Green Careers
Below we have a long list of every possible career we could find, most of which have videos. Sorry the list is so long, but it’s not our fault there are so many ways to make money in the world! Scroll below to see our advice on how to make your career choice greener. Click on the link to view the video if you’re curious about that career choice.
Leave us a comment to share your ideas on how to make a career more green. Let us know if we’ve missed a career also! We haven’t yet gotten to all the different careers, but don’t despair…almost every career can be a green career.
Careers
Accountants And Auditors – think about energy auditing.
Actors - you could make movies about solar power, or star in commercials advocating solar power. At the very least, you could post a YouTube video.
Advertising Managers – direct your team to prepare eye-catching advertisements for solar products and projects.
Aerospace Engineers – design more solar-powered airplanes for personal transportation. Airplane fuel is among the most polluting fuels available, but a plane that is powered by the sun has the ultimate clean energy source.
Aerospace Technicians – assist the aerospace engineers in building solar-powered airplanes.
Agricultural Equipment Operators
Agricultural Graders And Sorters
Air Traffic Controllers – the equipment used could be powered on solar energy.
Animal Breeders – select animals that require the fewest resources for upkeep.
Anthropologists And Archeologists
Application Software Engineers – come up with applications that serve a green purpose. The possibilities are endless here.
Architects – design buildings with integrated passive and active solar features.
Assemblers And Fabricators – fabricate solar panels and assemble solar equipment.
Atmospheric And Space Scientists
Building Insulation Workers – use recycled or recyclable materials like cellulose when possible, and add more insulation than required to reduce energy use even more.
Camera Operators – operate cameras on solar power, or on batteries that were charged using solar power.
Captains And Pilots Of Water Vessels
Carpenters – build south-facing garages and sheds, atop which will sit solar panels.
Clergy - The good Lord said “Let there be light,” and there was light – all the light we need to power everything we want.
Computer And Information Scientists
Computer Controlled Machine Tool Operators
Computer Programmers – The computer you’re programming on can be charged with solar power. You could use a laptop to do all your programming for minimal power needs.
Conservation Scientists – you already have a green job! Just do your job well, and you will be a big help to the environment and everyone.
Construction And Building Inspectors – inspect a solar installation to ensure that there are no code violations.
Construction Equipment Operators
Construction Laborers – these are the men and women that install solar panels and other solar equipment.
Construction Managers – these are the people in charge of every solar installation project.
Construction Supervisors – these are the people in charge of others involved in a solar installation project.
Correctional Officers And Jailers – officers could put their inmates to work installing or repairing solar panels.
Cost Estimators – Every solar project needs someone to estimate the cost.
Craft Artists – create works of art that feature solar cells in some way, either as a power source or as an item of beauty in itself.
Credit Authorizers And Checkers
Customer Service Representatives
Data Entry Keyers – key in customers’ orders for solar panels and related solar equipment.
Dental Hygienists – install solar panels at your place of business, and all your dentistry tools could be powered with solar.
Desktop Publishers – your laptop could be powered with solar power. You could also publish articles on solar power.
Drafters - draft plans for solar installations on houses and other structures.
Drywall And Ceiling Tile Installers
Economists – study how the economy can be tweaked to be in favor of solar sales.
Electrical Assemblers – assemble devices that run on or otherwise incorporate solar power.
Electrical Engineers – design a solar power system or a more efficient piece of electrical equipment that could make use of solar power.
Electricians - every electrician should learn how to install solar equipment. It would be a great way to expand your job skills, and get extra work. Or you could start your own solar installation business after learning how to install solar panels. Or have a roofer install them for you, and you do the wiring – either way, it would make a great business.
Elementary School Teachers – teach your schoolchildren about sources of clean energy, like solar power. Show them some shiny solar cells and how they can be used to light lights. The kids will be impressed, and will grow up to be leaders of our energy future.
Emergency Management Specialists – in a crisis, when electricity gets interrupted, it would be advantageous to use solar power as a backup source of electricity.
Employment Specialists – find employment for candidates in the booming solar power industry.
Environmental Engineering Technicians – support the environmental engineers in their mission to use solar installation as a means of environmental protection.
