How to become a Wind Energy Development Manager

Official title: Wind Energy Development Managers

Also called: Business Development Director, Business Development Manager, Development Director, Development Manager, Project Development Leader, Renewable Project Management and Construction Director

Lead or manage the development and evaluation of potential wind energy business opportunities, including environmental studies, permitting, and proposals. May also manage construction of projects.

Main tasks

• Coordinate or direct development, energy assessment, engineering, or construction activities to ensure that wind project needs and objectives are met.
• Manage wind project costs to stay within budget limits.
• Lead or support negotiations involving tax agreements or abatements, power purchase agreements, land use, or interconnection agreements.
• Create wind energy project plans, including project scope, goals, tasks, resources, schedules, costs, contingencies, or other project information.
• Supervise the work of subcontractors or consultants to ensure quality and conformance to specifications or budgets.
• Develop scope of work for wind project functions, such as design, site assessment, environmental studies, surveying, or field support services.
• Provide verbal or written project status reports to project teams, management, subcontractors, customers, or owners.
• Update schedules, estimates, forecasts, or budgets for wind projects.

How to become one

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Ways in

• College: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US
• College: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $141,900 a year The middle half earn $102,880 to $186,300.
• About 1,338,800 people work in this job now, and about 1,404,400 are projected by 2035. (+4.9%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Regulatory Affairs Managers
• Compliance Managers
• Loss Prevention Managers
• Wind Energy Operations Managers
• Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Wind Energy Development Manager?

Ways in include: Business & Commerce degrees; Arts & Humanities degrees.

How much does a Wind Energy Development Manager earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $141,900 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $102,880 to $186,300.

Is a Wind Energy Development Manager a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 1,338,800 to about 1,404,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Wind Energy Development Manager?

Not always. 58% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Business & Commerce degrees; Arts & Humanities degrees.

Will AI change the work of a Wind Energy Development Manager?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.