Technology
Buffalo's green tech boom: What workers need to know now
With a new training center and rising salaries, the city's clean energy sector is hiring for a range of skilled trades and technical roles.
How we reported this
Buffalo's green technology sector is creating a new jobs pipeline for local workers, fueled by an expanding battery plant, the region's low-carbon power grid, and a dedicated training center on the West Side.
For job seekers and professionals, the message is clear: clean energy careers here pay above the local median and are backed by significant private and public investment.
As of July 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for green tech jobs in Buffalo is $65,440, with most workers earning between $39,134 and $83,926, according to ZipRecruiter data. That range covers roles from entry-level installation technicians to senior engineers in renewable energy, energy efficiency and electric vehicles.
New training center opens on the West Side
PUSH Buffalo opened the region's first green jobs training center on Buffalo's West Side in 2025, a $2.5 million facility called the Sustainability Workforce Training Center. It focuses on clean energy and sustainable building careers, preparing residents for the kind of hands-on jobs that companies like Viridi Parente are hiring for.
Viridi Parente is expanding its 42-acre green tech campus in Buffalo, adding 70,000 square feet to produce lithium-ion battery technology and clean power systems. The company is rehabilitating an 850,000-square-foot facility originally built by GM in 1923, turning an old automotive plant into a hub for innovative battery storage for industrial and microgrid applications.
Why Buffalo is a green energy magnet
Upstate New York has the cleanest electric power profile in the U.S., with hydropower accounting for 33% of its energy mix compared to a 6% national average. That clean grid, largely powered by Niagara Falls, gives companies operating here a marketing advantage as well as a lower carbon footprint.
Western New York currently hosts 35 cleantech companies in a state incubator that employ 281 people. Those firms have raised $206 million from investors, signaling strong private-sector confidence. The University at Buffalo generates or purchases 100% of its electricity from renewables and operates one of the largest on-campus solar projects in the country, producing 12 million kWh annually.
Local startup Cleanfiber received $6 million in state funding to develop carbon-reducing building insulation made from recycled corrugated cardboard, a product aimed at making homes more energy efficient and creating additional manufacturing jobs.
For workers considering a move into green tech, the range of entry points is widening: from solar installation and battery assembly to insulation manufacturing and building retrofitting. With Viridi Parente scaling up production and the training center now operational, Buffalo's green tech workforce is being built from the ground up.