BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasIndustrial Ecologists

O*NET · 19-2041.03

Industrial Ecologists

Apply principles and processes of natural ecosystems to develop models for efficient industrial systems. Use knowledge from the physical and social sciences to maximize effective use of natural resources in the production and use of goods and services. Examine societal issues and their relationship with both technical systems and the environment.

Also called Aquatic Ecologist · Eco-Industrial Development Consultant · Ecological Professional · Ecologist · Environmental Business Development Associate · Environmental Consultant · Environmental Protection Activist · Environmental Protection Agency Counselor
16 more

Environmental Protection Specialist · Forest Ecologist · Industrial Ecologist · Industrial Green Systems Designer · Industrial Retrofit Designer · Life Cycle Assessment Analyst · Natural Resources Energy Specialist · Natural Resources Engineer · Product Development Ecologist · Product Life Cycle Planner · Research Scientist · Researcher · SFA Compliance Specialist · Substance Flow Analysis Compliance Specialist (SFA Compliance Specialist) · Sustainable Systems Analyst · Wildlife Biostation Research Ecologist

Job Zone 5 — Extensive Preparation NeededHolland code IRC35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Atmospheric and Space Scientists

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 5: Extensive Preparation Needed

Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree, with extensive skill, knowledge and experience — many of these occupations expect more than five years of experience.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

IRCInvestigative · Realistic · Conventional — the three strongest interests, in order

  • I Investigative7.00
  • R Realistic4.62
  • C Conventional3.98
  • E Enterprising3.04
  • A Artistic2.14
  • S Social1.95

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Bachelor's Degree22%
  • Post-Baccalaureate Certificate4%
  • Master's Degree65%
  • Doctoral Degree9%
Related work experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (39%)
On-site or in-plant training
None (32%)
On-the-job training
Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (26%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Reading Comprehensionbasic4.14.8Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Writingbasic4.04.6Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Active Listeningbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Speakingbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.94.3Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.84.6Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Systems Analysis3.84.1Level 4 looks like: Determine how a new piece of equipment will affect production rates
  • Complex Problem Solving3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
  • Sciencebasic3.64.1Level 4 looks like: Conduct product tests to ensure safety standards are met
  • Active Learningbasic3.64.0Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Mathematicsbasic3.44.0Level 4 looks like: Calculate the square footage of a new home under construction
  • Systems Evaluation3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Identify the reasons why a client might be unhappy with a product
Show the other 23
  • Monitoringbasic3.13.9Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Social Perceptiveness3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Instructing3.03.6Level 4 looks like: Instruct a coworker in how to operate a software program
  • Learning Strategiesbasic3.03.5Level 4 looks like: Identify an alternative approach to help trainees who are having difficulties
  • Persuasion3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Convince a supervisor to purchase new office equipment
  • Time Management3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Allocate the time of subordinates to projects for the coming week
  • Coordination3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Schedule appointments for a medical clinic
  • Management of Personnel Resources3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Service Orientation2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Negotiation2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Operations Analysis2.42.9Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Management of Material Resources2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Management of Financial Resources2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
  • Quality Control Analysis2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Programming2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Write a program to sort objects in a database
  • Technology Design1.91.6Level 2 looks like: Adjust exercise equipment for use by a customer
  • Operations Monitoring1.91.1Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Installation1.1—
  • Equipment Maintenance1.0—
  • Equipment Selection1.0—
  • Operation and Control1.0—
  • Repairing1.0—
  • Troubleshooting1.0—

