The range of careers is very wide. This includes green building architect, environmental engineer, green construction manager, sustainable materials specialist, Leed accreditation, energy auditor, sustainable urban planner, water conservation specialist, and circular economy specialist.

Career paths often follow education.  A Bachelor's degree in any of the following areas - architecture, materials engineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering, urban planning, landscape as well as energy efficiency creation such as solar.

Another career path is to gain accreditation through relevant certifications. Here is a list of construction oriented certifications.

1. LEED Accreditation

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED): Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

• Credentials: LEED Green Associate, LEED Accredited Professional (AP) in Building Design + Construction, Operations + Maintenance, etc.
• Focus: Green building practices, sustainability strategies, and LEED rating systems.

2. BREEAM Certification

Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM): Certification for sustainable building performance.

• Focus: Assessment of environmental performance across various stages of the building lifecycle.

3. Certified Energy Manager (CEM)

• Focus: Energy management principles, energy auditing, and efficiency optimization.
• Offered by: Association of Energy Engineers (AEE).

4. Passive House Certification

• Focus: Energy-efficient building design, including airtightness and thermal comfort.
• Offered by: Passive House Institute.

5. WELL Accredited Professional

• Focus: Focuses on human health and well-being in the built environment.
• Offered by: International WELL Building Institute.

6. Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP)

• Focus: Sustainable infrastructure projects, focusing on environmental, economic, and social impacts.
• Offered by: Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI).

7. Certified Sustainable Building Advisor (CSBA)

• Focus: Sustainable building strategies, energy efficiency, and eco-friendly materials.

Offered by: National Sustainable Building Advisor Program (NaSBAP).

A career in sustainable construction requires a set of educational qualifications, certifications, and skills that match with green / sustainable building practices, environmental awareness, and energy efficiency. There are also a growing set of regulatory requirements, some federal and some city and state.

The range of salaries for people working in sustainable construction does vary greatly based on factors such as job role, level of experience, education as well as geographic location (for instance, urban areas with high demand for sustainable projects and regions with strong environmental policies and incentives offer higher salaries, while rural areas and those without progressive leaning policies may have lower salary ranges. 

Here is a selection of roles and the average salary range.

Engineering and design roles such as sustainable design architect, and engineers in structural mechanical and civil.

• Sustainable design architect - $70,000 to $120,000
• Structural engineer - $65,000 to $110,000
• Mechanical engineer - $70,000 to $120,000\
• Civil engineer  - $70,000 to $120,000

Renewable energy and tech roles such as Renewable Energy Engineer and Smart Building Technology Specialist each range from $65,000 to $120,000.

Construction site roles with emphasis on sustainability such as sustainable construction manager and construction estimator range from $65,000 - $110,000 and $75,000 to $130,000, respectively. Experience in managing sustainable construction sites as well as certifications in sustainable construction practices are helpful