Industrial Ecologists: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Job description

Industrial Ecologists 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. Examine societal issues and their relationship with both technical systems and the environment.

• Identify environmental impacts caused by products, systems, or projects.
• Examine local, regional, or global use and flow of materials or energy in industrial production processes.
• Identify or develop strategies or methods to minimize the environmental impact of industrial production processes.
• Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.

Salary

Industrial Ecologists with little to no experience tend to make between $42520 and $53580 while the more experienced ones can earn over $94590 per year.

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as an Industrial Ecologist is to move to a higher paying state like DC. Right now, the highest paying states for Industrial Ecologists are DC, CO, CA, NM and VA.

However, a higher pay at DC doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at DC might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as an Industrial Ecologist is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.

Requirements

We asked other Industrial Ecologists what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a Master’s Degree followed by a PhD.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being an Industrial Ecologist.

What is the job like

69% of Industrial Ecologists said they were satisfied with their job and 65% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.

Is this right for me

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

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