State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Manager Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers is $171,270 a year ($82.34/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 3.8% through 2034, with about 14,500 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 11-9041ManagementLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $171,270
- Projected growth
- +3.8%
- Openings a year
- 14,500
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Analytical Research Program Manager, Biodiesel Division Manager, Biofuels Manager, Business Development and New Technology Manager, Laboratory Manager (Lab Manager), Project Development Director.
How much do Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers make?
10th percentile$120,810
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$139,360
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$171,270
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$212,500
Upper quartile
90th percentile$262,760
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $171,270 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $82.34/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $181,540 |
| People employed | 220,260 |
Versus all US occupations
At $171,270, Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers earn 236% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $120,290 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 36% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $262,760 or more while the bottom 10% earn $120,810, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 96% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Mexico pays the most at $215,120, and still leads at $233,289 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $215,120 | $233,289 | 2,270 |
| California | $210,280 | $189,921 | 29,630 |
| Massachusetts | $201,430 | $190,465 | 7,690 |
| Washington | $189,680 | $177,249 | 6,060 |
| District of Columbia | $185,220 | $168,533 | 1,290 |
| Colorado | $183,810 | $178,366 | 4,900 |
| Delaware | $181,190 | $181,539 | 560 |
| New Jersey | $180,640 | $166,022 | 4,540 |
| Oregon | $177,190 | $171,428 | N/A |
| Virginia | $176,160 | $174,236 | 4,390 |
Is Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Manager a growing career?
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers3.8%
All US occupations3.1%
+3.8% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers to change 3.8% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 8,000 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 14,500 openings are projected each year, 6.8% of the 212,500 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment growth will largely reflect the overall demand for architectural and engineering workers. Demand for civil engineering services is expected to continue as the nation’s aging infrastructure requires repair and as the electrical grid requires updates and expansion. These managers also should be needed for projects such as renewable energy construction and design.
How to become a Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Manager
To enter the occupation, architectural and engineering managers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree and considerable work experience as an architect or engineer.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | 5 years or more |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as biofuels/biodiesel technology and product development managers.
- Bachelor's Degree55.4%
- Master's Degree28.6%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)5.8%
- Post-Secondary Certificate4.8%
- Post-Doctoral Training1.4%
What does a Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Manager do?
Define, plan, or execute biofuels/biodiesel research programs that evaluate alternative feedstock and process technologies with near-term commercial potential.
Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in the fields of architecture and engineering.
Day-to-day tasks
- Prepare, or oversee the preparation of, experimental plans for biofuels research or development.
- Provide technical or scientific guidance to technical staff in the conduct of biofuels research or development.
- Analyze data from biofuels studies, such as fluid dynamics, water treatments, or solvent extraction and recovery processes.
- Design or conduct applied biodiesel or biofuels research projects on topics, such as transport, thermodynamics, mixing, filtration, distillation, fermentation, extraction, and separation.
- Propose new biofuels products, processes, technologies or applications based on findings from applied biofuels or biomass research projects.
- Prepare biofuels research and development reports for senior management or technical professionals.
- Conduct experiments on biomass or pretreatment technologies.
- Develop lab scale models of industrial scale processes, such as fermentation.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where biofuels/biodiesel technology and product development managers work
| Manufacturing | 35% |
|---|---|
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | 26% |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 9% |
| Scientific research and development services | 6% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 5% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension3.6/5
- Writing3.6/5
- Speaking3.6/5
- Critical Thinking3.6/5
- Active Listening3.5/5
- Active Learning3.3/5
- Monitoring3.3/5
- Mathematics3.1/5
Transferable skills
- Complex Problem Solving3.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Systems Analysis3.6/5
- Systems Evaluation3.5/5
- Coordination3.3/5
- Time Management3.3/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.1/5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.1/5
Tools and software
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Manager?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary4.2
Investigativeprimary5.8
Artistic2.1
Social2.1
Enterprisingprimary4.7
Conventional3.5
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers make?
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers earn a median of $171,270 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 236% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $82.34/hr. The middle half earn between $139,360 and $212,500. The top 10% earn $262,760 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Manager?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 55.4% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Manager a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.8% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 14,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Manager do?
Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in the fields of architecture and engineering. A core O*NET task: prepare, or oversee the preparation of, experimental plans for biofuels research or development. Employers most often ask for Data base management system software, Enterprise application integration software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software.
Which states pay Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers are New Mexico ($215,120), California ($210,280), Massachusetts ($201,430) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Manager?
O*NET scores Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers highest on the Investigative, Enterprising and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INTJ, ISTP, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.