What you can expect to earn from climate jobs
With COP30 ongoing this week, here is everything you need to know about salary information for climate-focused jobs.
Climate-focused development work is crucial for building a sustainable future. Despite several setbacks this year, such as the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the freezing of foreign aid funds, including those for climate programs, global development organizations continue to promote green policies and work to tackle climate change. The success of this vital work depends on employing skilled climate professionals. As world leaders, organizations, and the media gather for two weeks for talks on food and climate at the 30th U.N. Climate Change Conference, or COP 30, we take a closer look at the climate hiring landscape. Devex job board data shows that 1,011 climate-related jobs were posted from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31 of this year, representing a 26.4% decrease from the same period last year, when 1,374 jobs were posted. This article focuses on 297 climate-related job opportunities with published salaries from 106 recruiting organizations. We use this information to identify the average salary by country and region, the most salary-transparent organizations on Devex, and the highest-paid jobs since Jan. 1 of this year. To maintain consistency in the salary analysis, salaries disclosed in currencies other than U.S. dollars were converted from their original currencies. For accuracy of comparison, 2024 figures were converted to 2025 U.S. constant prices. Most salaries contain a maximum and minimum salary. When assessing multiple salaries with a range, we provide the average minimum and maximum salaries. Climate jobs salaries based on regions and locations <div class='tableauPlaceholder' id='viz1762850682544' style='position: relative'><noscript><a href='#'><img alt='Dashboard ' src='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/20/2025averagesalarybylocation/Dashboard1/1_rss.png' style='border: none' /></a></noscript><object class='tableauViz' style='display:none;'><param name='host_url' value='https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.tableau.com%2F' /> <param name='embed_code_version' value='3' /> <param name='site_root' value='' /><param name='name' value='2025averagesalarybylocation/Dashboard1' /><param name='tabs' value='no' /><param name='toolbar' value='yes' /><param name='static_image' value='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/20/2025averagesalarybylocation/Dashboard1/1.png' /> <param name='animate_transition' value='yes' /><param name='display_static_image' value='yes' /><param name='display_spinner' value='yes' /><param name='display_overlay' value='yes' /><param name='display_count' value='yes' /><param name='language' value='en-US' /></object></div><param name='device' value='desktop' /><param name='showShareOptions' value='false' /> <script type='text/javascript'> var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1762850682544'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 800 ) { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px';} else if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 500 ) { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px';} else { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height='727px';} var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement); </script> <i style=font-style: georgia;”>2025 average salary of climate-related jobs based on locations</i> Despite the decline of climate-related opportunities this year, there has been a 2.7% increase in opportunities with shared salary information. For climate-related opportunities with available salary information, the average salary ranges from $65,105 to $81,567, a 13.2% drop from last year’s average salary of $74,988-$101,941. How do salaries vary by location? Climate-related jobs marked as “worldwide” by employers have the highest average salary, ranging from $103,500 to $132,467. However, this only reflects eight jobs. This is followed by North America with an average salary of $101,389-$138,274, a 3.5% decrease from last year’s average salary of $105,065-$160,499. South Asia received the lowest average salary this year, with a range of $37,649-$45,796. Notably, the region’s average salary increased by 43.6% from the previous year’s $26,218-$28,904. Thailand is the location with the highest average salary, with a range of $118,979-$131,893 — a 90.2% increase from last year’s $62,536-$88,668. However, this comes only from a sample size of seven jobs. It is followed by the United States, which had an average salary of $102,785 to $141,123, a 5.97% decrease from last year’s average salary, which ranged from $109,309 to $168,290. Most salary-transparent organizations hiring in the climate sector The list of most salary-transparent organizations hiring in the climate sector, based on data shared on Devex, is dominated by U.N. agencies and also includes a mix of bilateral organizations, multilateral development banks, and climate-focused organizations. At the top of the list is the United Nations Development Programme, which shared salary information for 28 jobs with an average annual salary range of $50,689-$76,772. Closely following are the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Asian