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Sustainability specialist salary
Average sustainability specialist salary
$49,602
Average Sustainability Specialist Salary
The average salary for a Sustainability Specialist stands at $49,602 per year. This figure can fluctuate based on several factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and the specific industry of employment. For instance, professionals in urban areas or those working for larger corporations may see higher compensation.
Factors Influencing Salary
Experience plays a significant role in determining salary levels. Entry-level positions typically start lower, while specialists with several years of experience can command higher wages. Additionally, certifications in sustainability practices or leadership roles can enhance earning potential.
Highest Paying States
- California: Known for its progressive environmental policies, it often offers higher salaries.
- New York: With a focus on sustainability initiatives, companies are willing to pay more.
- Texas: Growing demand in energy sectors boosts salaries.
Overall, pursuing a career as a Sustainability Specialist not only offers a competitive salary but also contributes to meaningful global change.
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Where can a Sustainability Specialist earn more?
Sustainability specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average sustainability specialist salary by state
The highest-paying states for sustainability specialists are New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The lowest average sustainability specialist salary states are Kansas, Oregon, and Georgia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for sustainability specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $65,144 | $31.32 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $64,369 | $30.95 |
| 3 | Vermont | $63,257 | $30.41 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $67,580 | $32.49 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $65,847 | $31.66 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $73,793 | $35.48 |
| 7 | Michigan | $61,622 | $29.63 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $60,687 | $29.18 |
| 9 | Ohio | $64,760 | $31.13 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $67,358 | $32.38 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $60,735 | $29.20 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $66,937 | $32.18 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $63,751 | $30.65 |
| 14 | Alaska | $59,921 | $28.81 |
| 15 | New York | $62,276 | $29.94 |
| 16 | Maryland | $62,494 | $30.05 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $59,031 | $28.38 |
| 18 | Texas | $60,229 | $28.96 |
| 19 | Arkansas | $55,510 | $26.69 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $57,196 | $27.50 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $61,081 | $29.37 |
| 22 | Nevada | $58,322 | $28.04 |
| 23 | Utah | $56,403 | $27.12 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $58,050 | $27.91 |
| 25 | Virginia | $56,712 | $27.27 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $53,380 | $25.66 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $50,922 | $24.48 |
| 28 | Montana | $56,502 | $27.16 |
| 29 | California | $60,530 | $29.10 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $49,998 | $24.04 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $56,592 | $27.21 |
| 32 | Iowa | $47,548 | $22.86 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $51,744 | $24.88 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $56,661 | $27.24 |
| 35 | Maine | $56,673 | $27.25 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $45,928 | $22.08 |
| 37 | Alabama | $47,225 | $22.70 |
| 38 | Arizona | $46,386 | $22.30 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $46,541 | $22.38 |
| 40 | Indiana | $49,091 | $23.60 |
| 41 | Idaho | $46,370 | $22.29 |
| 42 | Missouri | $50,947 | $24.49 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $51,665 | $24.84 |
| 44 | Florida | $42,152 | $20.27 |
| 45 | Illinois | $50,137 | $24.10 |
| 46 | Kansas | $45,484 | $21.87 |
| 47 | Washington | $48,295 | $23.22 |
| 48 | Oregon | $44,485 | $21.39 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $42,973 | $20.66 |
| 50 | Georgia | $43,315 | $20.82 |
| 51 | Colorado | $43,127 | $20.73 |
Highest paying cities for sustainability specialists
The highest-paying cities for sustainability specialists are Boston, MA, Washington, DC, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $67,006 | $32.21 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $63,762 | $30.65 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $62,994 | $30.29 |
| 4 | Columbia, MD | $62,516 | $30.06 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $62,347 | $29.97 |
| 6 | Detroit, MI | $62,020 | $29.82 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $61,260 | $29.45 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $60,562 | $29.12 |
| 9 | Arlington, VA | $58,765 | $28.25 |
| 10 | Columbia, SC | $56,702 | $27.26 |
| 11 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $53,420 | $25.68 |
| 12 | Saint Paul, MN | $51,807 | $24.91 |
| 13 | Saint Louis, MO | $51,510 | $24.76 |
| 14 | Durham, NC | $51,502 | $24.76 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $50,512 | $24.28 |
| 16 | Redmond, WA | $48,502 | $23.32 |
| 17 | Huntsville, AL | $46,984 | $22.59 |
| 18 | Kansas City, KS | $45,634 | $21.94 |
| 19 | Colorado Springs, CO | $43,278 | $20.81 |
| 20 | Atlanta, GA | $43,274 | $20.80 |
Sustainability specialist salary details
A sustainability specialist's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $80,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a sustainability specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
| 75th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| Average | $49,602 | $4,134 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
Highest paying sustainability specialist jobs
The highest paying types of sustainability specialists are director of sustainability, senior specialist, and staff specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Of Sustainability | $120,649 | $10,054 | $58.00 | 8,625 |
| Sustainability Consultant | $64,240 | $5,353 | $30.88 | 14,470 |
| Sustainability Manager | $67,890 | $5,657 | $32.64 | 4,105 |
| Sustainability Coordinator | $52,310 | $4,359 | $25.15 | 9,595 |
Top companies hiring sustainability specialists now:
Which companies pay sustainability specialists the most?
