What is an environmental program manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Experts
Andrea Welker Ph.D.,
Meaghan Goodman Ph.D.

Environmental program managers can work across various industries. Their primary assignment is to monitor the environmental performance of both public and private companies. What for? Our environment is continually deteriorating. To minimize this ecological degradation, environment program managers plan, implement and execute environmental strategies, especially those that promote sustainable development.

These managers average an annual salary of $77,581 yearly. Most environmental program managers actually earn between $57,000 to $104,000 a year. However, there's a catch. To increase your odds of gaining employment as an environmental program manager, you will need to have a master's degree in environmental science, business, biology, or public health.

But even this is not enough. Employers want to know that you have the necessary skills to function in this role. They'll test your knowledge about environmental assessments and environmental compliance policies. How much do you know about regulatory agencies? Employers will want to find out.

What general advice would you give to an Environmental Program Manager?

Andrea Welker Ph.D.Andrea Welker Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University

Be open to new experiences. Find a good mentor. Become a valued employee. Always remember that you are designing something for someone.
ScoreEnvironmental Program ManagerUS Average
Salary
6.1

Avg. Salary $78,534

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
6.5

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
10.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 12.94%

Black or African American 3.66%

Hispanic or Latino 10.42%

Unknown 3.84%

White 68.70%

Gender

female 29.92%

male 70.08%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress Level
6.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.3

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
4.6

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

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Environmental Program Manager career paths

Key steps to become an environmental program manager

  1. Explore environmental program manager education requirements

    Most common environmental program manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    69.3 %

    Master's

    21.6 %

    Associate

    6.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific environmental program manager skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Environmental Health8.87%
    Environmental Compliance6.72%
    EHS6.53%
    Project Management6.34%
    EPA4.79%
  3. Complete relevant environmental program manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New environmental program managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an environmental program manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real environmental program manager resumes.
  4. Research environmental program manager duties and responsibilities

    • Lead strategy for voluntary RCRA corrective action.
    • Manage environmental restoration waste site characterization activities in support of CERCLA cleanup.
    • Provide OSHA, DEP, and EPA compliance for material disposal information and procedures.
    • Coordinate intergovernmental aspects of projects, including obtaining EPA primacy approval for a major restructuring of state environmental regulations.
  5. Prepare your environmental program manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your environmental program manager resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an environmental program manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Environmental Program Manager Resume templates

    Build a professional Environmental Program Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Environmental Program Manager resume.
    Environmental Program Manager Resume
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  6. Apply for environmental program manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an environmental program manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Environmental Program Manager Job

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Average environmental program manager salary

The average Environmental Program Manager salary in the United States is $78,534 per year or $38 per hour. Environmental program manager salaries range between $58,000 and $105,000 per year.

Average Environmental Program Manager Salary
$78,534 Yearly
$37.76 hourly

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How do environmental program managers rate their job?

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Environmental Program Manager reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2021
Pros

Firstly, the most important is to protect our planet for us and the future generations. Secondly our planet is not going to support the pressure and negative impacts because of the big Increased human population . Finally our planet needs more and more environmental specialists to regulate and control all human activities, especially the ilegal ones.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2020
Pros

Both indoor and outdoor work environment. Great job satisfaction meeting regulatory requirements.

Cons

Can be stressful at times


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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Pros

environmental Impacts accuracy and quality of classification processes handled by their team. Impacts team, partner teams and Process Experts.

Cons

pay, responsibly,


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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