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The differences between sustainability managers and sustainability specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a sustainability manager and a sustainability specialist. Additionally, a sustainability manager has an average salary of $67,890, which is higher than the $49,602 average annual salary of a sustainability specialist.
The top three skills for a sustainability manager include project management, sustainability initiatives and renewable energy. The most important skills for a sustainability specialist are HVAC, renewable energy, and logistics.
| Sustainability Manager | Sustainability Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $67,890 | $49,602 |
| Hourly rate | $32.64 | $23.85 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 4,105 | 23,059 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Sustainability specialists are professionals who are responsible for designing and executing programs on energy and resource conservation that will reduce the impact of an organization on the environment. These specialists must determine how the organization can operate in an environmentally responsible way by combining their business expertise and environmental factors. They are required to seek business solutions that will not have any adverse effect in the future by prioritizing renewable energy sources. Sustainability specialists must also help the management to make effective decisions through reports and cost-benefit analysis of proposals.
Sustainability managers and sustainability specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sustainability Manager | Sustainability Specialist | |
| Average salary | $67,890 | $49,602 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $142,000 | Between $30,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Piscataway, NJ | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | AstraZeneca | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a sustainability manager and a sustainability specialist in terms of educational background:
| Sustainability Manager | Sustainability Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between sustainability managers' and sustainability specialists' demographics:
| Sustainability Manager | Sustainability Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.8% Female, 37.2% | Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8% |
| 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% |