If you’re considering working in the energy sector, there’s a high chance that you might end up working in renewable energy.
As the industry moves towards sustainable, renewable energy sources, more and more roles are becoming available that value environmental awareness. If you’re looking for a role that allows you to be both environmentally conscious and also make use of specialist skills, you may consider finding a renewable energy job.
Below we run through several of the top renewable energy jobs, the descriptions for these roles and what salaries these roles can command.
What is a Renewable Energy Job?
A career in renewable energy involves working with energy that comes from sustainable, renewable sources. While traditional energy roles may have existed in the oil, gas and coal industries, renewable energy jobs focus on concepts such as solar, wind, geothermal and hydroelectric power as well as energy from waste.
A renewable energy job then, may involve working with equipment that directly farms solar and wind energy or optimising the operations of a business that focuses on anaerobic digestion. Because the field is so broad, there is a wide variety of options available to you that can help you build out a long and successful career – regardless of your previous experience or background.
View Our Roles in the Energy Sector
Top Renewable Energy Jobs
Now that we understand what the term renewable energy means, what are the top renewable energy jobs you might find out there? Below is a breakdown of common roles you can find in the industry:
Wind turbine technician
A specific renewable energy role dedicated to the proper operation and maintenance of wind turbines, a wind turbine technician helps install and repair these huge pieces of equipment both at sea and on land. Common duties include installing the towers, installing the electrical systems that help them run and farm energy, testing various control systems, maintaining a high level of safety and repairing any faults that arise.
As you might expect, the nature of this role means that you’re often working in remote areas during a wide variety of weather conditions. Since wind farms are commonly located offshore to maximise their energy gathering, you may be expected to work at sea. Likewise, the sheer size of these machines means that you can expect to work at extreme heights.
Average salary: The average salary for a wind turbine technician in the UK is around £31,000, with the highest paid technicians commonly found in Glasgow and earning £45,000.
Energy engineer
A broader form of renewable energy job is a renewable energy engineer, who primarily design and construct power generation plants. While these skills largely transfer between both renewable and non-renewable energy sources, individuals that have the skills to build renewable power generation plants are increasingly sought after.
Within this role, you may find yourself planning and supervising production schedules, finding and utilising the proper equipment, designing new plants and helping install them. Your work may also include finding better processes that meet environmental safety standards or guidelines. This role is quite broad and suits individuals from a variety of backgrounds and skill sets, while also providing the opportunity to collaborate with other roles such as geologists and geophysicists.
Average salary: The average salary for an energy engineer in the UK is around £39,000, with the highest paid engineers commonly found in Cambridge and earning £69,000.
Take a Look at Our Resources
Maintenance engineer
Maintenance engineers can work across a wide variety of sub sectors within the renewable energy field, such as anaerobic digestion or solar energy. In most cases, maintenance engineers are expected to oversee any maintenance work performed on equipment – whether by colleagues or contractors – as well as providing optimisation suggestions and recommendations.
This type of role generally requires very specific knowledge about the field you’re operating in alongside the proper qualifications or certifications, including health and safety certifications for working around dangerous materials.
Average salary: The average salary for a maintenance engineer in the UK is around £36,000, with the highest paid engineers commonly found in Leicester earning £38,000.
Sales manager
It’s important to remember that while many roles in the energy sector are specialist roles focused on engineering or maintenance, the industry also requires sales and marketing individuals. Many solar companies require sales managers to help them expand their client base, working on either a B2C or B2B basis.
In the majority of cases, this role involves working alongside other key teams in the business to grow market share, increase revenue and build brand awareness. Aside from developing business relationships, they also have to keep up to date with market trends and product knowledge.
Average salary: The average salary for a sales manager in the UK is £38,800, with the highest paid sales managers commonly found in Oxford earning £46,000.