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What is an environmental project manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Andrea Welker Ph.D.,
Karl Offen Ph.D.

Environmental project managers are concerned with environmental impact and are constantly looking for ways to develop best practices for project managers. You will be required to work on construction, waste management, and engineering projects to assess the ecological impact of the work and report to relevant regulatory agencies.

You are to provide support and guidance to businesses, particularly those involved in construction and engineering projects, on how they can protect the environment better using your knowledge on environmental issues and legislation. You will frequently be required to interact and work with environmental government agencies managing permits, mitigation, and compliance.

Environmental project managers earn a minimum of $30 every hour and $71,000 annually. The job requires you to be skilled in project management, environmental compliance, business development, environmental projects, and procedures. The most common educational qualification requirement is a bachelor's degree. A Certified Hazardous Materials Manager certification might also be required.

What general advice would you give to an environmental project manager?

Andrea Welker Ph.D.Andrea Welker Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University

Be open to new experiences. Find a good mentor. Become a valued employee. Always remember that you are designing something for someone.
ScoreEnvironmental Project ManagerUS Average
Salary
6.1

Avg. Salary $78,417

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.5

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
10.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 11.99%

Black or African American 3.69%

Hispanic or Latino 10.46%

Unknown 3.84%

White 69.58%

Gender

female 29.86%

male 70.14%

Age - 42
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 - 42
Stress level
6.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Environmental project manager career paths

Key steps to become an environmental project manager

  1. Explore environmental project manager education requirements

    Most common environmental project manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    74.8 %

    Master's

    15.4 %

    Associate

    6.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific environmental project manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Project Management10.79%
    Business Development6.05%
    Renewable Energy5.85%
    Environmental Projects5.53%
    Environmental Compliance4.47%
  3. Complete relevant environmental project manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New environmental project managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an environmental project manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real environmental project manager resumes.
  4. Research environmental project manager duties and responsibilities

    • Manage and coordinate the preparation and production of high-profile and complex environmental documents in compliance with CEQA and NEPA.
    • Manage EPA representatives, consultants, and lawyers to change environmental law to protect the best interests of the base.
    • Manage a staff of engineers and geologists providing environmental restoration support services at various CERCLA NPL and RCRA sites nationwide.
    • Manage environmental restoration waste site characterization activities in support of CERCLA cleanup.
  5. Prepare your environmental project manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your environmental project manager resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an environmental project manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable environmental project manager resume templates

    Build a professional environmental project manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your environmental project manager resume.
    Environmental Project Manager Resume
    Environmental Project Manager Resume
    Environmental Project Manager Resume
    Environmental Project Manager Resume
    Environmental Project Manager Resume
    Environmental Project Manager Resume
    Environmental Project Manager Resume
    Environmental Project Manager Resume
    Environmental Project Manager Resume
  6. Apply for environmental project manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an environmental project manager 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 environmental project manager job

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Average environmental project manager salary

The average environmental project manager salary in the United States is $78,417 per year or $38 per hour. Environmental project manager salaries range between $52,000 and $118,000 per year.

Average environmental project manager salary
$78,417 Yearly
$37.70 hourly

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How do environmental project managers rate their job?

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Environmental project manager reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2023
Cons

Strict deadlines, and stakeholders. Feeling undervalued or underappreciated.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2021
Pros

Firstly, the most important is to protect our planet for us and the future generations. Secondly our planet is not going to support the pressure and negative impacts because of the big Increased human population . Finally our planet needs more and more environmental specialists to regulate and control all human activities, especially the ilegal ones.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2020
Pros

Both indoor and outdoor work environment. Great job satisfaction meeting regulatory requirements.

Cons

Can be stressful at times


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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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