Environmental Economists

Conduct economic analysis related to environmental protection and use of the natural environment, such as water, air, land, and renewable energy resources. Evaluate and quantify benefits, costs, incentives, and impacts of alternative options using economic principles and statistical techniques.

Median wage

$115,440

$62,340–$212,710

Projected growth

+1.1%

Slower than average

Annual openings

per year

Employed (US)

15,880

Job Zone 5

Typical preparation

Extensive preparation

Stackable credential programs

670 mapped

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Core skills

WritingReading ComprehensionActive ListeningMathematicsCritical ThinkingActive LearningComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision Making

Knowledge areas

MathematicsEconomics and AccountingEnglish LanguageComputers and ElectronicsEducation and Training

Technology & tools

Analytical or scientific softwareDevelopment environment softwareObject or component oriented development softwareGeographic information systemData base user interface and query software

Representative tasks

Write technical documents or academic articles to communicate study results or economic forecasts.Conduct research on economic and environmental topics, such as alternative fuel use, public and privCollect and analyze data to compare the environmental implications of economic policy or practice al

Competency framework

Skill expectations by proficiency level.

emerging

Environmental and economic literature — review and synthesize under faculty or senior economist guidance to support ongoing research projects in academic or government settings.Primary and secondary datasets — collect and organize using database query tools and spreadsheet software to prepare inputs for environmental economic analyses.Technical writing conventions — apply to draft structured sections of research reports or academic articles under the direction of lead researchers in policy or consulting environments.Cost-benefit analysis frameworks — identify and describe relevant components when assessing environmental policy alternatives under close supervision in a research unit.Economic and environmental data — compare using descriptive statistics and spreadsheet software to identify preliminary patterns across land use or pollution control scenarios.Geographic information systems — operate at a foundational level to map environmental and economic data under supervision for natural resource or land use studies.Quantitative methods and mathematical reasoning — apply to structured problem sets and supervised model exercises within environmental economics research teams.Presentation software and office suite tools — use to prepare supporting slides and tables for supervisor-led briefings on environmental study results.Existing economic models — run using analytical or scientific software under direction to generate baseline outputs for environmental forecasting assignments.Regulatory and legal context — identify relevant statutes and government policies affecting environmental economics research when assigned to specific topic areas by senior staff.

developing

Technical reports and manuscript drafts — produce independently to communicate findings on topics such as air and water pollution control or endangered species economics in agency or consulting contexts.Environmental and economic datasets — collect, clean, and analyze using statistical and GIS software to evaluate the implications of competing land use or conservation policies.Cost-benefit assessments — conduct for specific regulatory or program alternatives, incorporating environmental externalities and natural resource valuation methods in government or NGO settings.Economic forecasting models — build and calibrate using analytical or scientific software to project near-term outcomes of environmental policy scenarios for client or agency audiences.Peer-reviewed literature and policy documents — read and critically evaluate to integrate current evidence into applied environmental economics research with moderate autonomy.Research presentations — prepare and deliver to internal teams or mid-level stakeholders to communicate study results on topics such as alternative fuel economics or soil conservation programs.Policy options and program designs — assess for cost-effectiveness using structured analytical frameworks, contributing recommendations to departmental or project-level decision processes.Object-oriented or development environment software — use to script reproducible data pipelines and automate analytical workflows supporting environmental economic studies.Interdisciplinary data sources — monitor across environmental science and economics domains to identify emerging trends relevant to assigned research portfolios.Active listening and stakeholder questioning — apply during project meetings with agency partners or clients to clarify scope and refine analytical approaches for environmental studies.

proficient

Peer-reviewed articles and technical reports — author independently to disseminate original research findings on topics spanning pollution control economics, resource conservation, and ecosystem valuation in leading journals and government publications.Multi-method research designs — develop and execute autonomously to investigate complex environmental-economic questions such as carbon pricing effectiveness, biodiversity offsets, or groundwater allocation policy.Integrated cost-benefit analyses — perform across the full scope of a study, incorporating non-market valuation techniques and uncertainty analysis to advise senior agency officials or executive clients on regulatory decisions.Econometric and simulation models — design, validate, and refine using advanced analytical software to generate credible long-range forecasts of environmental and economic system interactions.Policy recommendations — formulate and defend in high-stakes settings, synthesizing economic theory, empirical evidence, and legal constraints to guide environmental program development at the agency or organizational level.Complex environmental-economic datasets — manage end-to-end, applying GIS, database tools, and scripting environments to produce reproducible, audit-ready analyses for regulatory or litigation support contexts.Economic benefits of sound environmental regulations — demonstrate to skeptical audiences by constructing rigorous empirical cases that link regulatory outcomes to measurable welfare improvements.Non-routine analytical challenges — resolve independently, adapting methodological approaches when standard models fail to capture novel environmental or market conditions encountered in practice.Cross-disciplinary project teams — lead technically, directing economists, scientists, and GIS analysts toward coherent analytical conclusions on large-scale environmental impact or natural resource assessments.Public and stakeholder presentations — deliver with authority to legislative committees, executive leadership, or international bodies, translating complex environmental economic findings into actionable guidance.

advanced

Strategic research agendas — define for entire organizations or research institutions, prioritizing environmental economics inquiry across domains such as climate adaptation, ecosystem services markets, and natural capital accounting.Novel economic frameworks and models — pioneer and publish to advance the discipline's capacity to evaluate previously unmeasured environmental costs and benefits in national or global policy contexts.Organizational research programs — direct, allocating financial resources and scientific talent to maximize the rigor and policy impact of environmental economics portfolios across government, academia, or the private sector.Senior policymakers and executive leaders — advise authoritatively on the economic design of landmark environmental regulations, synthesizing decades of empirical evidence and modeling expertise.Interdisciplinary teams of economists, scientists, and legal experts — mentor and develop, establishing professional standards and learning strategies that build next-generation capacity in environmental economics.High-profile public communications and advocacy campaigns — lead to shift institutional or political understanding of the economic case for environmental stewardship at national or international scale.Cross-agency and cross-sector partnerships — forge and sustain, deploying persuasion and systems analysis skills to align divergent stakeholder interests around cost-effective environmental policy solutions.Institutional methodological standards — establish for cost-benefit analysis, economic modeling, and environmental valuation, ensuring consistency and credibility across large regulatory or investment decision processes.Emerging environmental-economic challenges — anticipate and respond to proactively, applying systems evaluation to assess how technological, climatic, and market shifts will reshape policy priorities over decade-scale horizons.Organizational learning and knowledge management systems — design to capture, codify, and transfer specialized environmental economics expertise across professional networks, agencies, and academic communities.

Also known as

12 alternate job titles map to this occupation.

Environmental EconomistEnvironment and Natural Resources Economics ResearcherAgricultural EconomistEnvironmental Protection EconomistEcological EconomistResearch EconomistNatural Resource SpecialistResource EconomistNatural Resource EconomistMarine Resource EconomistEconomistEnergy Economist

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