Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar earn a median of $122,930 per year ($59.10/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 3.7% through 2035, with about 8,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 17-2199
- Architecture and Engineering
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar in four numbers
- Median pay
- $122,930a year, or $59.10/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $67KTop 10% $190K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.7%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 8,800166,700 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025166.7K
- Projected 2035173K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 166.7K Projected 2035 173K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Energy Efficiency Engineer, Energy Engineer, Industrial Energy Engineer, Test and Balance Engineer (TAB Engineer).
Pay
How much do Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar make?
Every energy engineer, except wind and solar in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$122,930
Middle half earn $90,970 to $158,090
- 10th
- $66,810
- 25th
- $90,970
- 75th
- $158,090
- 90th
- $189,950
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $66,810 |
| 25th | $90,970 |
| Median | $122,930 |
| 75th | $158,090 |
| 90th | $189,950 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $122,930
- Median hourly wage
- $59.10/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $125,330
- People employed
- 154,070
Versus all US occupations
At $122,930, Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar earn 141% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $71,950 a year.
Versus architecture and engineering occupations
Inside the Architecture and Engineering group, where the middle occupation pays $104,110, this is 18% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $189,950 or more while the bottom 10% earn $66,810, a gap of 2.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 85% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Mexico pays the most at $162,070, and still leads at $175,758 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar the most?
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.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New Mexico | $162,070 | $175,758 | 2,190 |
| 2Alabama | $152,550 | $171,746 | 3,460 |
| 3District of Columbia | $151,920 | $138,234 | 3,560 |
| 4Virginia | $148,160 | $146,542 | 5,060 |
| 5Alaska | $142,390 | $139,108 | 200 |
| 6Washington | $134,570 | $125,751 | 3,580 |
| 7Colorado | $132,590 | $128,663 | 2,540 |
| 8New Jersey | $132,450 | $121,732 | 4,540 |
| 9Massachusetts | $131,260 | $124,115 | 2,850 |
| 10Idaho | $130,970 | $137,150 | 560 |
Job outlook
Is Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar | +3.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar to change 3.7% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 6,200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 8,800 openings are projected each year, 5.3% of the 166,700 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does an Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar do?
Design, develop, or evaluate energy-related projects or programs to reduce energy costs or improve energy efficiency during the designing, building, or remodeling stages of construction. May specialize in electrical systems; heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems; green buildings; lighting; air quality; or energy procurement.
Day-to-day tasks
- Monitor energy related design or construction issues, such as energy engineering, energy management, or sustainable design.
- Advise clients or colleagues on topics such as climate control systems, energy modeling, data logging, sustainable design, or energy auditing.
- Review architectural, mechanical, or electrical plans or specifications to evaluate energy efficiency.
- Inspect or monitor energy systems, including heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) or daylighting systems to determine energy use or potential energy savings.
- Identify and recommend energy savings strategies to achieve more energy-efficient operation.
- Collect data for energy conservation analyses, using jobsite observation, field inspections, or sub-metering.
- Conduct energy audits to evaluate energy use and to identify conservation and cost reduction measures.
- Perform energy modeling, measurement, verification, commissioning, or retro-commissioning.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening4.0
- Writing4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Active Learning4.0
- Speaking3.9
- Mathematics3.9
- Science3.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Mathematics | 3.9 |
| Science | 3.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving4.0
- Systems Analysis4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Systems Evaluation3.9
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
- Operations Analysis3.3
- Coordination3.0
- Persuasion3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.0 |
| Systems Analysis | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Realistic5.2
- Investigative4.7
- Conventional4.4
- Enterprising3.1
- Social2.2
- Artistic2.0
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.
Explore further
Careers related to Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar
O*NET related occupations
- Construction and Extraction
- Architecture and Engineering
- Architecture and Engineering
- Management
- Management
- Architecture and Engineering
More architecture and engineering careers
Median annual pay, with energy engineers, except wind and solar highlighted
- Aerospace Engineer$134,960
- Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar$122,930
- Electrical Engineer$120,630
- Environmental Engineer$107,110
- Mechanical Engineer$104,110
- Automotive Engineer$104,110
- Industrial Engineer$102,440
- Civil Engineer$100,840
- Architect$99,280
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineer | $134,960 |
| Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar | $122,930 |
| Electrical Engineer | $120,630 |
| Environmental Engineer | $107,110 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $104,110 |
| Automotive Engineer | $104,110 |
| Industrial Engineer | $102,440 |
| Civil Engineer | $100,840 |
| Architect | $99,280 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar appears on
Questions
Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar: frequently asked questions
How much do Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar make?
Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar earn a median of $122,930 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 141% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $59.10/hr. The middle half earn between $90,970 and $158,090. The top 10% earn $189,950 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation.
Is Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.7% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 8,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar do?
Design, develop, or evaluate energy-related projects or programs to reduce energy costs or improve energy efficiency during the designing, building, or remodeling stages of construction. A core O*NET task: monitor energy related design or construction issues, such as energy engineering, energy management, or sustainable design. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar the most?
The highest state medians for Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar are New Mexico ($162,070), Alabama ($152,550), District of Columbia ($151,920) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar?
O*NET scores Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar highest on the Realistic, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.