Environment professionals: pay and what the work involves

Occupation 2152 · Professional occupations

Environment professionals

Environment professionals investigate, address, and advise on a variety of terrestrial and marine environment and resource management issues, including the development and implementation of environmental policies and remedies that address the impacts of human activities and industrial processes on the environment.

How people enter it

A good degree in a relevant subject is normally a minimum entry qualification, and some employers will require a postgraduate qualification. Relevant work experience to complement academic qualifications is highly desirable. Professional qualifications across a wide range of areas of work are available

What the work involves

identifies contamination of land, air or water and assesses any adverse impact on the environment
advises on and provides solutions for mitigating the effects of such contamination
implements remediation works
carries out environment-related desk-based research and fieldwork to collect, analyse and interpret data to determine their validity, quality and significance
carries out or assists in environmental audits and environmental impact assessments
communicates scientific and technical information to relevant audiences in an appropriate form, via reports, workshops, educational events, public hearings
assists organisations to conduct their activities in an environmentally appropriate manner
implements, reviews and advises on regulatory and legislative standards, guidelines and policies
provides professional guidance to clients, government agencies, regulators and other relevant bodies, having regard for sustainable approaches and solutions

Also called

Energy manager · Environmental consultant · Environmental engineer · Environmental protection officer · Environmental technician · Flood risk manager · Water quality scientist

What it pays

Measure	Hours	Basis	Period	Value	Source
2152 : Environment professionals	None	None	2026-03	67,600.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2152 : Environment professionals	None	None	2026-03	71,200.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2152 : Environment professionals	None	None	2026-03	79,600.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2152 : Environment professionals	None	None	2026-03	700.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2152 : Environment professionals	None	None	2026-03	8,400.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2152 : Environment professionals	None	None	2026-03	80,200.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2152 : Environment professionals	None	None	2026-03	3,600.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)

Every regional figure

ONS does not publish occupational pay below region. Cells the survey could not support are shown as withheld, with its reason — adding a region split to a specific occupation leaves roughly a tenth of cells publishable.

Region	Measure	Hours	Value	Period
East	2152 : Environment professionals	None	7,000.00	2026-03
East Midlands	2152 : Environment professionals	None	6,500.00	2026-03
London	2152 : Environment professionals	None	9,900.00	2026-03
North East	2152 : Environment professionals	None	3,800.00	2026-03
North West	2152 : Environment professionals	None	8,500.00	2026-03
Northern Ireland	2152 : Environment professionals	None	700.00	2026-03
Scotland	2152 : Environment professionals	None	8,400.00	2026-03
South East	2152 : Environment professionals	None	10,200.00	2026-03
South West	2152 : Environment professionals	None	10,900.00	2026-03
Wales	2152 : Environment professionals	None	3,600.00	2026-03
West Midlands	2152 : Environment professionals	None	6,700.00	2026-03
Yorkshire and The Humber	2152 : Environment professionals	None	4,100.00	2026-03

Common questions

Does pay for environment professionals vary by region?

ONS publishes regional pay for this occupation where the survey sample supports it — 12 of 12 cells on this page. The rest are withheld by ONS, and are shown as withheld with the reason, rather than left out.

Where do these pay figures come from?

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, published by the Office for National Statistics. Figures are shown exactly as ONS publishes them — we do not adjust, model or fill them in, and every number on this page carries the series and period it came from.

Classified alongside this

Conservation professionals