What Does an Energy Management Specialist Do?
Most campuses and large employers put a lot of money into buildings that run heating, cooling and lights for long hours. But these same organizations often lose track of what that energy costs, and energy management specialists are the people who track it and cut the waste.
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Business Continuity Administrator (Business Continuity Admin), Business Continuity Analyst, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Consultant, Business Continuity Consultant, Business Continuity Coordinator, Business Continuity Professional, Business Continuity Specialist, Business System Consultant.
Energy Management Specialist Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of an energy management specialist include:
- Track electricity, gas and water use by building with meter data and utility bills.
- Enter building data into ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and benchmark performance each year.
- Find waste by reviewing building automation schedules, setpoints and equipment run times.
- Conduct energy audits and recommend upgrades such as LED lighting or variable-speed drives.
- Calculate savings and payback for proposed projects to support budget requests.
- Apply for utility rebates and incentives, and follow them through to payment.
- Verify savings after projects finish by comparing metered use with the baseline.
- Audit utility bills for errors, rate changes and demand charges.
- Prepare sustainability and emissions reports for leadership and public disclosure.
- Educate building occupants on shutdown campaigns and thermostat policies.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as an energy management specialist, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Certified Energy Manager (CEM) credential
- ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
- Building automation systems, such as Siemens or Johnson Controls
- Excel analysis of utility and meter data
- HVAC and lighting basics
- Project cost and payback calculations
- Clear reports for non-technical managers
- Persuasion to change building habits
Education and Training
The field is open to graduates in engineering, environmental science and business, as facilities departments are interested in people who can read a meter and a budget. Getting in without a bachelor's degree might be possible for experienced HVAC technicians, but applicants holding the Certified Energy Manager credential will have an advantage over others.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: varies widely for this role, and BLS does not publish pay for it separately. In the wider BLS group it belongs to (Business Operations Specialists, All Other), the middle half of earners made $62,640 to $114,010 a year, and the median was $83,050.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Business Operations Specialists, All Other.
BLS files energy management specialists under business operations specialists, all other, and projects that group to grow about 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. It mixes many unrelated jobs. And, as long as utility prices rise and emissions rules tighten, specialists will be needed to make sure buildings waste as little energy as possible.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Business operations specialists, all other.
Energy Management Specialist Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $47,880 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $62,640 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $83,050 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $114,010 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $150,010 |
Highest-Paying States for Energy Management Specialists
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are District of Columbia ($108,160), Maryland ($101,500), Washington ($100,360), Alabama ($100,240), Delaware ($95,040). Pay is lowest in Nevada ($67,330), Louisiana ($63,220), Arkansas ($61,240).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $100,240 |
| Alaska | $94,740 |
| Arizona | $83,280 |
| Arkansas | $61,240 |
| California | $87,570 |
| Colorado | $92,520 |
| Connecticut | $85,530 |
| Delaware | $95,040 |
| District of Columbia | $108,160 |
| Florida | $79,650 |
| Georgia | $78,410 |
| Hawaii | $92,620 |
| Idaho | $76,400 |
| Illinois | $82,070 |
| Indiana | $79,030 |
| Iowa | $80,470 |
| Kansas | $83,350 |
| Kentucky | $74,690 |
| Louisiana | $63,220 |
| Maine | $78,830 |
| Maryland | $101,500 |
| Massachusetts | $93,270 |
| Michigan | $81,810 |
| Minnesota | $77,820 |
| Mississippi | $76,980 |
| Missouri | $80,420 |
| Montana | $74,990 |
| Nebraska | $77,980 |
| Nevada | $67,330 |
| New Hampshire | $83,740 |
| New Jersey | $91,060 |
| New Mexico | $79,100 |
| New York | $83,450 |
| North Carolina | $80,230 |
| North Dakota | $80,500 |
| Ohio | $79,350 |
| Oklahoma | $93,640 |
| Oregon | $77,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,590 |
| Rhode Island | $88,130 |
| South Carolina | $79,110 |
| South Dakota | $85,340 |
| Tennessee | $78,690 |
| Texas | $80,820 |
| Utah | $80,190 |
| Vermont | $71,710 |
| Virginia | $85,200 |
| Washington | $100,360 |
| West Virginia | $69,240 |
| Wisconsin | $67,370 |
| Wyoming | $74,060 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as business operations specialists, all other about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 96% spend more than half the workday sitting
- 96% use email every day
- 82% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 71% are on the phone every day
- 68% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 57% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 43% usually work more than 40 hours a week
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 48% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 17% |
| Master's degree | 13% |
| Some college | 9% |
Tools and Software Energy Management Specialists Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy leading, persuading and making business decisions as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Writing.
Knowledge areas used most: English Language, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service, Computers and Electronics.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 13-1199.00 (Business Operations Specialists, All Other). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.