Development Bank, each with shared salary information for 26 jobs. The FCDO’s average annual salary is $54,508, while the ADB offers an average annual salary of $104,222. The World Resources Institute comes next with 25 jobs and a range of $20,541-$26,153, followed by the Global Green Growth Institute, sharing salaries for 23 jobs with an average range of $27,469-$27,686. Organizations with fewer than 20 shared salaries include the International Organization for Migration, with shared salaries for 14 jobs and an average range of $38,739-$57,997, and the International Finance Corporation, with 13 jobs and an average range of $111,125-$206,445. The World Health Organization shared salaries for 11 jobs with an average range of $61,512-$72,260. Rounding out the list are the World Food Programme with six jobs and an average salary range of $43,730-$68,323, and the UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization, each with shared salary information for five jobs. UNICEF has an average salary range of $72,987-$97,515, while FAO has an average salary range of $117,292-$150,438. Devex data reveals significant variations in the average annual salary ranges offered by the most salary-transparent organizations in the climate sector: IFC shows the highest maximum average salary on the list, at $206,444.82, with a minimum average of $111,125. On the other hand, WRI has the lowest minimum average salary at $20,541, with a maximum average of $26,153. Highest-paid climate jobs in 2025 The following are some of the highest-paid climate jobs that have been posted on the Devex job board this year: 1. Director, Global Climate Initiative Hiring organization: David and Lucile Packard Foundation Location: Los Altos, United States Annual salary range: $232,000-$302,000 2. Senior Director, Conservation & Climate Finance Policy Hiring organization: The Nature Conservancy Multiple locations: Singapore, Brussels, New York City, Washington, D.C. Annual salary range: $216,000-$229,000 3. Program Officer, Climate Change Finance and Multilateral Initiatives Hiring organization: CEA Consulting Location: Menlo Park, United States Annual salary range: $195,000-$235,000 4. Global Climate Initiative Program Officer Hiring organization: David and Lucile Packard Foundation Location: Los Altos, United States Annual salary range: $173,000-$245,000 5. Program Officer, Natural Resources and Climate Justice Hiring organization: Ford Foundation Location: New York City, United States Annual salary range: $173,000-$185,000 6. Legislative Director, Climate and Energy Hiring organization: Earthjustice Location: Washington, D.C., United States Annual salary range: $164,000-$182,200 7. Chief, Livestock Innovation, Climate and Post Harvesting Solutions Branch Hiring organization: FAO Location: Rome, Italy Annual salary range: $152,417-$193,215 8. Senior Climate Investment Specialist Hiring organization: The Green Climate Fund Location: Incheon, South Korea Annual salary: $145,000 9. Procurement Lead, Ocean and Climate Hiring organization: The Aspen Institute Location: Washington, D.C., United States Annual salary range: $140,000-$150,000 10. Senior Operations Officer, Climate Business Hiring organization: IFC Location: Washington, D.C., United States Annual salary range: $137,300-$255,000 11. Senior Operations Officer - Climate Lead, LAC Region Hiring organization: IFC Multiple locations: Vienna, Panama, São Paulo, Bogotá Annual salary range: $137,300-$255,000 12. Senior Operations Officer - Climate Adaptation & Resilience Lead Hiring organization: IFC Location: Washington, D.C., United States Annual salary range: $137,300-$255,000
Climate-focused development work is crucial for building a sustainable future. Despite several setbacks this year, such as the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the freezing of foreign aid funds, including those for climate programs, global development organizations continue to promote green policies and work to tackle climate change. The success of this vital work depends on employing skilled climate professionals.
As world leaders, organizations, and the media gather for two weeks for talks on food and climate at the 30th U.N. Climate Change Conference, or COP 30, we take a closer look at the climate hiring landscape.
Devex job board data shows that 1,011 climate-related jobs were posted from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31 of this year, representing a 26.4% decrease from the same period last year, when 1,374 jobs were posted.
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Genevieve Gregorio is a Data Quality and Knowledge Management Associate at Devex. She is part of the Data Collections Team, focusing on overall content strategy, ensuring quality and accurate data and providing support in research and analysis. She has a bachelor's degree in International Studies from Miriam College and a master's degree in Political Economy from the University of Asia and the Pacific.
Kristiana Louise Ortega is a Data Quality and Knowledge Management Associate at Devex. She is part of the Data Collections Team where she assists in the overall content strategy, ensuring quality and accurate data and provides support in research and analysis. She has a bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies from the University of Santo Tomas.
