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At work: Green is a growth industry

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By Repps Hudson | Monday, September 17, 2007 2:26 PM CDT | () comments

Tom Ochsner of St. Peters, Mo., makes a living by advising homeowners how to save money on home heating and cooling bills.

In about two hours, for $159, Ochsner shows the owner of a 2,200-square-foot home just where he or she needs to caulk and fill to plug holes. Ochsner is part of a growing cadre of ''green-collar'' professionals and workers in the United States who earn their living across the spectrum of designing and constructing buildings and infrastructure like highways; making and selling building products from recycled and sustainable materials; consulting and educating; wholesaling and retailing; and more.

The U.S. Green Building Council, a 7-year-old national organization with headquarters in Washington, is one of the giants of this new green-collar movement. The council operates the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Development (LEED) certification for buildings and it offers training courses for professionals. All are intended to lessen the impact of buildings on the environment.

Professionals can take courses in classrooms or online. As public interest in sustainable ''green'' buildings grows, more consumers are seeking professionals who can show they are LEED accredited, said Ashley Katz, spokeswoman for the Green Building Council.

WHO WEARS THE GREEN COLLAR?

So what kind of money can you make in a green-collar job? Anything from a barely living hourly wage to a six-figure salary. Some hourly positions that fit the green label include bicycle repair, recycling haulers, non-toxic housekeeping and more. With additional education or training, you might find jobs such as:

Hydrologist, $51,080, researches and plans soil and water conservation.

Environmental engineer, $50,000, applies many basic sciences in testing air, soil and more.

Conservation biologist, $52,480, studies animals, birds, and their habitats to protect and restore biodiversity.

Pollution control technician, $32,000, conducts field investigations to control pollutants in air, water, and soil.

Ecologist, $68,950, investigates adaptability of different species to changing environmental conditions.

Alternative energy is another burgeoning field with job growth across the board.

Salary data source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Hudson is a business reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, rhudson@post-dispatch.com, 314-340-8208.