I have been lucky in my current job that in addition to making cell phone screens more durable and presentation projectors that can fit in your pocket, I have also been able to work on things with specific objectives of cleaning up the environment. It is satisfying when work you love also benefits the planet. At the same time I have friends who have still been unable to find work that is at the level they had before the recession, some still burning through savings and others working at whatever they can find.
So it was interesting to read “Top 15 U.S. metro areas for cleantech jobs”, which looked at the best places to work if you are interested in Clean Technology.
Of course, there is an inherent imbalance in the numbers as noted in the article:
Generally speaking, the cleantech industries generating the most jobs are associated with Energy (including renewable energy, energy storage, smart grid developments), Transportation (including all the activity around electric vehicles and advanced transportation infrastructure), Water (including desalination technologies and smart water usage and conservation technologies), and Materials (biomimicry and other bio-based materials, as well as reuse and recycling).
Here is the list of the best places:
Here are the Top 15 metro areas in the United States, as compiled by Clean Edge:
1. San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose – California
2. Los Angeles, Long Beach, Riverside – California
3. Boston, Cambridge, Quincy – Massachusetts, plus New Hampshire
4. New York City (and Long Island), Northern New Jersey
5. Denver, Aurora, Broomfield – Colorado
6. Washington, Arlington, Baltimore – The District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland
7. San Diego, Carlsbad, San Marcos – California
8. Houston, Sugar Land, Baytown – Texas
9. Chicago, Joliet, Naperville – Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin
10. Austin, Round Rock, San Marcos – Texas
11. Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue – Washington
12. Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Marietta – Georgia
13. Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington – Texas
14. Portland, Vancouver, Hillsboro – Oregon, Washington
15. Sacramento, Arden, Arcade, Roseville – California
This is not just a few jobs, either:
Clean Edge does a good job of estimating this based on all the various resources available and it believes the number is something like 3 million jobs and counting.
So if you are interested in Clean Tech jobs, take a look in these areas and see what there is to offer. As noted in the article, many of these are with small companies, so it is a chance to grow while making a difference!
Source: SmartPlanet