Chief Sustainability Officers: Career Profile
Communicate and coordinate with management, shareholders, customers, and employees to address sustainability issues. Enact or oversee a corporate sustainability strategy.
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What Do Chief Sustainability Officers Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of chief sustainability officers span:
- Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of sustainability programs.
- Develop or execute strategies to address issues such as energy use, resource conservation, recycling, pollution reduction, waste elimination, transportation, education, and building design.
- Develop, or oversee the development of, sustainability evaluation or monitoring systems.
- Supervise employees or volunteers working on sustainability projects.
- Develop sustainability reports, presentations, or proposals for supplier, employee, academia, media, government, public interest, or other groups.
- Develop, or oversee the development of, marketing or outreach media for sustainability projects or events.
- Identify and evaluate pilot projects or programs to enhance the sustainability research agenda.
- Create and maintain sustainability program documents, such as schedules and budgets.
What Chief Sustainability Officers Need to Know
Effective chief sustainability officers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Chief Sustainability Officers Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- CSR and Sustainability VP (Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Vice President)
- Chief Environmental Commitment Officer (CECO)
- Chief Green Officer (CGO)
- Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)
- Climate Change and Sustainability Manager
- Corporate Sustainability Manager
- Corporate Sustainability Process Manager
- ESG Manager (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance Manager)
Job Outlook
There are about 438,786 chief sustainability officers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +0.5% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Chief Sustainability Officers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $96,628 |
| Hourly median | $46.46 |
| 10th percentile | $66,656 |
| 25th percentile | $81,642 |
| 75th percentile | $111,614 |
| 90th percentile | $126,600 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Chief Sustainability Officers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $231,500 |
| California | $220,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $220,510 |
| New York | $219,320 |
| Michigan | $219,230 |
| Rhode Island | $211,810 |
| Wisconsin | $209,090 |
| Ohio | $208,590 |
| Nebraska | $206,080 |
| Indiana | $205,780 |
| Georgia | $201,750 |
| Colorado | $194,810 |
| Montana | $194,460 |
| Minnesota | $194,160 |
| Delaware | $190,460 |
| West Virginia | $181,930 |
| South Carolina | $181,830 |
| Iowa | $178,530 |
| Tennessee | $173,870 |
| Idaho | $173,070 |
| North Dakota | $171,310 |
| Alaska | $168,680 |
| Vermont | $166,190 |
| Alabama | $164,400 |
| Utah | $163,980 |
| Missouri | $158,930 |
| Kansas | $154,700 |
| Arizona | $150,590 |
| Oklahoma | $148,870 |
| New Mexico | $148,790 |
| Kentucky | $146,630 |
| Wyoming | $140,000 |
| Virgin Islands | $139,160 |
| New Hampshire | $138,910 |
| Mississippi | $125,340 |
| Louisiana | $121,490 |
| Arkansas | $121,220 |
| Maine | $120,160 |
| Guam | $106,500 |
| Puerto Rico | $93,740 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for chief sustainability officers differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $194,008 | 25.9% | 1.41 |
| Plains States | $175,808 | 12.2% | 1.49 |
| Rocky Mountains | $167,724 | 2.8% | 1.56 |
| Middle Atlantic | $162,078 | 18.1% | 1.22 |
| Great Lakes | $157,187 | 12.0% | 0.71 |
| Southwest | $149,841 | 3.2% | 0.74 |
| Southeast | $129,145 | 17.5% | 0.92 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $97,169 | 1.7% | 2.06 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Chief Sustainability Officers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland, OH | OH | $239,130 | 870 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | NC | $236,800 | 60 |
| Wausau, WI | WI | $236,650 | 80 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | MI | $233,640 | 110 |
| Bend, OR | OR | $233,520 | 30 |
| Richmond, VA | VA | $232,850 | 690 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | CT | $232,600 | 70 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | IA | $232,510 | 350 |
Industry Breakdown
Most chief sustainability officers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 39,980 | $208,870 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 18,460 | $194,360 |
| Educational Services | 17,240 | $177,430 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 16,730 | n/a |
| Finance and Insurance | 16,720 | n/a |
| Manufacturing | 11,760 | n/a |
| Wholesale Trade | 11,050 | $217,770 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 9,900 | $167,270 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Customer relationship management CRM software: Salesforce software (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for chief sustainability officers reflects the following characteristics:
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Telephone Conversations
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How to Become Chief Sustainability Officers
Most chief sustainability officers positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Water Resource Specialists (Supplemental)
- Compliance Managers (Supplemental)
- Wind Energy Development Managers (Primary-Short)
- Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers (Primary-Long)
- Project Management Specialists (Supplemental)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Sustainability Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Information Technology Project Managers (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Future chief sustainability officers typically earn programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
8 programs across 6 majors
- Business Administration & Management
- Business & Commerce
- Finance & Financial Management
- Management Sciences & Methods
- Entrepreneurial Studies
- International Business
Public Administration and Social Service Professions
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-1011.03 (Chief Executives).
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