| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Provide analytical support for policy briefs related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, or climate change. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Prepare study reports, memoranda, briefs, testimonies, or other written materials to inform government or environmental groups on environmental issues, such as climate change. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Analyze and distill climate-related research findings to inform legislators, regulatory agencies, or other stakeholders. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Present climate-related information at public interest, governmental, or other meetings. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Gather and review climate-related studies from government agencies, research laboratories, and other organizations. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Review existing policies or legislation to identify environmental impacts. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Promote initiatives to mitigate climate change with government or environmental groups. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Research policies, practices, or procedures for climate or environmental management. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Write reports or academic papers to communicate findings of climate-related studies. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Develop, or contribute to the development of, educational or outreach programs on the environment or climate change. |
| Importance: 96 (%) | Description: Propose new or modified policies involving use of traditional and alternative fuels, transportation of goods, and other factors relating to climate and climate change. |
| Importance: 96 (%) | Description: Make legislative recommendations related to climate change or environmental management, based on climate change policies, principles, programs, practices, and processes. |
| Importance: 96 (%) | Description: Prepare grant applications to obtain funding for programs related to climate change, environmental management, or sustainability. |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: Present and defend proposals for climate change research projects. |
Plant Science Careers and Jobs
Select, Find and Prepare for Plant Science Careers and Jobs - all on one page
For science-minded people interested in plant biology and agricultural research rather than landscaping. Use the tools below to see which plant science roles fit your background and goals.
This major focuses on the biology and genetics of plants for research and agricultural production, distinct from horticulture's landscape focus. Use the tools below to explore Plant Science-related job titles sorted by growth rate, salary, or required education. You can start with entry points like Field Research Technician, or look ahead to advanced roles such as Plant Scientist or Agricultural Research Manager. Along the way, you will see specific certifications, such as Certified Crop Advisor, that can help you move up the career ladder.
Here is a short Helper Video ![]()
This page will take you through 4 steps to (1) Select from Plant Science careers/jobs, (2) Find Plant Science job listings, (3) Prepare for Plant Science careers, and (4) Provide Plant Science career-specific resources.
Step 1: Select a Career/Job: This page starts with 4 ways for you to identify and select from listings of Plant Science careers/jobs:
A) Fastest Growing Plant Science Careers - 2023 to 2033 (est.)
These listings are based on job growth estimates and helps you to identify the fastest growing and evolving Plant Science careers. Some careers may not initially seem related to Plant Science, so relevant Plant Science jobs are listed alongside each listing. This can also help us to identify which careers (bottom of the listing) may have negative growth - perhaps due to automation or planned obsolescence.
B) Median Annual Salary U.S. Plant Science Careers
These listings are sorted (descending) by median annual salary in the U.S. This may help us to identify our ideal career. We may not qualify at this time for the desired career, but this listing and the results provided can help us to explore job details, as well as learn how to appropriately prepare for the career.
C) Plant Science Career Ladders (Educational Requirements)
These listings will help us to identify Plant Science careers sorted by educational requirements (with the most difficult to obtain listed first). This may help us to identify career ladders (as we scroll down the list), and help us to get jobs that we qualify for now.
D) Select From a Listing of 176 Plant Science Jobs.
The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
Once you have identified a job title of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the chosen career. Information may include (not every career choice includes all of the elements below - updates occur quarterly):
Core Duties: Lists the primary worker-related tasks performed in this occupation
Supplemental Duties: Lists additional tasks that are performed but are secondary to the core duties
Work Activities: Summarizes the broad types of behaviors and actions related to this career
Specific Work Activities: Provides more granular day-to-day activities tied to the work performed
Essential Skills: Provides foundational skills that are core to performing this specific occupation
Transferable Skills: Provides career-portable skills that can be applied across multiple occupations and industries
Day-in-the-Life Summaries: Provides a snapshot of the key activities performed on a typical workday in this career
Knowledge Required: Provides the requirements regarding the acquisition of facts and principles
Software Skills: Lists software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized by category and priority
Preparation Required: Provides a summary of the required experience and education
Education Required: Detailed breakdown of the education required
Training and Experience Required: Detailed breakdown of the training and Training and Experience Required
Local Salary Information: Provides national and local salary ranges
Certifications: Provides appropriate government and private-sector certifications and/or credentials that may be required
Professional Associations: Provides professional associations that are related to the career selected
Job Listings: Provides links to active current job listings for the selected career, along with multiple similar job titles to explore. All information appears on this page without navigating away.
Related Careers to Consider: Lists up to 20 careers that might be of interest to you (related to your initial choice - what they do, what they know, and what they're called), ranked by best fit.
** If you clicked on a link from section D (as described in Step 1 above), you will see one or more links to an occupation that is usually a bit more general than your initial job selection - the link(s) is directly related to the specific job you identified through your prior selections.
*NOTE: It is possible that there may not be a career path identified for the specific job you selected in Step 1. If this is the case, scroll up the page and click on a different career/job.
