Virginia Energy Efficiency jobs: 79,241 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Virginia employs 79,241 people in the energy efficiency sector — about 3.3% of the U.S. total. That makes Virginia the 9th-largest state for energy efficiency jobs nationwide.
Energy Efficiency Jobs in Virginia (2024)
National share: 3.33% of all U.S. energy efficiency jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
Virginia ranks 9th out of 51 U.S. states in energy efficiency employment. At 79,241 workers, the state sits above the 25th-ranked Alabama’s tally by 47,691 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 232,849 energy efficiency workers.
1.1 Virginia’s position vs. the top 10 and median states
1.2 Share of U.S. total
The energy efficiency sector nationwide employs roughly 2,381,744 workers; Virginia accounts for 79,241 of them.
1.3 Where Virginia sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 79,241 | #9 |
| Solar | 6,005 | #17 |
| Wind | 2,527 | #14 |
| Electric Vehicles | 2,509 | #16 |
| Nuclear | 2,426 | #10 |
| Storage & Grid | 1,486 | #20 |
| Hydropower | 823 | #15 |
| Clean Fuels | 327 | #17 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Virginia
Every energy efficiency-related sub-category reported for Virginia in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in Virginia
Virginia contributes 3.33% of the nation’s energy efficiency workforce. Within Virginia’s own clean-energy economy, energy efficiency accounts for 83.1% of total clean-energy jobs (79,241 of 95,344 workers).
Cost-of-living in Virginia is roughly 3.0% higher the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for energy efficiency roles in Virginia is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | Virginia-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Engineer | $103,940 | $107,058 | 4 |
| Energy Auditor | $71,400 | $73,542 | 3 |
| Weatherization Installer & Technician | $50,560 | $52,077 | 2 |
See all 3 energy efficiency occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
Virginia employers rate 19.4% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 26.7% as “somewhat difficult”) — on par with the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 46.1% of Virginia’s clean-energy roles see some level of hiring friction.
4.1 Employer hiring difficulty
4.2 Jobs by NAICS industry group
| Industry (NAICS group) | Jobs (2024) |
|---|---|
| Construction | 66,425 |
| Professional Services | 39,112 |
| Other Services | 30,402 |
| Manufacturing | 21,369 |
| Trade | 17,717 |
| Utilities | 10,936 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 6,442 |
| Mining and Extraction | 3,026 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 588 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Data source: U.S. Department of Energy — 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report (reflecting 2024 employment); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics; O*NET Occupation Database 29.1.
Last updated: April 2026.