Industrial Ecologists
Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsO*NET 19-2041.03United States
Apply principles and processes of natural ecosystems to develop models for efficient industrial systems. Use knowledge from the physical and social sciences to maximize effective use of natural resources in the production and use of goods and services.
- Median annual earnings
- $82,282
- Projected change
- +7.7%
- Typical education
- Master's or Professional degree
- Employment
- 92.37K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
65.2% of the workforce
Growing to 99.51K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What industrial ecologists do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Identify environmental impacts caused by products, systems, or projects.
- Identify or develop strategies or methods to minimize the environmental impact of industrial production processes.
- Analyze changes designed to improve the environmental performance of complex systems and avoid unintended negative consequences.
- Conduct environmental sustainability assessments, using material flow analysis (MFA) or substance flow analysis (SFA) techniques.
- Identify sustainable alternatives to industrial or waste-management practices.
- Redesign linear, or open-loop, systems into cyclical, or closed-loop, systems so that waste products become inputs for new processes, modeling natural ecosystems.
- Review research literature to maintain knowledge on topics related to industrial ecology, such as physical science, technology, economy, and public policy.
- Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.
- Examine local, regional, or global use and flow of materials or energy in industrial production processes.
- Monitor the environmental impact of development activities, pollution, or land degradation.
- Perform analyses to determine how human behavior can affect, and be affected by, changes in the environment.
- Build and maintain databases of information about energy alternatives, pollutants, natural environments, industrial processes, and other information related to ecological change.
- Recommend methods to protect the environment or minimize environmental damage from industrial production practices.
- Translate the theories of industrial ecology into eco-industrial practices.
- Develop alternative energy investment scenarios to compare economic and environmental costs and benefits.
- Carry out environmental assessments in accordance with applicable standards, regulations, or laws.
- Examine societal issues and their relationship with both technical systems and the environment.
- Plan or conduct field research on topics such as industrial production, industrial ecology, population ecology, and environmental production or sustainability.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of industrial ecology programs, using statistical analysis and applications.
- Create complex and dynamic mathematical models of population, community, or ecological systems.
- Forecast future status or condition of ecosystems, based on changing industrial practices or environmental conditions.
- Review industrial practices, such as the methods and materials used in construction or production, to identify potential liabilities and environmental hazards.
- Identify or compare the component parts or relationships between the parts of industrial, social, and natural systems.
- Prepare plans to manage renewable resources.
- Apply new or existing research about natural ecosystems to understand economic and industrial systems in the context of the environment.
- Perform environmentally extended input-output (EE I-O) analyses.
- Research sources of pollution to determine environmental impact or to develop methods of pollution abatement or control.
- Plan or conduct studies of the ecological implications of historic or projected changes in industrial processes or development.
- Promote use of environmental management systems (EMS) to reduce waste or to improve environmentally sound use of natural resources.
- Investigate the impact of changed land management or land use practices on ecosystems.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $52,399
- 25th percentile
- $64,434
- 50th percentile
- $82,282
- 75th percentile
- $108,266
- 90th percentile
- $140,930
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $82,282 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+7.7%faster than average
202592,365 jobs
2035 projected99,507 jobs
7,142 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Master's or Professional degree
- 65.2%
- Bachelor's degree
- 26.1%
- Doctoral degree or more
- 8.7%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Environmental Professionals117 postings
- 02Environmental Services Associates39 postings
- 03Environmental Project Engineers9 postings
- 04Environmental Investigators6 postings
- 05Environmental Managers5 postings
- 06Environmental Monitoring Associates5 postings
- 07Environmental Chemists4 postings
- 08Health and Environmental Managers4 postings
- 09Environmental Engineers3 postings
- 10Environmental Permitting Specialists3 postings
- 11Civil/Environmental Engineers2 postings
- 12Environmental Administrators2 postings
- 13Environmental Consultants2 postings
- 14Environmental Engineering Consultants2 postings
- 15Environmental Engineering Technicians2 postings
- 16Environmental Regulatory Specialists2 postings
- 17Land Use/Environmental Planners2 postings
- 18Permitting Managers2 postings
- 19Safety and Industrial Hygiene Specialists2 postings
- 20Stewardship Associates2 postings
Top employers
- 01Koch Industries20 postings
- 02AdventHealth16 postings
- 03GHD13 postings
- 04Johns Hopkins University9 postings
- 05Langan Engineering & Environmental Services7 postings
- 06Los Alamos National Laboratory6 postings
- 07WSP Global6 postings
- 08Michael Baker International5 postings
- 09Sargent & Lundy5 postings
- 10Socotec5 postings
- 11Terracon Consultants5 postings
- 12V3 Companies5 postings
- 13Ihire4 postings
- 14Jacobs Solutions4 postings
- 15Ninyo & Moore4 postings
- 16Walt Disney4 postings
- 17Arcadis3 postings
- 18Children's Minnesota3 postings
- 19Fuss & O'Neill3 postings
- 20Hart & Hickman, Pc3 postings
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