How to hire an energy consultant

How to hire an energy consultant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step energy consultant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an energy consultant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new energy consultant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an energy consultant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The energy consultant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An energy consultant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, energy consultants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of energy consultants.

   Type of Energy Consultant	Description	Hourly rate
   Energy Consultant		$26-56
   Energy Audit Advisor	An energy audit advisor specializes in providing analytical services to help commercial and residential establishments maintain energy-efficient operations. They are usually working for energy service companies where their responsibilities include gathering and analyzing extensive data, conducting research and analysis, facilitating tests, and performing audits and risk assessments... Show more	$22-54
   Small Business Consultant	A small business consultant specializes in developing and recommending strategies to optimize the daily operations of small businesses. They typically meet with clients to identify their needs and preferences, determine their short and long-term goals, perform market research and analysis to find business or client opportunities, determine the strengths and weaknesses of current processes, and implement solutions against problem areas... Show more	$16-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Renewable Energy
   • Project Management
   • Energy Efficiency
   • Emerging Technologies
   • HVAC
   • Solar Power
   • Business Development
   • PV
   • Door Sales
   • Salesforce CRM
   • Financial Analysis
   • Outbound Calls
   • Consultative Approach
   • EQuest

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Design retrofit and manage construction.
   • Manage and set appointments through Salesforce.com
   • Design retrofit, manage project and conduct pre-and post-utility analysis.
   • Provide SharePoint development and administration, budget and financial reporting; manage invoicing; and develop training manuals and user guides.
   • Log all communications with customers in CRM (Slalesforce.com) system.
   • Conduct analysis of customer's current, project electrical usage and financial ROI.

   More energy consultant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the energy consultant job description is a good way to get more applicants. An energy consultant salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an energy consultant in North Carolina may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level energy consultant. Additionally, an energy consultant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average energy consultant salary

   $81,907yearly

   $39.38 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level energy consultant salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average energy consultant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$109,146	$52
   2	District of Columbia	$97,916	$47
   3	New York	$92,310	$44
   4	New Mexico	$91,955	$44
   5	Michigan	$90,780	$44
   6	Virginia	$90,135	$43
   7	Massachusetts	$88,434	$43
   8	Maryland	$85,972	$41
   9	Arizona	$85,683	$41
   10	New Hampshire	$85,195	$41
   11	Washington	$84,976	$41
   12	Georgia	$84,512	$41
   13	Arkansas	$84,501	$41
   14	Texas	$83,967	$40
   15	Pennsylvania	$83,483	$40
   16	Colorado	$80,912	$39
   17	Connecticut	$80,613	$39
   18	Illinois	$74,792	$36
   19	North Carolina	$71,083	$34
   20	Missouri	$70,973	$34

   Average energy consultant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Vermont Energy Investment Corporation	$97,220	$46.74
   2	ICF	$96,155	$46.23	15
   3	CLEAResult	$95,745	$46.03	31
   4	Alvarez & Marsal	$93,472	$44.94	7
   5	LCG	$90,526	$43.52
   6	Deloitte	$89,032	$42.80	253
   7	Charles River Associates	$88,854	$42.72
   8	TalentBurst	$88,532	$42.56
   9	Burns & McDonnell	$87,617	$42.12	52
   10	Logistics Management Institute	$87,486	$42.06	2
   11	Kosmos Energy	$86,895	$41.78
   12	Momentum Solar	$86,806	$41.73	138
   13	Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr.	$86,706	$41.69	2
   14	IHS Holding Inc	$86,703	$41.68
   15	Ampcus	$86,478	$41.58
   16	Semper Solaris	$86,159	$41.42	4
   17	POWERHOME SOLAR	$86,130	$41.41
   18	NW Natural	$85,961	$41.33
   19	Arizona Public Service	$84,517	$40.63
   20	Itron	$84,437	$40.59

4. Writing an energy consultant job description

   A job description for an energy consultant role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an energy consultant job description:

   Energy consultant job description example

   Check out this video and find out why our team loves to work here!
   
   If you're passionate about sustainability, take this opportunity to join a team of professionals connected and motivated by a common commitment to the environment and a clean energy future. Within this high-growth, fast-paced, and entrepreneurial environment, you get the opportunity to make an immediate impact on reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions in our region while helping customers to save on energy costs. As an Associate Energy Efficiency Consultant, you will responsible for assisting and supporting energy efficiency project/program management services to primarily electric customers but may also include other energy sources. Your efforts may be provided directly or through coordination with internal and external vendors, partners, or other subject matter experts. Overall, you will support the development, promotion, and implementation of energy efficiency programs to meet established goals.
   
   Reporting manager: Supervisor, Energy Efficiency
   
   Essential Functions
   Support the implementation of energy efficiency programs and related initiatives in order to achieve energy savings goals.Promote customer enrollment in energy efficiency programs through activities which may include reviewing applications for pertinent supporting documentation and researching customer energy efficiency and participation data.Review energy efficiency project proposals to ensure adherence with program guidelines.Prepare and maintain analytical spreadsheets that track program achievements and progress.Assist with the management of vendors/contractors.Facilitate communication with customers, program administrators, advisory consultants, and vendor/contractors.Represent the energy efficiency programs in public meetings with customers, contractors, and others.
   
   Qualifications
   Technical Knowledge/Skills:
   Ability to interpret energy efficiency / renewable technologies and services and understand their application. Solid understanding of financial principals and the ability to use PC desktop applications (e.g., Microsoft Word and Excel).
   Education:
   Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
   Experience:
   Zero (0) plus years of experience (recent college graduates accepted).Relevant experience and basic knowledge of building science HIGHLY preferred”.Experience and/or aptitude in customer service also desired.
   Worker Type:
   Regular
   Number of Openings:
   1
   EEO Statement
   
   Eversource Energy is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability status, or protected veteran status.
   
   VEVRRA Federal Contractor
   Vaccination Information:
   
   Eversource requires all new employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by their first day of employment. If you have any concerns regarding compliance with this requirement, you will need to discuss your concerns with Eversource's HR department after you have been made a conditional offer of employment. Eversource does not require applicants to discuss vaccination status prior to receipt of a conditional offer of employment and complies with all applicable laws.
   Emergency Response:
   
   Responding to emergency situations to meet customers' needs is part of every employee's role. If employed, you will be given an Emergency Restoration assignment. This means you may be called to assist during an emergency outside of your normal responsibilities, work hours and location.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right energy consultant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with energy consultants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit energy consultants who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your energy consultant job on Zippia to find and recruit energy consultant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting energy consultants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new energy consultant

   Once you've selected the best energy consultant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an energy consultant?