WRISE and root/edge Announce the Release of the 2025 Salary and Sentiment Guide
WRISE celebrates the release of this landmark report capturing the current state of the renewable energy workforce and dynamics shaping the industry, especially for women.
Brooklyn, NY — Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) is proud to announce the release of the 2025 Clean Energy and Sustainability Salary and Sentiments Guide in partnership with root/edge, a leading clean energy recruitment firm.
As the Clean Energy and Sustainability industries mature, competition for skilled talent has intensified, and so has the need for clarity around pay, progression, and perception. The 2025 Salary & Sentiments Guide shines a light on how professionals across the U.S. are compensated, what they value in an employer, and how confident they feel about the future of the industry.
The Summary Edition, available now to the general public, provides a high-level view of key compensation and sentiment trends across the U.S. clean energy and sustainability industries. The Full Edition, a more detailed analysis of the data, will be available exclusively to WRISE Annual Sponsors in December.
This guide is based on the 2025 Salary & Sentiments Survey, conducted in June through to August 2025 and completed by over 500 professionals working across the U.S. clean energy and sustainability sectors. The survey gathered anonymous insights on pay, benefits, progression, mobility, and sentiment, with results analyzed using percentile-based reporting to show a full picture of compensation trends.
The survey polled people of all genders, but takes a particular look at persisting gender gaps. The results in that regard are sobering, but important. At a high level, the findings show that:
- There’s still a pay gap between men and women in the industry from 8% to 18%, depending on your level of experience. And the disparity is highest at the Manager level;
- and only about 1 in 5 women report having a formal professional development plan, compared to 1 in 3 men.
The report also sheds light on how renewable energy workers are feeling about the outlook for the industry and their roles in it. While one in five respondents are exploring opportunities outside of their current roles, the majority remain optimistic about their long-term careers in renewables, despite the recent political and market turbulence.
“I am excited by this partnership with root/edge and to share this important report,” said Doseke Akporiaye, Executive Director at WRISE. “In the 20 years since WRISE was founded, the state of women in the industry has changed dramatically, but we still have work to do. Working with root/edge on this report is a strategic first step towards data leadership for women in the industry. We hope our members and sponsors will continue to support these efforts to tell the story of women’s experiences through data.”
“WRISE has built an extraordinary platform for women and minorities across the renewable energy sector, and it has been a privilege for root/edge to collaborate with their team on this work,” said Mindy Prefling, Managing Partner at root/edge. “We hear what’s happening in the market every day, but partnering with WRISE has allowed us to deepen those insights through a broader, data-driven lens. By tapping into the strength of the WRISE community and our own network, we’re able to elevate the real-life experiences that are often only shared in confidence. Our hope is that this report not only informs, but helps guide the actions needed to build a more equitable future in renewables.”
This is just the beginning. With more than 500 professionals contributing this year, WRISE and root/edge will be running the survey again in 2026 and are aiming to grow participation fourfold. Follow both organizations and lend your voice next year. “Together we can build an even richer data resource that strengthens career pathways, informs employer decision-making, and supports a more equitable future for the industry,” said Prefling.
The Summary Edition of the Guide is now available for download on root/edge’s website. WRISE Annual sponsors can expect the full version to hit their inboxes in December.
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About Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy:
Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE), formerly Women of Wind Energy (WoWE), was founded in 2005 to accelerate the transition to a sustainable and equitable energy future by igniting the collective power of the community. WRISE has local chapters across the US and Canada; national programming that includes the annual luncheon, Leadership Forum, fellowships, the Speakers Bureau, and webinar series; and a growing grassroots network of more than 25,000 participants. The organization is supported through hundreds of volunteer hours and the generous contributions of individuals and corporate partners. For more information about WRISE, visit www.wrisenergy.org.
About root/edge:
root/edge is a boutique recruitment and talent advisory firm dedicated to helping the energy and infrastructure industry build stronger, more resilient teams. Founded on a belief that people and data together drive meaningful progress, root/edge partners with developers, investors, and innovators across clean energy, power, and digital infrastructure. Through search, advisory, and industry insights, root/edge supports companies shaping the future of the energy transition. For more information about root/edge, visit www.root-edge.com