The USGBC, a non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable and green building design, has announced the results of a recent study, and concluded that there is a growing need for LEED credentialed professionals.

According to a study conducted by the U.S. Green Building Council, USGBC, there is a growing demand for LEED credentialed professionals, including LEED Accredited Professionals or LEED APs and LEED Green Associates. The study concluded that the need for LEED credentialed professionals has grown 46 percent 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. "LEED is a transformative force within the building sector, and every day, our network of more than 197,000 LEED APs and Green Associates are helping to advance the industry and push building projects to new heights of performance and resource efficiency."

The study, an examination of job postings from across the United States, 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 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 conducted by Pearson, using data provided by Burning Glass, 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 percent of all postings, compared to the second-most-required skill, which appeared in 17 percent of the postings.

To learn more about Education @USGBC, visit usgbc.org/education-at-usgbc, and to learn more about LEED credentialing, visit usgbc.org/credentials.

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