The IEMA practitioners' survey 2012 reveals how environment professionals' level of IEMA membership impacts on their rate of pay
Figure 3 (below) illustrates how IEMA members’ total earnings (meaning salary, bonus, overtime and commission payments) vary between membership levels, while table 3 (bottom of page) gives the breakdown of total earnings between salary and bonus (all non-salary pay is grouped as “bonus” in the table).
As was the case in last year’s survey and those preceding it, there is a strong correlation between an individual’s annual income and their membership level.
Total earnings range from a median of £22,000, at Graduate level, to £64,600 for Fellows. There is a negligible difference between the median income levels of Affiliate and Associate members, at £34,793 and £35,000, respectively.
Affiliate IEMA membership is appropriate for someone who is new to, or has an interest in, the environment management and assessment fields.
Associate is the next step up the membership ladder and represents the knowledge-based level of IEMA membership, for those who have demonstrated an understanding of the principles and practices of environment management and assessment.
At a median of £45,250, a Full IEMA member’s total earnings are significantly more than those of both Affiliate and Associate members.
Although, at £64,600 a Fellow’s income level is almost £20,000 greater than a Full member’s, this year’s median income for a Fellow is significantly lower than the £90,000 recorded in the 2011 survey.
Although these figures show a surprising differential between this year’s and last year’s earnings for Fellows, not too much significance should be attached to them as both sample sizes are relatively small.
It is still evident that earnings potential rises significantly with seniority in the profession, and by far the greatest earnings potential is available to those with Fellow membership.
Aside from Fellows, compared with last year, total earnings are relatively stable across membership levels, with a small decrease for Graduates and slight increases for Affiliate and Full members. The median total earnings for Graduate members in 2011 was £23,000, compared with the £22,000 reported in 2012.
The median income level of Affiliate members is now £34,793, compared with £34,000 12 months previously, while Full members now receive median total earnings of £45,250 compared with £45,000 in 2011. The total median earnings of those with Associate membership remains at £35,000.
The mean and median figures for total earnings mask some considerable distribution with most membership levels. For example, both Associate and Affiliate members’ earnings range from approximately £20,000 to £60,000, with the differential due largely to seniority in sector.
The level of extra-salary payments shows an almost identical pattern as they rise in tandem with seniority of membership. Again, Affiliates and Associates are evenly matched, with annual bonus payments pegged at a median of £1,200 for both these types of IEMA membership.
The median bonus payment for a Full member is almost twice this amount, at £2,020 while at £6,500 the bonus payment for a Fellow is six times greater than an Affiliate or Associate member.
Read the full survey results:
- IEMA practitioners' survey 2012 - key findings
- Earnings by seniority in sector
- Earnings by industrial sector and region
- Earnings by IEMA membership level
- Earnings by highest qualification
- The gender gap: Men and women's pay
- Changes to pay in 2011
- Workload and job satisfaction
- Benefits and professional development
- The 2012 IEMA survey sample
- Who is the environmentalist?
