Chief Sustainability Officers
Communicate and coordinate with management, shareholders, customers, and employees to address sustainability issues. Enact or oversee a corporate sustainability strategy.
Also called: Chief Environmental Commitment Officer (CECO), Chief Green Officer (CGO), Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), Climate Change and Sustainability Manager, Corporate Sustainability Manager, Corporate Sustainability Process Manager
Median pay
$213,990
Pay for the broader BLS group “Chief Executives”
Pay range (10th–90th)
$75,700 – $507,730
People employed
204,350
Whole BLS group
Holland code
EIC
Enterprising · Investigative · Conventional
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want variety, with new tasks often?
- 2.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
- 3.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 4.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 5.Do you prefer a steady pace without constant deadlines?
Chief Sustainability Officers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (46 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, for the broader group “Chief Executives”.
What chief sustainability officers do
- 01Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of sustainability programs.
- 02Develop or execute strategies to address issues such as energy use, resource conservation, recycling, pollution reduction, waste elimination, transportation, education, and building design.
- 03Develop, or oversee the development of, sustainability evaluation or monitoring systems.
- 04Supervise employees or volunteers working on sustainability projects.
- 05Develop sustainability reports, presentations, or proposals for supplier, employee, academia, media, government, public interest, or other groups.
- 06Develop, or oversee the development of, marketing or outreach media for sustainability projects or events.
Skills that matter most
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Knowledge
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Law and Government
- Communications and Media
- Building and Construction
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a graduate degree (O*NET Job Zone 5).
- Related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years.
- On-the-job training: none or short demonstration.
- A certification can help.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from chief sustainability officers
- Sustainability Specialists91% · group pay
- Urban and Regional Planners85% · —
- Climate Change Policy Analysts84% · group pay
- Wind Energy Development Managers84% · group pay
- Management Analysts80% · —
Change into chief sustainability officers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Sustainability Specialists89% · $83,050
- Urban and Regional Planners88% · $89,320
- Climate Change Policy Analysts84% · $82,220
- Investment Fund Managers77% · $166,570
- Lawyers77% · $159,670
Majors that lead here
- Public Administration
- Business/Commerce, General
- Business Administration and Management, General
- Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
- Social Entrepreneurship
- Finance, General
- International Business/Trade/Commerce
- Management Science
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.