As national unemployment rates hovered near 10% in 2010, the demand for sustainability staff on higher education campuses continued to grow. Despite the tough economic climate, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s 2010 survey of campus sustainability staff reveals a workforce of people who report a sense of job security and feel satisfied with the work they are doing.
AASHE’s "Higher Education Sustainability Staffing Survey" was conducted in winter 2010. The results build and expand upon previous surveys by AASHE that focused on sustainability officers specifically. The 2010 survey was expanded to include a greater range of sustainabile jobs.
With 433 completed surveys, the results offer a look at the demographics, roles, salaries and positions of college and university sustainability-related staff in the U.S. and Canada.
A few notable findings include:
- Of the 433 positions represented in this survey, only 49 had been created prior to 2004, indicating an exponential growth of campus sustainability in recent years.
- An overwhelming majority (89%) of respondents are either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their position.
- The vast majority (84%) of respondents rated their level of job security as either “secure” or “very secure.”
- The median salary for “sustainability director or chief sustainability officer” ($75,000) was the highest of all campus sustainability position types. Median salaries for most other positions fell between $40,000 and $50,000.
- At 81%, general/operating funds are by far the most cited funding source for sustainability positions.
- Campus sustainability staff are overwhelmingly white (92%) and nearly 60% are women.
The full survey report is available for free at the link below.
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