Director of sustainability vs sustainability manager

The differences between directors of sustainability and sustainability managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a director of sustainability and a sustainability manager. Additionally, a director of sustainability has an average salary of $120,649, which is higher than the $67,890 average annual salary of a sustainability manager.

The top three skills for a director of sustainability include supply chain, renewable energy and project management. The most important skills for a sustainability manager are project management, sustainability initiatives, and renewable energy.

Director of sustainability vs sustainability manager overview

	Director Of Sustainability	Sustainability Manager
Yearly salary	$120,649	$67,890
Hourly rate	$58.00	$32.64
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	8,625	4,105
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a director of sustainability do?

A director of sustainability is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the environment of the company's premises, including the efficiency of processes and the production impact on society. Directors of sustainability ensure that the business operates under strict adherence to regulatory requirements and environmental conservation. They also handle the profitability of materials used in the production, choosing the resources that promote sustainability and benefits to the environment. A director of sustainability facilitates and plans training and programs for the employees to educate them about sustainability factors and improve productivity goals.

What does a sustainability manager do?

A Sustainability Manager is responsible for managing the company's commitment to nature and eco-friendly efforts by ensuring that the production processes do not harm the environment and its inhabitants in any way. Sustainability Managers evaluate the resources used, recycling initiatives, and facilitating training and programs for the employees that would promote sustainability operations. They also identify opportunities that would reduce waste, strategize techniques that would address sustainability issues, and implementing policies with the team of the protocols and safety regulations from the legislators.

Director of sustainability vs sustainability manager salary

Directors of sustainability and sustainability managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Sustainability	Sustainability Manager
Average salary	$120,649	$67,890
Salary range	Between $80,000 And $179,000	Between $32,000 And $142,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Piscataway, NJ
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Meta	AstraZeneca
Best paying industry	Construction	-

Differences between director of sustainability and sustainability manager education

There are a few differences between a director of sustainability and a sustainability manager in terms of educational background:

	Director Of Sustainability	Sustainability Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Environmental Science	Business
Most common college	University of California - Davis	SUNY at Binghamton

Director of sustainability vs sustainability manager demographics

Here are the differences between directors of sustainability' and sustainability managers' demographics:

	Director Of Sustainability	Sustainability Manager
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 62.0% Female, 38.0%	Male, 62.8% Female, 37.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between director of sustainability and sustainability manager duties and responsibilities

Director of sustainability example responsibilities.

Deploy the project on AWS form and lead the DevOps team.
Manage all aspects of the RFP and contract award process.
Manage all external communication with customers, NGOs and the general public.
Interface with the DoD customer to define release contents and manage scope.
Manage both the ISO [] and the fiber certification program documents through this system.
Direct all preconstruction, estimating, scheduling, logistics efforts and manage the buyout and installation of the geothermal system.

Sustainability manager example responsibilities.

Manage the logistics, billable costs, and other issues associate.
Prepare annual GHG emissions statement, manage annual assurance with auditors, and assist with sustainability reporting.
Lecture on climate change, sustainability, permaculture design, & solutions to high school students.
Lead audits of all ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certify sites globally (12 countries) with teams of regional auditors.
Award for excellence in logistics management with specific emphasis on researching and implementing cost cutting techniques and policies
Develop policy and procedures, train business leaders and EHS auditors, conduct big acquisition/integration assessments and critical incident investigations and audits

Director of sustainability vs sustainability manager skills

Common director of sustainability skills

Supply Chain, 9%
Renewable Energy, 8%
Project Management, 7%
Sustainability Initiatives, 6%
EHS, 6%
Leverage, 6%

Common sustainability manager skills

Project Management, 9%
Sustainability Initiatives, 8%
Renewable Energy, 7%
Climate, 6%
CDP, 5%
Continuous Improvement, 5%

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Director Of Sustainability
Director Of Sustainability vs Sustainability Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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