Also called: Organics Processing Manager, Composting Operations Manager
Runs a facility that turns food scraps and yard waste into compost, managing giant steaming piles of decomposing material.
You check temperatures in rows of compost hot enough to cook an egg (they must reach 131°F to kill pathogens), direct loaders turning the piles, deal with odor complaints, and sell finished compost to farms and landscapers.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. Compost operator certification (US Composting Council) plus experience; degrees in soil science help.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training, 4-year college. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Soil Science, Environmental Science.
Growing faster than average. Cities and states are banning food waste from landfills.
Low risk for 10 years. Sensors track pile temperature; managing piles, staff and permits stays hands-on.
Classes: Biology, Chemistry, Agriculture science.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.