The number of people working in Britain's offshore-wind sector is forecast to triple to just under 100,000 by the end of this decade.
A new report published yesterday by the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) shows a surge in job numbers - and also a substantial increase in private investment.
It has been calculated that the sector currently supports more than 31,000 workers - a 16% increase from last year's survey.
Nearly 20,000 are direct jobs and the remainder are indirect - such as in supply-chain companies which manufacture products for the offshore-wind business as well as goods for other sectors.
Almost a third of the posts are in Scotland, and the English region benefiting most is Yorkshire and the Humber, where 15% of the jobs are located.
The study also estimates that, by 2030, the industry will employ more than 97,000 people in the UK - 61,000 direct and 36,000 indirect.
Private investment
Between 2022 and 2030, the sector is expected to see £155billion of private investment in new offshore-wind projects, taking the average annual spend to £17billion-plus a year.
This is a significantly higher level than the level of private investment reported last year, which was just over £10billion.
The increases reflect the enormous expansion of the UK's total pipeline of offshore wind projects at all stages of development over the past 12 months, which now stands at 86 gigawatts (GW).
This 60% rise has been driven mainly by major leasing round announcements by the Crown Estate (8GW) and Crown Estate Scotland (25GW of ScotWind).
OWIC said another significant factor is the move to annual auctions for contracts for difference (previously held every two years), to speed up the transition to renewable power and boost the UK's energy security.
More women in sector
The study also shows that the percentage of women working in offshore wind has increased slightly from 18% reported a year ago to 19.25%, but the industry still has some way to go before reaching its target of 33% by 2030.
The report highlights the need to address the risk of recruitment gaps by introducing measures to increase the number of people with high-level skills entering this innovative sector, to meet current and future demand.
OWIC's people and skills workstream is led by RenewableUK's deputy chief executive Melanie Onn, who said: "The UK offshore wind industry is a powerhouse for job creation. I've seen at first hand the way that my home town of Grimsby is being transformed by this dynamic sector which is bringing billions of private sector investment into coastal communities up and down the country.
"This report shows that we're making rapid progress in seizing the economic benefits of the Green Industrial Revolution, and that we'll need to continue to grow fast to ensure that we meet the Government's target of 50GW of offshore wind by 2030 - a fivefold increase in our current capacity.
"That's why it's important for industry and Government to work together to address skills shortages in areas like electrical engineering and data analysis, so we can boost the number of high-quality green jobs in offshore wind throughout this decade."
Energy security strategy
The co-chair of OWIC Danielle Lane, UK country manager for Vattenfall, added: "The Government's energy security strategy puts offshore wind at the heart of our future green energy system.
"We're working closely with Ministers to pull out all the stops so that we can built vital new green energy infrastructure projects as swiftly as possible to boost Britain's energy independence.
"Attracting a diverse range of talented people into this sector is the key to accelerating our transition to home-grown clean power."
UK Energy Minister Greg Hands said: "This report demonstrates the extraordinary potential of renewable energy to create jobs, drive investment and secure cheaper, clean electricity. We have ambitious plans to go even further as the UK becomes a global renewable-energy powerhouse."