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What is an energy economist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Todd Steen

Do you care about issues like climate change, environmental stability, and indigenous rights? These are exactly the types of issues you'll be dealing with if you choose to become an energy economist. These economists frequently work for government agencies, research institutions, and academic organizations.

If you work for a government agency, you'll be expected to look at how the use of energy, including its production and transport, impacts the environment. You'll also calculate the cost of environmental impacts to determine which policy proposals should be undertaken to address energy needs.

Many energy economists also work for private companies and help them by advising about which energy investments to pursue. Energy economists can also use their expertise to work as energy loan specialists, energy project financial analysts, or energy business analysts. If you're hoping to get into this line of work, you'll need to get Bachelor's degree with an environmental focus.

What general advice would you give to an energy economist?

Dr. Todd SteenDr. Todd Steen LinkedIn profile

The Granger Professor of Economics, Hope College

Given the situation with the COVID-19 virus, I believe having an economics degree will be more valuable than ever. Graduates will be prepared for a variety of conditions and have excellent problem-solving skills. The pandemic will lead to many new situations that firms will have to face that have economic implications. I believe that economics degrees will be in high demand.
My advice to graduates in economics would be to gain experience with various tools for data analysis. I would also advise graduates to start reading as much as possible in newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal and other economics and business periodicals. At the same time, keep up with the news of the day at places like Real Clear Politics. Things will be changing fast, and it will be essential to keep on top of these changes.
ScoreEnergy EconomistUS Average
Salary
4.6

Avg. Salary $58,368

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.3

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.21%

Asian 11.56%

Black or African American 4.50%

Hispanic or Latino 7.92%

Unknown 5.35%

White 70.45%

Gender

female 30.43%

male 69.57%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress level
4.3

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an energy economist

  1. Explore energy economist education requirements

    Most common energy economist degrees

    Bachelor's

    45.8 %

    Master's

    41.7 %

    Doctorate

    12.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific energy economist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Renewable Energy89.35%
    Economic Analysis10.65%
  3. Research energy economist duties and responsibilities

    • Manage, utilize, and archive database for commodities in assign areas.
    • Develop, specify, and test econometric models using time-series econometrics, panel-data econometrics, and limit dependent variable techniques.
    • Utilize a combination of SQL querying and qualitative research to investigate results gain from statistical analyses.
  4. Apply for energy economist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an energy economist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first energy economist job

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Average energy economist salary

The average energy economist salary in the United States is $58,368 per year or $28 per hour. Energy economist salaries range between $25,000 and $133,000 per year.

Average energy economist salary
$58,368 Yearly
$28.06 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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