Sustainability specialist salaries at Microsoft and McKinsey & Company Inc are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average sustainability specialist salary at companies like Oshkosh and Middlebury College are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | $124,538 | $59.87 |
| 2 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $123,894 | $59.56 |
| 3 | Oshkosh | $105,030 | $50.50 |
| 4 | Middlebury College | $94,870 | $45.61 |
| 5 | Standard Chartered | $92,795 | $44.61 |
| 6 | Autodesk | $90,173 | $43.35 |
| 7 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $84,454 | $40.60 |
| 8 | Virtus Partners | $77,227 | $37.13 |
| 9 | Integration Innovation | $76,883 | $36.96 |
| 10 | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill | $76,479 | $36.77 |
| 11 | ORION | $76,314 | $36.69 |
| 12 | Burns & McDonnell | $75,443 | $36.27 |
| 13 | Gensler | $75,335 | $36.22 |
| 14 | Syska Hennessy Group | $73,975 | $35.56 |
| 15 | The Cadmus Group | $73,223 | $35.20 |
| 16 | Nitsch Engineering | $71,746 | $34.49 |
| 17 | 4CD Live | $71,435 | $34.34 |
| 18 | Solutions | $70,812 | $34.04 |
| 19 | BBandE Consulting Engineers and Professionals | $70,573 | $33.93 |
| 20 | Steven Winter Associates | $69,557 | $33.44 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Sustainability Specialist salary by industry
The average sustainability specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average sustainability specialist salary in the finance industry is $85,596, the highest of any industry.
- The average sustainability specialist salary in the finance industry is $65,545.
- Sustainability specialists in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $53,081, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for sustainability specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $85,596 | $41.15 |
| 2 | Technology | $65,545 | $31.51 |
| 3 | Professional | $63,671 | $30.61 |
| 4 | Government | $57,744 | $27.76 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $53,081 | $25.52 |
High paying sustainability specialist jobs
Sustainability specialist salary trends
The average sustainability specialist salary has risen by $7,300 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average sustainability specialist earned $42,302 annually, but today, they earn $49,602 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for sustainability specialists over the last decade.
Compare sustainability specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average sustainability specialist salary over time
Compare sustainability specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Sustainability specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,600 | $23.85 | +3.8% |
| 2024 | $47,700 | $22.94 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $46,600 | $22.40 | +0.7% |
| 2022 | $46,300 | $22.24 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | $45,600 | $21.93 | +1.3% |
Recently added sustainability specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syska Hennessy Group | Senior Sustainability Specialist-Energy Modeler | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $90,851 |
| State of Wisconsin | Rural Sustainability Specialist | Madison, WI | 06/28/2025 | $80,500 |
| CRB | Building Sustainability Specialist | San Diego, CA | 06/27/2025 | $160,000 |
| County of San Mateo (Ca | Sustainability Specialist II/III County Promotional | San Mateo, CA | 06/24/2025 | $97,469 |
| Evoke Consulting | Sustainability Specialist | Environmental Consulting and Management Services | Tallahassee, FL | 05/31/2025 | $60,000 |
| Focus On The Family | Temp Sustainer Engagement Specialist | Colorado Springs, CO | 05/30/2025 | $45,914 |
| Honda | ENV Compliance & Sustainability Specialist | Greensburg, IN | 05/29/2025 | $63,200 |
| Syska Hennessy Group | Senior Sustainability Specialist-Energy Modeler | New York, NY | 05/26/2025 | $90,851 |
| Mortenson | Associate Sustainability Specialist | Minneapolis, MN | 05/25/2025 | $67,300 |
| County of San Mateo (Ca | Senior Sustainability Specialist-Waste Reduction (Open and Promotional) | San Mateo, CA | 05/20/2025 | $117,624 |
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