How many green jobs the UK has depends on who is counting. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates 304,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs directly in the low carbon and renewable energy economy in 2024. The government puts the number of jobs supported by clean energy sectors and their supply chains at around 440,000 in 2023, and estimates that around 860,000 could be needed by 2030. The work spans wind energy, solar, heat pumps and energy networks.
Students, oil and gas workers and career changers all have routes in, from engineering and construction to planning and environmental management.
How it works
Understanding green jobs in the UK means looking at three different sets of numbers, because different bodies count employment in different ways. They should not be compared as rival counts or added together.
The ONS publishes two measures. Its Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy (LCREE) survey tracks direct FTE jobs: an estimated 304,000 in 2024, down 13,000 (4.1%) on 2023. This is the narrowest official measure. The wider ONS “green jobs” estimate covers any activity that protects or restores the environment, including waste management, and counted 652,100 FTE in 2024 (provisional).
The government uses a third measure. Its Clean Energy Jobs Plan (CEJP) estimates “jobs supported” by clean energy sectors and their supply chains: around 440,000 in 2023. It is larger than the LCREE figure because it adds indirect supply-chain jobs and uses DESNZ modelling.
LCREE turnover reached £77.0 billion in 2024, up 11.8% on 2023 (current prices, not adjusted for inflation). The ONS warns that year-to-year job changes can mislead because of sampling uncertainty and suggests looking at 3-5 year trends; over 2015-2024, LCREE employment rose 51.6%.
Real-world examples
Wind is a major employer. RenewableUK and the Offshore Wind Industry Council say over 55,000 people worked in UK wind in 2025: nearly 40,000 in offshore wind, up 24% from just over 32,000 two years earlier, and just over 15,000 onshore. Projections for 2030 differ. RenewableUK estimates a need for 74,000 to 95,000 offshore wind workers, depending on deployment, and over 17,500 onshore. The government’s plan projects up to 100,000 offshore and 45,000 onshore jobs supported, an upper-bound figure that includes supply chains.
Solar is also growing. DESNZ statistics show 291,000 solar installations in the 12 months to August 2026, the most since 2012. The government’s Solar Roadmap (June 2025) puts current GB solar employment at about 17,000, rising to around 35,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2030.
Heat pumps and home retrofit are the biggest growth area in the plan, with heat and buildings projected to rise from 66,000 jobs supported in 2023 to 248,000 in 2030. The Heat Pump Association says around 9,000 people took heat pump training in 2024, and MCS figures reported in the press show a record of more than 60,000 certified heat pump installations in 2025. Heat pump installers and retrofit coordinators are needed, but the government names barriers: reliance on stop-start grant schemes, a lack of retrofit courses and qualified tutors, and a sector dominated by micro-businesses.
What the numbers say
The Clean Energy Jobs Plan, published in October 2025, estimates the workforce needed to meet Clean Power 2030 and net zero goals. It says clean energy employment could “nearly double from around 440,000 in 2023 to around 860,000 jobs supported” by 2030, about 10% growth a year.
The plan cites DESNZ data (September 2024) showing that jobs in wind, nuclear and electricity networks advertise average salaries of over £50,000, against a UK average of £37,000. It also cites PwC’s 2023 Green Jobs Barometer, which found entry-level “green” roles carry a 23% average pay premium in around 60% of occupations.
Skills England found that clean energy industries are expected to need one of the largest rises in employment of its ten priority sectors from 2025 to 2030. Engineering roles are also sought by advanced manufacturing, defence and digital, so sectors may compete for the same workers.
Limitations and honest assessment
The figure of “400,000 new jobs” often appears in the press. It comes from the gap between the 2023 estimate (around 440,000) and the 2030 projection (around 860,000), roughly 420,000. It is an estimate of the workforce needed, not a promise of net new jobs.
The plan itself says the 2030 figures are “indicative of the orders of magnitude”, not precise predictions. It does not measure net additional jobs across the economy, since some workers move from declining sectors, and it excludes induced jobs and replacement demand. No official count yet shows whether the 860,000 path is on track; the latest LCREE data show direct jobs dipping from 317,000 in 2023 to 304,000 in 2024.
