Good news: saving the planet is not, however cliché it may sound, just something belonging to idealists in love with utopias. Environmentalism, as well as a necessity, is also creating dozens of new trades, which in the coming years will be in high demand and, in many cases, well paid.
A great reason to prepare for the best, starting from the choice of schools. The first example of these fast-growing green jobs are technical installers of solar panels: according to an estimate by O*Net – who presented a study on the trades of the future related to environmentalism – by 2026 the demand for these specialists will grow by 104.9 percent. Which means that in just seven years, the number of workers working to assemble, install or repair the panels could more than double.
Similar, but slightly lower, numbers concern wind turbine technicians, which have a growth potential of 96.3 percent over the same time frame. More than decent, in this case, is the average wage, calculated by O*Net at almost 55,000 dollars a year. But among the most in-demand tasks will not only be those of workers and skilled technicians. It is clear that the atmospheric and space sciences sector, whose studies investigate the phenomena of the weather in an increasingly sophisticated way compared to the weather forecasts to which we were accustomed until a few years ago, is growing strongly. The skills that can help to predict – and in some cases prevent – catastrophic events such as hurricanes or floods, also thanks to the use of big data are, in fact, increasingly crucial.
Solar panel installers, wind turbine technicians, big data experts, and software developers: the green sector offers new jobs and high salaries
Another profile to keep an eye on is software developers. A position that is growing even outside the environmental sector, but very much required in its green iteration: clean energy, like now almost everything needs to be communicated, controlled and sometimes even delivered through digital interfaces, whether they may be through mobile phones, car displays, or PC desktops. In any case, computer programmers are very much in demand and the compensation reflects this very well, so much so that O*Net quantifies the average salary of those who carry out this type of job at 110 thousand dollars.
What about the decision-making and administrative part of renewable resources: it will take profiles capable of imagining cities based on green development, urban planning (but also public transport) that take into account environmental needs which we can no longer delay. And so architects and engineers will be able to direct their studies to specialize in the environmental sector, embracing it to build completely sustainable cities of the future.
Nevertheless, one of the most sought-after trades – up by 10 percent – and among the higher paid will be in the financial area. Again, it is a matter of applying general skills to the environment, that is, skills like those of financial analysts. All renewable energy companies will benefit from this, looking for efficient services and better contracts with public administrations and private individuals. And with the average salary of 86,000 dollars a year, it is worth more than a passing thought.