Environmental Engineers – one way to keep the environment protected from too much pollution is to find a source of clean energy like solar. Environmental engineers could be an important part of the solar installation process, recommending systems for individuals, businesses, and organizations wishing to decrease their carbon footprint.
Environmental Scientists – you already have a green job! Just do your job well, and that will benefit the environment and everyone.
Equipment Cleaners – solar equipment could always be kept clean. Here’s a job – climb up on roofs and give the solar panels a good glass cleaning. That will keep the panels performing at near peak efficiency without absorption losses due to dirty glass.
Etchers And Engravers – people might want their solar panels engraved to protect them from theft, if someone were really willing to risk climbing up a roof and getting shocked in order to steal the panels. Another job might be to engrave solar cells or products featuring solar cells as gift items.
Excavating Machine Operators – dig out holes in the ground in which to place your solar panels. Line the sides of the hole with big mirrors, directing the light onto the panels in the middle. You’ve effectively built a large solar concentrator, increasing the electrical
output of your panel without the expense of buying additional panels.
Exhibit Designers – solar power exhibits are needed at local schools and museums – you could design one.
Explosives Workers – blow up old buildings to make room for new, more energy-efficient ones that incorporate solar power.
Family And School Social Workers
Farming Fishing And Forestry Supervisors
Farmworkers – Agriculture is a huge consumer of petroleum. You won’t be able to do much about the gas you use for your tractors and harvesting equipment, but at least your electricity could be supplied with solar power.
Fashion Designers – incorporate flexible solar cells into wearable material so users can power their iPods by just standing out in the sun.
Film And Video Editors – make a film on solar power. There are lots of them on YouTube to get ideas from.
Fine Artists – make a piece of artwork that incorporates solar power in some way, or just make something that shows off nice and shiny solar cells.
Fitness Trainers – get solar installers in shape so they can work more efficiently lifting solar panels onto rooftops.
Forest And Conservation Technicians – you already have a green job! The forests could always use more conservation, especially with the spread of development due to growing urban and suburban populations.
Forest And Conservation Workers – this is yet another green job already! Count yourself lucky to get this one. Just keep doing your job well to benefit both the environment and society.
Foresters – this is a great green job, because the forests always need managing and protection. You alone have the knowledge and capabilities to perform these tasks.
Geoscientists – this is a great green job in research, to understand how the Earth works.
Government Program Eligibility Interviewers
Groundskeeping Supervisors – supervise your crew members as they tend to the landscape around ground-mounted solar panels, to better integrate them into the rest of the landscape.
Hairdressers And Cosmetologists
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers – necessary to clean up the mess left over from old buildings that are being torn down, to be replaced by newer, more energy-efficient ones incorporating solar power.
Health And Safety Engineers – could supervise safety precautions on large solar installation projects – there are ergonomic precautions in lifting equipment, and electrical precautions in installing the equipment.
Heavy Truck Drivers – needed to drive large quantities of solar panels and other installation equipment across great distances from factories to installation sites.
Highway Maintenance Workers – try to do your work while keeping erosion in mind. Many construction projects last for a long time, during which time a great deal of erosion takes place.
Home Appliance Repairers – you will stand out from other home appliance repairers if you can repair devices that run on 12/24/48V DC from solar panels.
Home Entertainment Installers – offer your customers a green choice. When you install the entertainment system, get it connected up to a solar power source so your customers can enjoy hours of watching clean, pollution-free
TV.
Hotel And Motel Desk Clerks – the computer you use at the front desk to check everyone’s reservations could be powered with solar power.
Hvac Mechanics – install the ductwork and blowers necessary to circulate heated air from passive solar and solar thermal systems throughout a home or building.
Hydrologists – this is a wonderful green job in research, studying and managing groundwater, waterways and entire watersheds. Water is the second most valuable resource on the planet besides air, and we always need people who can help keep the water clean and flowing.
Industrial Engineers – figure out how to manufacture things in such a way that a low amount of energy is used, enough to be supplied by an industrial-scale solar power system.
Industrial Machinery Mechanics
Industrial Production Managers
Industrial Truck Operators – someone has to drive the solar panels from place to place.
Interior Designers – design how a room could best be used to maximize available lighting, to decrease the amount of lights and power required.
