Can you guess how many LEED APs there are?
Go ahead, take a guess. 10,000? Way low. 50,000? You're still off by an order of magnitude.
100,000? Getting close.
Give up? OK, it's 185,071. Here's the latest breakdown from the USGBC:
LEED Professionals
LEED APs with specialty – 64,405
LEED APs without specialty – 89,411
LEED Green Associates – 31,255
Total LEED Professionals – 185,071
But it doesn't stop there. Since some people hold multiple LEED AP specialities - the same person may be LEED AP ND and LEED AP O+M, for example - the number of LEED professional "credentials held" is even bigger: 196,537.
Again, the latest from USGBC:
LEED Green Associate – 31,254
LEED AP BD+C – 66,313
LEED AP Homes – 608
LEED AP ID+C – 5,558
LEED AP ND – 431
LEED AP O+M – 2,962
LEED APs without specialty – 89,411
Total LEED Credentials Held – 196,537
Of course, the LEED AP credential we like best is LEED AP BD+C. So nice of the USGBC to name it after the acronym for Building Design+Construction, right down to the use of the plus sign instead of an ampersand. Thank you, USGBC, we appreciate the publicity.