I have two different types of days. One day I'll be in the office helping clients go green. I do lease offers, which includes doing a building energy analysis and utilizing my knowledge from the field to help a client save by switching from oil or natural gas to electricity. I also do incentive applications. Other days, I'll go to sites to collect all of the information from a client's existing building—oil tanks, windows, and building materials—in order to make a heat load calculation.
CAREER
Energy Auditors
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$62,860
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+3.2% (slower than the average)
Most Common Level of Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Energy Auditors Do
Conduct energy audits of buildings, building systems, or process systems. May also conduct investment grade audits of buildings or systems.
Other Job Titles Energy Auditors May Have
Building Energy Consultant, Building Performance Consultant, Building Performance Specialist, Energy Auditor, Energy Consultant, Energy Rater, Home Energy Rater, Home Performance Consultant, Residential Energy Auditor
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
There is no typical day for me. That said, each day will contain some kind of research, reading about a new technology or product, and working on being a better boss. A lot of my day is focused on spreading building science education to my coworkers, either formally or informally. For example, sometimes I'll visit a job site and gauge an employee's knowledge on why they're doing what they're doing. I also take calls and interviews in effort to educate the public on our mission.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Identify opportunities to improve the operation, maintenance, or energy efficiency of building or process systems.
- Identify and prioritize energy-saving measures.
- Analyze technical feasibility of energy-saving measures, using knowledge of engineering, energy production, energy use, construction, maintenance, system operation, or process systems.
- Inspect or evaluate building envelopes, mechanical systems, electrical systems, or process systems to determine the energy consumption of each system.
- Identify any health or safety issues related to planned weatherization projects.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Energy Auditors
Most common level of education among people in
this career: High school diploma or equivalent (29%)
High school diploma or equivalent
Some college, no degree
Bachelor's degree
Other*
*All other responses combined for clarity.
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Analyst ,
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Statistics, Engineering, Math
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Pre-Engineering
Bachelor
Mechanical Engineering
Graduate
Mechanical Engineering
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
It's important to be adaptable in this field. This is a very past-paced industry that is constantly going through changes, whether it be the building codes, new certifications, or legislation.
Analyst ,
Being poor when I was younger taught me the value of hard work. AmeriCorps taught me the value of networking, and mostly just experience in the field taught me the value of asking lots of questions. But, never underestimate the power of taking a LOT Of math and statistics classes.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
College Students
Analyst ,
I have no idea. Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. But, internships are essential. Get an internship.
Everyone
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
