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The differences between environmental project managers and environmental planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an environmental project manager and an environmental planner. Additionally, an environmental project manager has an average salary of $78,417, which is higher than the $71,174 average annual salary of an environmental planner.
The top three skills for an environmental project manager include project management, business development and renewable energy. The most important skills for an environmental planner are federal regulations, water quality, and wetland delineations.
| Environmental Project Manager | Environmental Planner | |
| Yearly salary | $78,417 | $71,174 |
| Hourly rate | $37.70 | $34.22 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 112,963 | 30,227 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
The role of an environmental project manager is to provide support and guidance on how businesses can better protect the environment using their knowledge and expertise on environmental issues and legislation. As an environmental project manager, you will perform various tasks throughout your workday. These may include overseeing interaction and activities with environmental government agencies, managing permits, mitigation and compliance involving construction projects, and monitoring utility locators, drillers, or refinery workers. You will also be responsible for consulting with engineers, regulators, and scientists to plan projects.
Environmental planners are in charge of performing research and analysis to reduce the environmental impact of a company's business procedures and operations. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to attain environmentally friendly operations, optimizing processes for sustainability, liaising with clients to gain perspective, and coordinating with different departments to ensure that all processes adhere to the company's environmental policies and regulations. Furthermore, as an environmental planner, it is essential to produce progress reports and presentations, all while addressing and resolving any issues or concerns with the subject.
Environmental project managers and environmental planners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Project Manager | Environmental Planner | |
| Average salary | $78,417 | $71,174 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $118,000 | Between $52,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | West Virginia |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Santa Clara Valley Water District |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between an environmental project manager and an environmental planner in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Project Manager | Environmental Planner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Environmental Science | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of California, Berkeley |
Here are the differences between environmental project managers' and environmental planners' demographics:
| Environmental Project Manager | Environmental Planner | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% | Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 12.0% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 13.1% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |