Demand for LEED Credentials Rising, Study Shows

Washington, DC, Sept. 16, 2014 -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) said a study of job postings from across the U.S. reveals that demand for the LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and LEED Green Associate credentials grew 46% over a 12-month period.
 
“This figure tells a powerful story about the value that building-industry employers assign to knowledgeable, LEED-credentialed professionals,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC.

The study, conducted by USGBC education partner Pearson, using data provided by Burning Glass, found a total of 9,033 U.S. job postings from March 2013 to February 2014 that required a LEED credential.

Top fields being advertised included available positions in mechanical, electrical and civil engineering; construction management; architecture; software development; sales management; property management; and interior design, among others.
 
A secondary 90-day study from January 2014 to March 2014 of 2,354 U.S. green-building related positions also found LEED as the skill in highest demand by a wide margin. LEED appeared in 59% of all postings, compared to the second-most-required skill, which appeared in 17% of the postings.