Interviewers - you could be interviewing someone for a solar industry position.
Janitors And Cleaners – where possible, use as little cleaning solution as you can to perform the job. Encourage people to leave the facilities cleaner so you will have to use less materials for cleaning, which will be helpful for the environment and for waste reduction.
Jewelers - design jewelry that encases little pieces of solar cells for extra shine and sparkle.
Laborers And Freight Movers – there are always large containers of solar panels and other related equipment to move.
Landscape Architects – design a landscape that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but energetically functional by incorporating solar panels and solar-powered lights into the design of your landscape. A plot of land with solar panels and lighting on it can look stunning with the right design, incorporating form with function to achieve a symbiotic example of green technology.
Landscaping Workers – you get to execute and maintain the design ideas of the landscape architects, which will incorporate solar power in some way.
Laundry Workers – let’s talk about redefining the laundromat. It would take a lot of solar panels and solar thermal systems, but your laundromat would make the news if all its electricity came from solar panels and its hot water came from solar thermal systems. If you can keep the place clean and upscale, and offer free Wi-Fi and coffee while people wait for their clothes, you might be able to recoup some of the cost of your solar systems by charging slightly higher fees for people to do laundry at your place.
Lawyers - undoubtedly, lawyers can find work in any industry, including solar. For example, if a neighbor sues their neighbor over a tree that fell on their $20,000 solar panel system, here’s a chance for a lawyer to earn more money.
Legislators – pass more bills for solar incentives. Simple, easy.
Librarians - help the eager public learn more about solar by showing them where to find books on solar power.
Library Technicians – help shelve all the books on solar power that the public has been checking out and returning lately.
Loan Counselors – help people figure out whether they can afford a loan for that $30,000 solar panel system they’ve been wanting to put in. If they don’t qualify, suggest that they learn to be more efficient with their energy use so that a $10,000 system would suit them fine.
Logging Equipment Operators – in some cases, people will want to clear trees on their property that are blocking their southern exposure to the Sun. The trees will have to go somewhere, and that’s where you come in.
Marine Engineers And Architects
Market Research Analysts – help clients figure out the details of today’s solar market. Where can your client stand to make the most profit by installing solar power systems?
Materials Engineers – such engineers are always useful in developing new materials that lead to more efficient, more robust solar panels.
Mechanical Engineering Technicians
Meeting Planners – help plan and schedule meetings between solar sales staff or between solar installation workers.
Mental Health And Substance Abuse Social Workers
Merchandise Displayers – make an eye-catching layout of solar products.
Meter Readers – visit the homes of those who have installed solar panels to verify that indeed, their meter is running more slowly or even backwards.
Mining Loading Machine Operators
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics
Motor And Power Tool Repairers
Network Analysts – design a network that is as low in power consumption as possible, and that can be run with as much solar energy as possible. Data centers consume a staggering quantity of electricity – any dent you can make in this would be more than worthwhile.
Nuclear Medicine Technologists
Occupational Health Specialists
Occupational Therapist Assistants
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
Paralegals And Legal Assistants
Pesticide Handlers – use the least amount of the least toxic pesticide as you can. Glyphosate is a nice, supposedly non-toxic one to use because it breaks down into non-toxic byproducts. Still, use the lowest concentration that will do the job.
Petroleum Engineers – this career field is soon to be deprecated. You may want to consider a career in solar instead.
Photographers – take stunning photos of solar panels in everyday use, for the purpose of promoting the solar industry.
Photographic Equipment Repairers
Photographic Machine Operators
Pilots And Flight Engineers – planes consume a lot of fuel and produce a great deal more pollution than the cars we drive. Help offset your carbon footprint as a pilot or flight engineer by doing something to lower your carbon emissions – support the planting of trees, buy clean energy from your power company, install solar panels, etc.
Police Patrol Officers – you could be using an electric car.
Postsecondary Agricultural Sciences Teachers
Postsecondary Computer Science Teachers
Postsecondary Nursing Instructors
Postsecondary Vocational Education Teachers – teach your students a green vocation, such as solar panel installation.
Power Line Installers – you might be able to take on some of the electrical work in installing solar power systems.
