The United States Green Building Council released results of a study of job postings in the country that revealed the need for LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and LEED Green Associate credentials grew 46% over a 12-month period.

The study was conducted by USGBC educational partner Pearson by using data provided by job-placement firm Burning Glass and found a total of 9,033 U.S. job postings from March 2013 to Feb. 2014 that required a LEED credential. Top fields advertised included mechanical, electrical and civil engineering, construction management and architecture, among others.

The two companies conducted a secondary 90-day study from January 2014 to March 2014 and found LEED as the skill in the highest demand. LEED appeared in 59% of all postings with the second-most-required skill being in 17% of the postings.

“This figure tells a powerful story about the value that building-industry employers assign to knowledgeable, LEED-credentialed professionals,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “LEED is a transformative force within the building sector, and every day our network of more than 197,000 LEED APs and Green Associates are helping to advance the industry and push building projects to new heights of performance and resource efficiency.”

In other USGBC and LEED news, the Green Building Certification Institute launched LEED Proven Provider, a new designation that streamlines the LEED project to review process for experienced organizations that demonstrate consistent excellence in these projects.

 Organizations with a minimum of six certified projects in a single rating system family are eligible to apply for LEED Proven Provider designation.