Walk the cleanup site
Walk the property, compare cleanup progress against the written remediation plan, and note items to follow up.
Career profile
Brownfield Redevelopment Specialist or Site Manager
Brownfield redevelopment specialists plan the cleanup of polluted land and arrange its return to use.
An empty former industrial site needs more than new-building plans. The job helps link cleanup, funding and everyone involved so the land is used again.
A day in the life
Compare contractor cleanup bids
Enter each contractor's remediation price in a spreadsheet and review what each bid covers before negotiating the job.
Line up next-phase funding
Split the redevelopment budget into fundable parts, matching site assessment, cleanup and infrastructure to possible grants or financing.
Meet residents about the site plan
Show neighbors the layout, hear their wishes, explain the land's limits and pick changes for the project team.
Quick facts
Usually a bachelor's + experience
United States · O*NET updated 2025
Not displayed
National wage figures combine this specialty with many other managers.
Not displayed
National projections do not isolate brownfield jobs.
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Usually a bachelor's + experienceSubstantial related experience commonly comes before managing projects.
Pay
Not displayedNational wage figures combine this specialty with many other managers.
Outlook
Not displayedNational projections do not isolate brownfield jobs.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like figuring out what must happen before the next person can start.
- You enjoy checking whether a budget matches the work promised.
- You can listen carefully when people want different things from the same place.
Things to weigh
- Expect substantial desk time: reports and project records accompany site visits.
- A promising reuse plan can require several funding sources. You may keep revising the sequence while financing comes together.
Where AI may help
Portable instruments can measure some contamination in the field. Mapping software helps the team see where results cluster and decide where to investigate next.
What people still lead
You help decide whether the evidence is sufficient and how a changed cleanup plan affects the project.
What we can’t predict yet
How much field testing can replace waiting for laboratory results depends on the contaminant, the method, and the quality of evidence the decision needs.
Pay in context
Earnings
Use the national figures as broad context, then compare roles with similar responsibilities and hours.
National context
In 2025, the broader Managers, All Other group had a median of $141,900 annually or $68.22 hourly. Its 10th–90th percentile spread was $74,300–$238,270 annually. These are not brownfield-specific wages or beginner-to-expert steps.
Consulting project management
A Colorado environmental project manager role covering brownfields and other remediation work advertises $90,000–$130,000 a year. This is an experienced role's advertised range, not a consulting-industry average.
Community program coordination
A part-time contaminated-sites coordinator role in Dillingham, Alaska, advertises $21.88–$28.00 an hour. Its hours and responsibilities differ from consulting management, so the ranges do not measure an employer-type pay premium.
Broader hiring outlook
Managers, All Other has projected growth of 5%–6% and 106,700 annual openings for 2024–2034. Those openings cover the whole group.
Getting started
Build technical project experience
- What the route involves
- Study environmental science, geology, or engineering, then gain experience investigating sites and organizing cleanup projects.
- What it can lead to
- Technical project-management roles may accept a related bachelor's degree plus four years of relevant experience, or equivalent preparation.
Build community environmental experience
- What the route involves
- Develop environmental program experience, clear report writing, database skills, and relationships with communities and agencies.
- What it can lead to
- Some coordinator roles accept relevant experience in place of a preferred environmental degree.
- What to check
- The employer decides whether your preparation qualifies; this is not a universal degree-free route.
This is usually work you grow into after building related experience.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Keep clear records of project decisions and cleanup progress.
Connect the phases
Take on more of the funding plan: connect cleanup costs with infrastructure needs and the timing of redevelopment.
Lead larger programs
Advance toward overseeing several project managers and mentoring staff.
Where you can work
Environmental consulting firms
You manage work for clients, coordinate subcontractors, and keep projects within budget. Winning future work and meeting profit targets can also be part of the job.
- Office
Tribal community programs
You connect village priorities with agency cleanup resources. In Alaska's Bristol Bay region, visits can involve small aircraft or boats alongside office reporting.
- Office
- Field work
- Travel
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Imagine an old factory lot becoming a community center. Make a one-page plan showing what you would need to learn about contamination, who should help decide the reuse, and which activities need funding first. Notice whether you enjoy connecting these decisions.
Stay safe: Keep this a paper exercise; do not enter abandoned property or collect soil.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Department of Labor. Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Department of Labor. Wages: national table for Managers, All Other. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- AECOM. Project Manager — Colorado. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Bristol Bay Native Association. Contaminated Sites Coordinator. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Six Community Actions that Drive Brownfields Revitalization. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Navigating Funding for Brownfields Revitalization. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Brownfields Road Map to Understanding Options for Site Investigation and Cleanup, Sixth Edition. Accessed 2026-10-03.