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.

Most important skills

Writing
Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Mathematics
Critical Thinking
Active Learning
Complex Problem Solving
Judgment and Decision Making

Key knowledge

Mathematics
Economics and Accounting
English Language
Computers and Electronics
Education and Training
Law and Government
Geography
Sociology and Anthropology

What the work involves

Prepare and deliver presentations to communicate economic and environmental study results, to present policy recommendations, or to raise awareness of environmental consequences.
Monitor or analyze market and environmental trends.
Demonstrate or promote the economic benefits of sound environmental regulations.
Write technical documents or academic articles to communicate study results or economic forecasts.
Write social, legal, or economic impact statements to inform decision makers for natural resource policies, standards, or programs.
Write research proposals and grant applications to obtain private or public funding for environmental and economic studies.
Examine the exhaustibility of natural resources or the long-term costs of environmental rehabilitation.
Develop systems for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting environmental and economic data.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Investigative, Enterprising, Conventional.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Doctoral Degree (44.4% of respondents)
Related experience: None (40.7%)
On-the-job training: None or short demonstration (55.6%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 5: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Environmental Economists is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Projection education uses SOC 19-3011 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Very low	Lower on contact with others than 99% of occupations compared	44% of surveyed respondents chose “Occasional contact with others”
Dealing with the public	Very low	Lower on dealing with the public than 83% of occupations compared	52% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly important”
Teamwork	Very low	Lower on teamwork than 95% of occupations compared	37% of surveyed respondents chose “Important”
Freedom to make decisions	Very high	Higher on freedom to make decisions than 93% of occupations compared	81% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom”
Time pressure	Very low	Lower on time pressure than 97% of occupations compared	46% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Conflict situations	Very low	Lower on conflict situations than 93% of occupations compared	67% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Very low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 98% of occupations compared	74% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Very low	Lower on consequence of error than 93% of occupations compared	44% of surveyed respondents chose “Not serious at all”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: very low
Conflict situations: very low
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
Consequence of error: very low

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions