Life, Physical, and Social Science · Holland code IRC

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.

Also called: Ecologist, Environmental Consultant, Environmental Protection Agency Counselor, Research Scientist, Researcher.

O*NET 19-2041.03

At a glance

US median annual pay: $82,220; Middle half earn $64,490 to $107,970. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Master's Degree; 65% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 5 of 5; Extensive preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034: +4% · As fast as average; 90,300 jobs in 2024, projected 94,300. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Environmental scientists and specialists".

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Identify environmental impacts caused by products, systems, or projects.
Identify or develop strategies or methods to minimize the environmental impact of industrial production processes.
Analyze changes designed to improve the environmental performance of complex systems and avoid unintended negative consequences.
Conduct environmental sustainability assessments, using material flow analysis (MFA) or substance flow analysis (SFA) techniques.
Identify sustainable alternatives to industrial or waste-management practices.
Review research literature to maintain knowledge on topics related to industrial ecology, such as physical science, technology, economy, and public policy.
Redesign linear, or open-loop, systems into cyclical, or closed-loop, systems so that waste products become inputs for new processes, modeling natural ecosystems.
Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Reading Comprehension4.1 / 5
Active Listening4.0 / 5
Writing4.0 / 5
Speaking4.0 / 5
Critical Thinking3.9 / 5
Science3.6 / 5

Knowledge areas

Mathematics4.3 / 5
Engineering and Technology4.0 / 5
Chemistry3.5 / 5
Computers and Electronics3.4 / 5
Physics3.3 / 5
English Language3.2 / 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.

Realistic60
Investigative100
Artistic19
Social16
Enterprising34
Conventional50

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)

ecologist · DE Ökologe/Ökologin · FR écologue
environmental scientist · DE Umweltwissenschaftler/Umweltwissenschaftlerin · FR chargé d’études environnement/chargée d’études environnement
environmental engineer · DE Umweltingenieur/Umweltingenieurin · FR ingénieur génie de l’environnement/ingénieure génie de l’environnement
environmental expert · DE Umweltexperte/Umweltexpertin · FR ingénieur environnement/ingénieure environnement

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Conservation professionals (2151)21,900 employed
Environment professionals (2152)80,200 employed
Agricultural and fishing trades n.e.c. (5119)26,800 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.

Median annual earnings, Professionals, by country
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 +1.01. 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 (19-2041).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test