About three-quarters of business establishments reported the use of at least one green technology or practice during August 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.

Green technologies and practices are defined as those that lessen the environmental impact of an establishment’s operations.

About 854,700 jobs, representing approximately 0.7 percent of total U.S. employment, were held by workers who spent more than half of their time involved in green technologies and practices in August 2011, BLS says, noting that over one-quarter of these jobs were in building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations or in installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.

The two most frequently reported types of green technologies and practices were those that improve energy efficiency within the establishment, reported by 57 percent of establishments, and those that reduce the creation of waste materials as a result of operations, reported by 55 percent of establishments. The least commonly used green technology or practice was generating electricity, heat, or fuel from renewable sources primarily for use within the establishment, reported by about 2 percent of establishments.

Information and educational services were among the industries with the highest incidence of green technologies and practices, with 84 and 81 percent of establishments reporting the use of at least one green technology or practice, BLS says. The industries with the lowest incidence of green technologies and practices were mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (49 percent) and transportation and warehousing (61 percent).

Among occupations with at least 2,500 GTP jobs, BLS reports that the highest paying included general and operations managers, with an annual mean wage of $103,780 for GTP jobs; construction managers ($83,480); and civil engineers ($82,810). The lowest paying occupations included maids and housekeeping cleaners ($17,950) and farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse ($21,630).