How does your sector pay? Learn how environment professionals' rate of pay differ in different sectors with the results of the IEMA pay and benefits survey 2011
Figure 2 shows the median total annual earnings, including bonuses and other extra-salary payments, for environmental professionals in each industrial sector.
It reveals that practitioners working in the extractive industries and banking and financial services have the highest earnings, with a margin of at least £8,050 over the next highest industry – transport, storage and communications.
Table 2 shows the average earnings for the sectors included in figure 2 and reveals that six of the top seven earning groups are in the private sector, and four of the bottom seven are either in the public sector or a charitable organisation.
This suggests that even before the coalition government’s first Budget last June and the outcome of its Comprehensive Spending Review in November, which have ushered in years of austerity in the public sector – including a two-year wage freeze for public servants earning more than £21,000 – earnings are lower, on average, for environmental practitioners working in public sector organisations.
| Base | Industrial sector | Sector | Mean | Median |
| 41 | Mining and extractive industries (including oil and gas) | Private | £63,222 | £54,500 |
| 24 | Banking, finance, insurance services | Private | £59,188 | £50,050 |
| 67 | Transport, storage and communication (including telecommunications) | Private | £45,054 | £42,000 |
| 300 | Manufacturing - all types | Private | £43,190 | £39,000 |
| 90 | Water, gas and electricity supply | Private | £42,919 | £38,500 |
| 260 | Construction | Private | £42,987 | £37,625 |
| 58 | Education | Public | £36,199 | £36,000 |
| 36 | Quango/non-departmental public body | Public | £36,535 | £35,979 |
| 33 | Military | Public | £37,608 | £35,600 |
| 162 | Consultancy - other | Private | £39,360 | £34,125 |
| 35 | Central government | Public | £45,979 | £34,000 |
| 355 | Consultancy - environmental | Private | £36,641 | £31,750 |
| 60 | Environmental regulator | Public | £33,742 | £31,516 |
| 147 | Local government (including planning) | Public | £32,363 | £30,000 |
| 50 | Charitable organisation | Charity | £29,062 | £29,900 |
Average earnings in the different IEMA regions are illustrated in table 3.
There is little variation, particularly when using the median average, with earnings ranging between £32,825 in west Scotland to £38,000 in the southeast of England – just under a 14% differential.
The mean salaries show a much bigger variation – around 29% – but this simply reflects a larger number of either low or higher earners in a particular region. The mean average for north Scotland, for example, is significantly higher than for other regions, even in Scotland. But this is because of the presence of a few particularly high earners in the area, which raises the average.
Also, the findings for some regions should be treated with caution because of the relatively low number of respondents completing the questionnaire.
| Region | Base | Proportion | Mean | Median |
| Scotland North | 54 | 2.6% | £47,695 | £35,600 |
| Scotland Central | 127 | 6.0% | £36,842 | £35,000 |
| Scotland West | 44 | 2.1% | £33,048 | £32,825 |
| North West | 239 | 11.4% | £38,355 | £35,000 |
| North East | 75 | 3.6% | £36,017 | £35,000 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 175 | 8.3% | £36,292 | £34,000 |
| Midlands | 310 | 14.8% | £40,492 | £36,000 |
| East England | 151 | 7.2% | £38,867 | £36,000 |
| South East | 561 | 26.7% | £43,431 | £38,000 |
| South West | 247 | 11.8% | £40,403 | £34,616 |
| Wales | 93 | 4.4% | £36,583 | £32,840 |
| Northern Ireland | 24 | 1.1% | £38,640 | £35,000 |
(NB: To ensure the comparison of median salaries calculated for industry sectors is based on a reasonable number of responses, sectors which accounted for less than 1% of the survey sample were excluded. The sector with the lowest number of responses is financial services with 24. The groups included in figure 2 account for 82% of the salary sample.)
Read the full survey results:
- IEMA pay and benefits survey 2011 - Key findings
- A profession on the move says Jan Chmiel, IEMA's chief executive
- Earnings by seniority in sector
- Earnings by industrial sector
- Earnings by IEMA membership level
- Earnings by highest qualification
- The gender gap: Men and women's pay
- Changes to pay in 2010
- Changes to bonuses and additional payments
- Holidays and benefits
- From downturn to upturn - the current job market
- The 2011 IEMA survey sample