There are diversity gaps. The plan reports that only 7% of the offshore wind workforce and 5% of the heat pump workforce are from an ethnic minority background. RenewableUK says women make up 22% of the wind workforce; the offshore wind industry targets 33% by 2030.
The UK also lags some peers. The plan says that in 2023 Germany had almost three times as many renewable energy jobs per head as the UK, and Sweden and Denmark almost four and five times. Worldwide, IRENA and the ILO estimate at least 16.6 million people worked in renewable energy in 2024, solar PV being the largest employer.
The UK angle
The plan announced a new Office for Clean Energy Jobs within DESNZ. Other measures include:
- five Clean Energy Technical Excellence Colleges, on top of ten Construction Technical Excellence Colleges;
- an Engineering Skills Package worth over £100 million;
- an extra £1.2 billion a year for skills over the parliament, across the whole economy;
- up to £20 million from the UK and Scottish governments to help North Sea workers move into clean energy.
The plan names 31 priority occupations that are both most in demand and hardest to fill, including plumbers and heating installers, electricians, welders, carpenters and engineering professionals. They represent about 150,000 workers, roughly 39% of the estimated direct 2030 workforce.
RenewableUK expects the biggest growth in wind jobs in Scotland, the East of England, and Yorkshire and the Humber, with Aberdeen and the North East, then the Highlands and Islands, needing the most workers.
Routes in are widening. The Low Carbon Heating Technician apprenticeship launched in 2023, and insulation and retrofit coordinator apprenticeships were due to launch in late 2025; check current availability on GOV.UK. The Energy Skills Passport helps oil and gas workers move into offshore wind and is being extended to sectors such as networks and nuclear. The plan also includes a programme to help service leavers into clean energy. For the wider case behind the shift, see why switch to renewable energy.
Frequently asked questions
How many people work in renewable energy in the UK?
It depends on the measure. The ONS estimates 304,000 direct FTE jobs in the low carbon and renewable energy economy in 2024. Its wider “green jobs” measure, which includes areas such as waste, gives 652,100 FTE. The government estimates around 440,000 jobs were supported by clean energy sectors and supply chains in 2023. These are different measures, not competing counts.
What is the Clean Energy Jobs Plan and does it really mean 400,000 new jobs?
The plan, published in October 2025, estimates that around 860,000 jobs supported could be needed by 2030, up from around 440,000 in 2023, a difference of about 420,000. It is a projection of workforce need, not a guarantee of net new jobs, and it excludes induced jobs and replacement demand.
Which green jobs are most in demand in the UK?
The government names 31 priority occupations, including plumbers and heating installers, electricians, welders, carpenters, glaziers, roofers and engineering professionals. In wind, RenewableUK names high voltage cable specialists and wind turbine technicians among hard-to-fill roles.
How do I get into the renewable energy industry without a degree?
Apprenticeships are the main route, such as the Low Carbon Heating Technician apprenticeship; check current courses on GOV.UK. Engineering T Levels receive funding under the Engineering Skills Package, and short Sector-based Work Academy Programmes include one on solar panel installation. Oil and gas workers can use the Energy Skills Passport.
Can oil and gas workers move into offshore wind?
Often, yes. Robert Gordon University estimates over 90% of the UK oil and gas workforce has skills with medium to high transferability to offshore renewables. In 2023 around 37,000 workers were directly employed in declining sectors such as coal, oil and gas extraction, about one in three of them in the 31 priority occupations. Refinery workers at Grangemouth and Prax Lindsey have bespoke training guarantees.
Are green energy jobs well paid?
Many are. Jobs in wind, nuclear and electricity networks advertise average salaries of over £50,000, against a UK average of £37,000 (DESNZ, September 2024). PwC found entry-level green roles carry a 23% average pay premium in around 60% of occupations. These are averages; individual pay varies.