TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A joint report released Friday by the Ministry of Environment and 104 Job Bank highlights growing demand for competitive pay, and increasingly flexible qualifications for green-collar jobs in Taiwan.
Between January and April, the median monthly salary for green-collar positions reached NT$40,000 (US$1,377), or 5.3% higher than the overall job market median of NT$38,000. Green-collar roles are defined as jobs that directly or indirectly contribute to environmental sustainability, resource efficiency, or greenhouse gas reduction, according to CTEE and the Green Collar Information Platform.
By industry, the construction and real estate sector offered the highest green-collar salaries at NT$44,000, driven by growing demand for professionals with expertise in green building standards, carbon management, and sustainable design.
Energy efficiency positions also stood out, particularly as Taiwan aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. These roles offered the highest median salary among green-collar job types at NT$48,000, reflecting their technical and interdisciplinary complexity.
The report found that 30% of green job listings offered negotiable salaries based on qualifications, twice the rate seen in other sectors. Roles in project or product management and research and development engineering were the most flexible, with 51% and 42% of listings, respectively, allowing for salary negotiation.
Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) noted that nearly 60% of green-collar positions are open to recent graduates and do not require a specific academic background. Companies are increasingly prioritizing relevant skills and practical competencies over traditional educational qualifications.
The report points to an eight-year trend of employers relaxing requirements for education, major, and experience, while placing greater emphasis on job-specific, digital, and certification-based skills.
From January to April, 95% of green-collar job postings accepted applicants with a university degree or lower, and 77% of technical service or maintenance roles were open to high school or vocational school graduates. Furthermore, 92% of postings welcomed candidates with fewer than five years of experience — more than half of them open to applicants with one year or less, or none at all.
Nearly 30% of green-collar roles required practical work experience, a 20.3% increase since 2018. Computer-related skills were sought in 33.2% of listings, up 20%, while 23.9% required professional certifications, a 7.1% rise.
To support the development of green talent, the Ministry of Environment has partnered with 32 universities to roll out certification-based training programs aimed at enhancing employability in the sector.
