Environmental Economists
Conduct economic analysis related to environmental protection and use of the natural environment, such as water, air, land, and renewable energy resources. Evaluate and quantify benefits, costs, incentives, and impacts of alternative options using economic principles and statistical techniques.
Also known as: Agricultural Economist, Ecological Economist, Energy Economist, Environment and Natural Resources Economics Researcher, Environmental Economist, Environmental Protection Economist, Marine Resource Economist, Natural Resource Economist, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Slower than average)
What You'd Do
- Prepare and deliver presentations to communicate economic and environmental study results, to present policy recommendations, or to raise awareness of environmental consequences.
- Monitor or analyze market and environmental trends.
- Demonstrate or promote the economic benefits of sound environmental regulations.
- Write technical documents or academic articles to communicate study results or economic forecasts.
- Write social, legal, or economic impact statements to inform decision makers for natural resource policies, standards, or programs.
- Write research proposals and grant applications to obtain private or public funding for environmental and economic studies.
- Examine the exhaustibility of natural resources or the long-term costs of environmental rehabilitation.
- Develop systems for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting environmental and economic data.
- Develop environmental research project plans, including information on budgets, goals, deliverables, timelines, and resource requirements.
- Develop economic models, forecasts, or scenarios to predict future economic and environmental outcomes.
- Collect and analyze data to compare the environmental implications of economic policy or practice alternatives.
- Perform complex, dynamic, and integrated mathematical modeling of ecological, environmental, or economic systems.
- Conduct research to study the relationships among environmental problems and patterns of economic production and consumption.
- Conduct research on economic and environmental topics, such as alternative fuel use, public and private land use, soil conservation, air and water pollution control, and endangered species protection.
- Develop programs or policy recommendations to achieve environmental goals in cost-effective ways.
- Assess the costs and benefits of various activities, policies, or regulations that affect the environment or natural resource stocks.
- Develop programs or policy recommendations to promote sustainability and sustainable development.
- Teach courses in environmental economics.
- Interpret indicators to ascertain the overall health of an environment.
- Identify and recommend environmentally friendly business practices.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.