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that provide detailed (updated) links specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview. Can also assist with coffee chats.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career/Job
43 Plant Science careers are listed below (sorted by Percentage Change in Total Job Openings - 2023 to 2033 est.). Plant Science-related jobs specific to each career are also provided. This shows which careers are emerging and growing the fastest. Please Scroll and Select below:
| Occupations | U.S. Job Openings 2023-2033 (% change) | Plant Science-Related Jobs |
51 Plant Science careers are listed below (sorted by U.S. National Median Salary). Plant Science-related jobs specific to each occupation are also provided. Please Scroll and Select below::
| Occupations | National Median Salary | Plant Science-Related Jobs |
52 Plant Science careers are listed (sorted by Education/Preparation Requirements - descending) to provide career ladders. Plant Science-related jobs specific to each career are also provided.
|
Education/Preparation Categories: 5 = Usually requires graduate school (e.g., Master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.) 4 = Usually requires a four-year Bachelor's degree 3 = Usually requires vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or Associate's degree 2 = Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, but not always Please Scroll and Select below: |
||
| Occupations | Education/Preparation | Plant Science-Related Jobs |
Scroll through the picklist (below). There are 176 specific Plant Science job titles listed. Select those that may be of interest - you will get active job listing links, along with detailed resources to help you prepare for a career related to that job.
You can use this form two ways:
Filter - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles below
Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title (Scroll and Select) :
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Find Job Listings:
Climate Change Policy Analysts.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Description: Research and analyze policy developments related to climate change. Make climate-related recommendations for actions such as legislation, awareness campaigns, or fundraising approaches.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Climate Change Policy Analysts":
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 95 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Importance: 87 (%) | Description: Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Communicating with People Outside the Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used. |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: Working with Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Importance: 73 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 73 (%) | Description: Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Providing Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks. |
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Advise others on matters of public policy. | |
| Appraise environmental impact of regulations or policies. | |
| Communicate results of environmental research. | |
| Compile environmental or climatological data. | |
| Conduct climatological research. | |
| Develop educational programs. | |
| Develop environmental sustainability plans or projects. | |
| Evaluate civic projects or public policies. | |
| Interpret research or operational data. | |
| Prepare proposal documents or grant applications. | |
| Prepare research or technical reports on environmental issues. | |
| Promote environmental sustainability or conservation initiatives. | |
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. |
| Essential Skills (in order of importance)
These are the foundational skills most central to success in this occupation. For the Top 5 most important, how can you begin building experience and confidence using these skills now? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
| Transferable Skills (in order of importance)
These are skills that can transfer across occupations and industries. For the Top 5 most important, how can you strengthen these skills now so they support both this career and future career flexibility? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system. |
| Importance: 58 (%) | Description: Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes. |
| Importance: 56 (%) | Description: Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Instructing: Teaching others how to do something. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Advise others on legal or regulatory matters. |
| Activity: Analyze data to improve operations. |
| Activity: Assess characteristics or impacts of regulations or policies. |
| Activity: Communicate environmental or sustainability information. |
| Activity: Compile records, documentation, or other data. |
| Activity: Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures. |
| Activity: Develop plans for managing or preserving natural resources. |
| Activity: Evaluate programs, practices, or processes. |
| Activity: Prepare proposals or grant applications. |
| Activity: Present research or technical information. |
| Activity: Promote products, services, or programs. |
| Activity: Research issues related to earth sciences. |
|
Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
| High-Priority Tech Skills |
| Office suite software: |
| Microsoft Office software |
| Presentation software: |
| Microsoft PowerPoint |
| Spreadsheet software: |
| Microsoft Excel |
| Emerging Tech Skills |
| Analytical or scientific software: |
| SAS The MathWorks MATLAB |
| Geographic information system: |
| ESRI ArcGIS software |
| Object or component oriented development software: |
| C++ Perl Python R |
| Operating system software: |
| Linux UNIX |
| Word processing software: |
| Microsoft Word |
| General Software Tools |
| Analytical or scientific software: |
| Community Climate System Model CCSM Ferret Grid analysis and display system GrADS Unidata Integrated Data Viewer IDV |
| Development environment software: |
| Formula translation/translator FORTRAN Interface definition language IDL NCAR Command Language NCL Unidata Network common data form NetCDF |
| Geographic information system: |
| Geographic information system GIS systems |
| Information retrieval or search software: |
| North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program NARCCAP data tables |
| Internet browser software: |
| Web browser software |
| Object or component oriented development software: |
| Sun Microsystems Java |
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed |
| Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job. |
| Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). |
| Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training. |
| These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, physician assistants, and veterinarians. |
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 60.9 (%) | Level of Education: Master's Degree |
| Frequency of Attainment: 13.0 (%) | Level of Education: Bachelor's Degree |
| Frequency of Attainment: 13.0 (%) | Level of Education: Doctoral Degree |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.4 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.4 (%) | Level of Education: First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.4 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Doctoral Training |
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 39.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 21.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 17.4 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 10 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 8.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 8.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 years, up to and including 8 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.4 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months |
| Professional Associations These associations connect people who work in this occupation or related fields. How can you start using these associations to learn more, build your network, or find mentoring opportunities? |
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American Planning Association (APA) | |
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Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO) | |
| Job Listings and Similar Occupational Titles - scroll and click to identify common requirements, keywords, and skills in current job listings |
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources
This section contains detailed external resources appropriate to "Climate Change Policy Analysts". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Climate Change Policy Analysts
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
Developed by Dr. Ralph Jagodka, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus of Business Management at Mt. San Antonio College and author of the Harvard Business Impact article "What to Do When Students Ask You for Career Advice." - Full bio. © 2026 About This Page
