Architecture and Engineering · Holland code RIC
Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar
Design, develop, or evaluate energy-related projects or programs to reduce energy costs or improve energy efficiency during the designing, building, or remodeling stages of construction. May specialize in electrical systems; heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems; green buildings; lighting; air quality; or energy procurement.
Also called: Energy Efficiency Engineer, Energy Engineer, Industrial Energy Engineer, Test and Balance Engineer (TAB Engineer).
O*NET 17-2199.03
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $122,930
- Middle half earn $90,970 to $158,090. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 4 of 5
- Considerable preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Identify and recommend energy savings strategies to achieve more energy-efficient operation.
- Collect data for energy conservation analyses, using jobsite observation, field inspections, or sub-metering.
- Monitor and analyze energy consumption.
- Prepare energy-related project reports or related documentation.
- Monitor energy related design or construction issues, such as energy engineering, energy management, or sustainable design.
- Conduct energy audits to evaluate energy use and to identify conservation and cost reduction measures.
- Analyze, interpret, or create graphical representations of energy data, using engineering software.
- Train personnel or clients on topics such as energy management.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1 / 5
- Active Listening4.0 / 5
- Writing4.0 / 5
- Critical Thinking4.0 / 5
- Active Learning4.0 / 5
- Speaking3.9 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Engineering and Technology4.6 / 5
- Mathematics4.3 / 5
- Mechanical4.2 / 5
- Building and Construction4.1 / 5
- Design3.9 / 5
- English Language3.8 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic70
- Investigative62
- Artistic17
- Social21
- Enterprising35
- Conventional57
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- hydropower engineer · DE Wasserkraftingenieur/Wasserkraftingenieurin · FR ingénieur en hydroélectricité/ingénieure en hydroélectricité
- energy engineer · DE Energieingenieur/Energieingenieurin · FR ingénieur en énergie/ingénieure en énergie
- energy systems engineer · DE Ingenieur Energiesysteme/Ingenieurin Energiesysteme · FR ingénieur procédés énergie/ingénieure procédés énergie
- renewable energy engineer · DE Ingenieur Erneuerbare Energien/Ingenieurin Erneuerbare Energien · FR ingénieur R&D en énergies renouvelables/ingénieure R&D en énergies renouvelables
- solar energy engineer · DE Ingenieur Solartechnik/Ingenieurin Solartechnik · FR ingénieur en énergie solaire/ingénieure en énergie solaire
- thermal engineer · DE Ingenieur Wärmetechnik/Ingenieurin Wärmetechnik · FR ingénieur thermicien/ingénieure thermicienne
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Building and civil engineering technicians (3114)20,100 employed
- Electrical engineers (2123)59,700 employed
- Quantity surveyors (2453)45,300 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €61,714 |
| Germany | €59,529 |
| Ireland | €56,877 |
| Austria | €55,374 |
| Netherlands | €53,595 |
| Sweden | €43,567 |
| France | €41,515 |
| Spain | €35,735 |
| Italy | €33,649 |
| Portugal | €26,072 |
| Poland | €14,380 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the higher third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +0.79. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (17-2199).
Related careers
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