"The future of hot jobs": Environmental Consultants

Although the United States added the recent decline in unemployment, but the national unemployment rate remains high. Experts estimate that the recovery of the U.S. job market at least one to two years. Nevertheless, some industries are still optimistic about employment prospects. In today's "future hot jobs" series report, we introduce you: environmental consultants.

Currently, environmental consulting in the United States is an annual revenue of more than 1 billion dollar industry. U.S. Department of Labor is expected in 2008 to 2018, the expansion of environmental consulting industry will reach 28 per cent increase, far exceeding the national average level of employment growth.

Industry statistics show that the current U.S. total of about 8 thousand environmental consulting company. Both of these enterprises run by individuals independent consulting services, has hired hundreds of professionals in international environmental consulting company.

Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Nera Economic Consulting (Nera Economic Consulting) has 25 worldwide offices. Nera, senior vice president, environmental advisory group, David Harrison (David Harrison) described his work:

"Our job is to assess the typical environmental regulations related to the economic impact of the project. Therefore, our work involves a lot of climate change, clean water, clean air legislation. As economists, we have to do is to study these laws and regulations the economic impact. "

Environmental consultants span a large range of business. In addition to Harrison in the economic assessment of environmental policies, the general, large green areas advisory body also provides state of the environment, cleaning up contaminated areas, natural resource management, environmental auditing, waste management and other fields of consulting services. Smaller, and even personal financial advice on environmental protection is often only one or two areas of professional services.

Environmental consulting services are usually project-based. Many consulting firms, including the main revenue comes from government agencies, including the small number of customers of the employment contract. This is a highly specialized labor-intensive industries.

Nera Economic Consulting's environmental advisory group, said Harrison, strict environmental legislation tends to increase the environmental awareness and corporate environmental consulting employment prospects is the main reason.

He said: "The industry's drive comes from people concerned about environmental quality. The concern of course, have existed for decades, but its global climate change is becoming more urgent. For the company, they want to know if some of the environmental legislation or environmental regulations in force, then the cost of business and revenue which will be affected. "

In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the industry outlook, the U.S. federal and state governments on renewable energy projects and environmental technology R & D funding increase, but also promote the growth of the industry. For example, in the recent round of economic recession, the U.S. government launched a huge economic stimulus package which includes a 56 billion U.S. dollars for clean energy project funding.

Environmental consultants typically requires at least undergraduate degree. Professional backgrounds, including biology, ecology, environmental science, engineering, economics and urban planning and so on. In 2008, the industry median annual salary of about 50,006 thousand dollars.