Tasks

30 core · 8 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Identify or develop strategies or methods to minimize the environmental impact of industrial production processes.4.4
  2. Analyze changes designed to improve the environmental performance of complex systems and avoid unintended negative consequences.4.4
  3. Identify environmental impacts caused by products, systems, or projects.4.4
  4. Conduct environmental sustainability assessments, using material flow analysis (MFA) or substance flow analysis (SFA) techniques.4.2
  5. Identify sustainable alternatives to industrial or waste-management practices.4.2
  6. Review research literature to maintain knowledge on topics related to industrial ecology, such as physical science, technology, economy, and public policy.4.2
  7. Redesign linear, or open-loop, systems into cyclical, or closed-loop, systems so that waste products become inputs for new processes, modeling natural ecosystems.4.1
  8. Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.4.0
  9. Monitor the environmental impact of development activities, pollution, or land degradation.3.9
  10. Build and maintain databases of information about energy alternatives, pollutants, natural environments, industrial processes, and other information related to ecological change.3.9
  11. Examine local, regional, or global use and flow of materials or energy in industrial production processes.3.9
  12. Perform analyses to determine how human behavior can affect, and be affected by, changes in the environment.3.9
Show the other 26
  1. Recommend methods to protect the environment or minimize environmental damage from industrial production practices.3.8
  2. Translate the theories of industrial ecology into eco-industrial practices.3.7
  3. Develop alternative energy investment scenarios to compare economic and environmental costs and benefits.3.6
  4. Plan or conduct field research on topics such as industrial production, industrial ecology, population ecology, and environmental production or sustainability.3.5
  5. Create complex and dynamic mathematical models of population, community, or ecological systems.3.5
  6. Carry out environmental assessments in accordance with applicable standards, regulations, or laws.3.5
  7. Examine societal issues and their relationship with both technical systems and the environment.3.5
  8. Review industrial practices, such as the methods and materials used in construction or production, to identify potential liabilities and environmental hazards.3.4
  9. Forecast future status or condition of ecosystems, based on changing industrial practices or environmental conditions.3.4
  10. Apply new or existing research about natural ecosystems to understand economic and industrial systems in the context of the environment.3.4
  11. Evaluate the effectiveness of industrial ecology programs, using statistical analysis and applications.3.4
  12. Identify or compare the component parts or relationships between the parts of industrial, social, and natural systems.3.4
  13. Prepare plans to manage renewable resources.3.4
  14. Research sources of pollution to determine environmental impact or to develop methods of pollution abatement or control.3.2
  15. Plan or conduct studies of the ecological implications of historic or projected changes in industrial processes or development.3.2
  16. Perform environmentally extended input-output (EE I-O) analyses.3.2
  17. Investigate the impact of changed land management or land use practices on ecosystems.3.1
  18. Promote use of environmental management systems (EMS) to reduce waste or to improve environmentally sound use of natural resources.3.1
  19. Develop or test protocols to monitor ecosystem components and ecological processes.3.1
  20. Research environmental effects of land and water use to determine methods of improving environmental conditions or increasing outputs, such as crop yields.3.0
  21. Provide industrial managers with technical materials on environmental issues, regulatory guidelines, or compliance actions.2.9
  22. Conduct applied research on the effects of industrial processes on the protection, restoration, inventory, monitoring, or reintroduction of species to the natural environment.2.8
  23. Conduct scientific protection, mitigation, or restoration projects to prevent resource damage, maintain the integrity of critical habitats, and minimize the impact of human activities.2.5
  24. Investigate accidents affecting the environment to assess ecological impact.2.4
  25. Conduct analyses to determine the maximum amount of work that can be accomplished for a given amount of energy in a system, such as industrial production systems and waste treatment systems.2.4
  26. Investigate the adaptability of various animal and plant species to changed environmental conditions.2.2

