This review summarizes strategies to enhance the thermoelectric performance of PbSe and PbS materials. Thermoelectric materials convert thermal energy into electricity and vice versa, making them promising for waste heat recovery and cooling systems. While materials like Bi₂Te₃, PbTe, and GeTe have excellent thermoelectric properties, their high cost and limited availability hinder widespread use. PbSe and PbS are more promising due to their abundance and lower cost. Strategies to improve thermoelectric performance include optimizing carrier concentration through aliovalent doping, dynamic doping, and defect states; enhancing density-of-state effective mass via band convergence, flattening, and energy filtering; optimizing carrier mobility through band sharpening and alignment; and reducing lattice thermal conductivity through defect structures. These strategies are crucial for developing efficient and sustainable thermoelectric materials. The review highlights the importance of carrier concentration, which is closely related to electrical and thermal transport properties. For PbSe/PbS-based materials, the optimal carrier concentration range is between 1×10¹⁹ and 1×10²⁰ cm⁻³. Aliovalent doping, such as with In, Cl, and Bi, can significantly increase carrier concentration. Na and K doping show high efficiency, while Ag has limited solubility. The review also discusses the role of defect structures in reducing lattice thermal conductivity. Overall, these strategies are essential for improving the thermoelectric performance of PbSe and PbS materials.This review summarizes strategies to enhance the thermoelectric performance of PbSe and PbS materials. Thermoelectric materials convert thermal energy into electricity and vice versa, making them promising for waste heat recovery and cooling systems. While materials like Bi₂Te₃, PbTe, and GeTe have excellent thermoelectric properties, their high cost and limited availability hinder widespread use. PbSe and PbS are more promising due to their abundance and lower cost. Strategies to improve thermoelectric performance include optimizing carrier concentration through aliovalent doping, dynamic doping, and defect states; enhancing density-of-state effective mass via band convergence, flattening, and energy filtering; optimizing carrier mobility through band sharpening and alignment; and reducing lattice thermal conductivity through defect structures. These strategies are crucial for developing efficient and sustainable thermoelectric materials. The review highlights the importance of carrier concentration, which is closely related to electrical and thermal transport properties. For PbSe/PbS-based materials, the optimal carrier concentration range is between 1×10¹⁹ and 1×10²⁰ cm⁻³. Aliovalent doping, such as with In, Cl, and Bi, can significantly increase carrier concentration. Na and K doping show high efficiency, while Ag has limited solubility. The review also discusses the role of defect structures in reducing lattice thermal conductivity. Overall, these strategies are essential for improving the thermoelectric performance of PbSe and PbS materials.