Climate Tech Engineer

Also known as: Clean Energy Engineer, Climate Scientist

Science & ResearchBachelor's DegreeStrong Growth

Develop technology solutions to combat climate change, from carbon capture to clean energy systems.

Salary Range

Entry Level
$70K
Starting salary
→
Top Level
$300K
Top salary
VP/CTO (Climate Tech)

The highest-paid specialization or seniority level for climate tech engineers.

About 1 in 200 reaches this level

Climate tech is a growing field of ~50K engineers; VP/CTO at $300K requires leading a well-funded company.

Salary data based on 2025 BLS, Glassdoor, and industry reports. Actual compensation varies by location, experience, and employer.

How to Become One

This career typically requires a bachelor's degree. Here are the top colleges for it:

1
UC BerkeleyPhysics
2
CaltechPhysics
3
MITPhysics
4
UW-MadisonPhysics
5
CU BoulderPhysics

Explore all colleges →

AI Risk Assessment

Low Risk (Level 1/5)How we score ›

One of the fastest-growing sectors with 9,000+ active openings across 500+ companies. The work is deeply technical -- designing renewable energy systems, EV components, carbon capture -- and requires physical engineering AI cannot replace. There is a critical skills gap, especially for applied technical roles.

Sources

↗ClimateTechList: Climate Tech Job Openings↗ICL: Climate Tech Trends 2026

Ratings reflect a 10-year outlook based on 2025-2026 research, weighted toward entry-level impact. Individual outcomes will vary.

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