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Mathematics4.35.5Level 4 looks like: Analyze data to determine areas with the highest sales
  • Engineering and Technology4.05.1Level 4 looks like: Design a custom office chair
  • Chemistry3.54.6Level 4 looks like: Use the proper concentration of chlorine to purify a water source
  • Computers and Electronics3.44.7Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Physics3.34.3Level 4 looks like: Calculate the speed of a falling object
  • Design3.24.2Level 4 looks like: Design plans for remodeling a kitchen
  • English Language3.24.3Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Production and Processing3.23.9Level 4 looks like: Supervise an appliance assembly line
Show all 33
  • Biology3.14.3Level 4 looks like: Investigate the effects of pollution on marine plants and animals
  • Geography2.94.1Level 4 looks like: Find a specific country on a world map
  • Law and Government2.93.4Level 4 looks like: Prepare documents and title papers for the purchase of a new house
  • Administration and Management2.83.8Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Education and Training2.83.9Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • Communications and Media2.72.9
  • Transportation2.73.0Level 4 looks like: Drive a semi-truck through a busy city
  • Building and Construction2.42.7
  • Economics and Accounting2.42.8
  • Food Production2.32.1Level 1 looks like: Grow herbs in the kitchen
  • Mechanical2.32.4Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
  • Administrative2.13.1Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Customer and Personal Service2.12.5Level 1 looks like: Process a customer's dry-cleaning drop off
  • Psychology2.12.5Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Sociology and Anthropology2.13.0Level 4 looks like: Write an article about cultural differences
  • Sales and Marketing2.02.2Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Telecommunications2.01.4Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Public Safety and Security1.91.7Level 1 looks like: Use a seatbelt
  • Personnel and Human Resources1.81.8Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Foreign Language1.51.1Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • History and Archeology1.51.5Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Philosophy and Theology1.41.2Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.30.6Level 1 looks like: Use a band-aid
  • Fine Arts1.2—
  • Therapy and Counseling1.0—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Deductive Reasoning4.14.8Level 5 looks like: Decide what factors to consider in selecting stocks
  • Inductive Reasoning4.14.6Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Written Expression4.04.9Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Oral Expression3.94.8Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Problem Sensitivity3.94.6Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Information Ordering3.83.9Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Near Vision3.83.8
  • Oral Comprehension3.84.9Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
Show all 52
  • Speech Clarity3.83.4Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Written Comprehension3.84.9Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Mathematical Reasoning3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Decide how to calculate profits to determine the amounts of yearly bonuses
  • Speech Recognition3.63.8Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Category Flexibility3.53.9Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Fluency of Ideas3.44.0Level 4 looks like: Think of as many ideas as possible for the name of a new company
  • Originality3.44.0Level 4 looks like: Redesign job tasks to be interesting for employees
  • Flexibility of Closure3.33.8Level 4 looks like: Look for a golf ball in tall grass
  • Far Vision3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Number Facility3.03.8Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Perceptual Speed2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Selective Attention2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Speed of Closure2.83.0Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Visualization2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Memorization2.42.6
  • Auditory Attention2.01.5Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.01.6Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Time Sharing2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Trunk Strength2.01.3Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Depth Perception1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Visual Color Discrimination1.91.8Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.81.3Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Spatial Orientation1.1—
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness1.0—
  • Control Precision1.0—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—
  • Dynamic Strength1.0—
  • Explosive Strength1.0—
  • Extent Flexibility1.0—
  • Finger Dexterity1.0—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.0—
  • Gross Body Coordination1.0—
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.0—
  • Manual Dexterity1.0—
  • Multilimb Coordination1.0—
  • Night Vision1.0—
  • Peripheral Vision1.0—
  • Rate Control1.0—
  • Reaction Time1.0—
  • Response Orientation1.0—
  • Sound Localization1.0—
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.0—
  • Stamina1.0—
  • Static Strength1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Analyzing Data or Information4.76.0Level 7 looks like: Analyze the cost of medical care services for all hospitals in the country
  • Getting Information4.75.8
  • Working with Computers4.64.6Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information4.45.1Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
  • Processing Information4.45.7
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others4.14.9Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.05.5Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Thinking Creatively3.95.4Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
Show all 41
  • Documenting/Recording Information3.84.7Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.75.2Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems3.74.9Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others3.75.3Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.65.0Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.64.4Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.44.6Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.33.8Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.34.1Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Training and Teaching Others3.24.3Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.14.1Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Developing and Building Teams3.03.6Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.04.2Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Coaching and Developing Others2.73.7Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others2.73.6Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates2.73.6Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.73.7Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
  • Scheduling Work and Activities2.73.6Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.73.2Level 4 looks like: Make a sales pitch to convince others to buy a product
  • Performing Administrative Activities2.53.0Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public2.53.0Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others2.43.4Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials2.22.3Level 1 looks like: Check that doors to building are locked
  • Staffing Organizational Units2.02.2Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.91.8Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Assisting and Caring for Others1.61.0Level 1 looks like: Help a coworker complete an assignment
  • Controlling Machines and Processes1.61.3Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
  • Performing General Physical Activities1.51.0Level 1 looks like: Walk between workstations in a small office
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.50.9Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Handling and Moving Objects1.41.0Level 1 looks like: Change settings on copy machines
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • E-Mail4.9
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.4
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.4
  • Freedom to Make Decisions4.3
  • Spend Time Sitting4.2
  • Telephone Conversations4.2
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.1
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team3.9
  • Contact With Others3.6
  • Written Letters and Memos3.5

Technology

45 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

In demand (1)

  • Microsoft Excelhot

Hot (27; 1 more marked hot above)

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Apache Hadoop
  • Atlassian JIRA
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • C#
  • ESRI ArcGIS software
  • Git
  • Linux
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Microsoft Visual Studio
  • Microsoft Windows
  • NoSQL
  • Oracle Database
  • Oracle Java
  • Python
  • Salesforce software
  • SAP software
Show the other 3
  • SAS
  • Splunk Enterprise
  • The MathWorks MATLAB
Other tools (17)
  • Dassault Systemes CATIA
  • Debugging software
  • Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment EIO-LCA
  • Email software
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Microsoft Dynamics AX
  • Online databases
  • PRe Consultants SimaPro
  • Production Flow Analysis and Simplification Toolkit PFAST
  • Productivity software
  • Sales Automation Software
  • StataCorp Stata
  • STATISTICA
  • Structure query language SQL
  • Substance Flow Analysis STAN
  • Web browser software
  • Wolfram Research Mathematica

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
  2. Conservation Scientists
  3. Environmental Restoration Planners
  4. Water Resource Specialists
  5. Soil and Plant Scientists
  6. Environmental Engineers
  7. Hydrologists
  8. Climate Change Policy Analysts
  9. Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
  10. Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.