticeCoastal Carolina University
Intelligence, Command Control And Information Operations
What will help Climate Change Analysts increase their earning potential?
Mark Chandler: If you go into the government, you will be limited to the standard government salary. If you go into the private sector, you will start on a lower pay scale (without experience), but have the potential to exceed the government pay structure a few years into you career. Higher education will provide assistance a few years after graduation (with a BA), but won’t result in significant salary bumps. The more experience you gain, the more marketable you become.
What Climate Change Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mark Stehr PhD: At the start of your career, it's very important to land a role where you learn a lot and find good mentors. The additional skills will pay dividends as your career progresses.
What general advice would you give to a Climate Change Analyst?
Michael Rosino PhD: One major skill is cultural and structural competency or understanding how social structures shape group experiences and how diverse cultures engage in everyday life. Another is gaining applied research skills. These can include program evaluation (using data and analysis for assessing the effectiveness of a particular program or initiative) and user experience/interface analysis for software, applications, and technologies using qualitative data. We live in a data-rich world where organizations, companies, and institutions need people who can do quantitative data analysis to bring about insights about markets, stakeholders, and the needs and demographics of communities. Along these lines, I know these are buzzwords, but critical thinking and research literacy are super important; employers want to hire candidates who have a clear understanding of how to read and interpret research findings, how to think through and solve complex problems, and how to find accurate and reliable information. Professional writing and clear communication for multiple stakeholders and audiences are also crucial. Finally, I would say that sociology provides the more intangible skills of understanding social processes and having empathy and curiosity when it comes to different groups of people and their lived experiences. These skills are especially relevant in workplaces that require cooperation (perhaps even across nations or groups) and positive experiences for clients, users, or other stakeholders.
What Climate Change Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Michael Rosino PhD: First, I would suggest taking stock of your community or the communities where you would like to work or serve and looking at the local demographics, opportunities, institutions, and organizations. You can then use those resources to network by contacting others who do the type of work you are interested in. Building your reputation and connections with others in the career or field, whether in the space of policy work, nonprofit organizations, business, law, or education, will help you gain further access to mentorship and opportunities. Another suggestion I would give is to develop and refine an area of expertise, whether that is a specific type of research skill or topic to help figure out what your network should look like (for instance, connecting with other folks passionate about health equity, housing, environment, consumer insights, opinion data, etc.) Look at what areas of the economy are growing or what complex problems are emerging as there are always organizations and institutions that will be addressing those issues and opportunities. The payoffs of networking may not come immediately but they will absolutely help down the line in terms of resources and opportunities and help you feel less alone in your work.
What will help Climate Change Analysts increase their earning potential?
Michael Rosino PhD: One thing that I always emphasize to students is to confidently craft your story when applying for jobs and preparing materials. While it may feel uncomfortable to come off as confident, it is important not to downplay your skills and experience. So, my advice is to think deeply about why you would be a good fit for each job and to highlight the concrete skills and experiences you have gained - especially in terms of topical background, technical acumen with specific software or methodologies or research/writing skills. Secondly, I suggest looking at which fields are in high demand. While it is not always possible because people may have geographic constraints, considering as many wide opportunities in all kinds of places can also be beneficial. Two other pieces of advice which may be more relevant to those a bit further on would be to negotiate when you are offered a mid-level or professional job and to ask for benefits and salary and to consider going back to gain additional education such as a Master's degree to qualify for higher-paying and more prestigious jobs.
What Climate Change Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mary Rodena-Krasan Ph.D.: You can always maximize your salary potential by keeping up on the latest events in both this country and Germany, so that you can better predict upcoming challenges and trends that can prepare your institution or company for what is next. Prove your worth by taking on projects - even if they are a stretch! Your German studies have prepared you well for challenging assignments!
What will help Climate Change Analysts increase their earning potential?
Mary Rodena-Krasan Ph.D.: A degree in German Studies is extraordinarily flexible, giving you a skill set that makes you suitable to a variety of fields. Be open to every opportunity and never underestimate the skill sets learning a new language has afforded you - cross-cultural competence, interlinguistic technological adeptness, problem solving, information analysis, and critical thinking. Employers want someone they don't have to hand-hold. Studying a foreign language requires a lot of self-initiative - apply that to every assignment at the job and don't be afraid to suggest approaches! Your ability to undertake something new and be successful has already been proven by your German studies degree!
What Climate Change Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lars Kotthoff: Anything and everything related to AI, but in particular being able to cut through the hype and being able to assess new technologies realistically.
What general advice would you give to a Climate Change Analyst?
Dr. Kathryn Young Ph.D.: Learn everything you can about what other people in the company are doing. Network with every possible person in the company, read books, watch YouTube videos, and continue to learn. The more you know about your industry, the more valuable you become.
What general advice would you give to a Climate Change Analyst?
Dr. Kristina Howansky: Framing is everything! You likely have 'project management' experience if you worked as a research assistant. If you received a grant for your senior thesis, that's 'managing a budget.' Consider your experiences in an academic or research setting and how they might be reframed to fit the context of a corporate environment. Get as close as you can to the position you ultimately want to obtain. If you want to be a therapist, volunteer in the wellness center. If you want to be a professor, TA for a course or work as a research assistant. If you want to work in a corporate setting, get an internship in market research. This will allow you to determine whether you would enjoy the actual day-to-day of those positions and will get you mentors/recommendation letters from folks who know the right terminology to use.
What will help Climate Change Analysts increase their earning potential?
Jennifer Shea Ph.D.: Data analytics and visualization (already important but will likely increase)
Effective use of AI technologies
Ability to develop and evaluate meaningful and robust programs and policies that center equity in ways that recognize intersectionality and multiple dimensions of equity
What Climate Change Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Mark Evans: Don't stop learning. Treat your first job like more graduate school. Learn everything you can.
What general advice would you give to a Climate Change Analyst?
Corey Moss-Pech: If a student’s primary concern is salary, I would suggest seeking employment in large, bureaucratic organizations in the most profitable sectors of the economy. These can be regionally specific but are often health care, finance, technology, and legacy manufacturing companies. Professional jobs in these fields usually pay quite well for recent college graduates, and while they can be competitive, they often hire many college graduates each cycle across a range of majors.