Power Plant Operators – every person with a solar power system on their house will effectively be one of these. Hopefully someday, this will become the most popular job in the world.
Preschool Teachers – teach your schoolchildren about clean energy and solar cells. They are never too young to learn.
Public Relations Specialists – you would have an important job function in ensuring that your solar power company has a good public face.
Purchasing Managers – your job would be to buy the solar panels and related equipment for an installation project.
Railroad Conductors And Yardmasters
Real Estate Agents – you could be a green real estate agent and distinguish yourself from the competition by listing only those houses that have solar power, passive solar, or other energy-saving features installed. You could make a name for yourself by being the go-to person for new arrivals to a city or town who are looking for a green place to live.
Real Estate Appraisers – if you have two otherwise equal houses, be sure to appraise the one that has solar power more highly than the other house.
Recreational Protective Service Workers
Reporters - make sure to feature heavy coverage of the solar industry. The more it is out in the news, the more it will be on everyone’s minds, and the faster that solar will spread.
Roofers - you could easily transition to installing the framework for solar panels on rooftops. If you don’t have electrical experience, that part will have to go to a licensed electrician, but at least you could install the framework and team up with an electrician to form your own solar installation company.
Sailors - power all your electrical devices with onboard solar, and save fuel for traveling.
Sales Managers – you could make a difference selling solar products.
Secondary School Special Ed Teachers – clean energy and solar power could be themes around which classes are organized.
Secondary School Teachers – your kids will be going off to college after not too long. Give them a good start by teaching them about clean energy, which involves a bit of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – those core disciplines that are so highly valued not only in college, but also in the business world.
Security Guards – you could guard the largest solar installations from acts of vandalism. There are still bad people in the world who can’t stand to see the promotion of clean energy.
Service Station Attendants – instead of helping to fill someone’s car with gas, you can also direct them to your solar charging station where they can park their electric car for an hour or so to charge up. Or, you can plug them in directly to the power grid to charge
even faster. The proportion of clean energy on the power grid will only increase in the future, as homeowners and businesses purchase grid-tied solar power systems that sell power back to power companies. All that clean energy then will make its way to your solar charging station.
Sewing Machine Operators – run your sewing machine off solar energy.
Surveying Technicians – help the surveyors do their job in mapping out the land on which large solar panel arrays will go.
Surveyors - survey the land on which large solar panel installations will be built.
Taxi Drivers – drive your customers around in electric cars. Of course, you will need to frequently recharge, so your taxicab company should have lots of available cars for use while one is recharging. Help offset the cost of additional cars by charging higher fees to customers for the novelty of riding around in an electric car. Your customers will feel good about making the green choice when it comes to personal public transportation.
Teacher Assistants – teachers are very busy people. Help them to reach more students with the message of clean energy by assisting the teacher with their work.
Technical Writers – write the documentation for each of the components in a solar power system.
Telecommunications Equipment Installers – when you install this equipment, connect it to a solar power source whenever possible.
Telecommunications Line Installers
Telemarketers - you have to sell something; it’s part of your job. Why not sell something truly beneficial like solar products or solar power systems?
Tour Guides – take groups on tours of large solar panel installations, or of highly energy-efficient buildings incorporating passive or active solar.
Track Laying Equipment Operators
Tree Trimmers – people will likely want to trim or cut down trees blocking their southern exposure to the sun. This would be an excellent source of business – trimming trees when small in order to maximize sunlight availability for customers’ future solar installations.
Urban Planners – plan where buildings and services should go in order to minimize travel time. This will not only reduce pollution, but make it easier for electric cars to go places without people worrying where their next recharge will be.
Vending Machine Servicers – hook up each vending machine to a solar power system in order to supply 100% green snacks and drinks.
Watch Repairers – when you go to replace the watch battery, use a rechargeable one. Though it takes a long time for the battery to run down, it would be nice for it to be rechargeable so it can be recharged using solar power.
Water And Waste Treatment Plant Operators
Writers - you have an important job in educating the pubic about solar through your written works.
Zoologists And Wildlife Biologists – this is already a green job! You’re working with animals and ensuring that their populations are well managed. The world can always use healthy populations of species other than ourselves.
