Environment professionals: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time environment professionals in the UK earned a median £43,362 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £4,323 above the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That ranks 109th of 382 occupations on this measure.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £33,231 and £51,849.
Median full-time pay: women £38,625 a year, men £46,630 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 45,000 employee jobs, 96% full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 31.9% (from £32,887), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 80,200 people in this line of work, 14% of them in South West.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £26,994 | £566.40 | £15.27 | £26,051 | £542.00 | £15.27 |
| 20th percentile | £31,000 | £633.00 | £16.96 | £29,935 | £632.00 | £16.96 |
| 25th percentile | £33,231 | £673.60 | £17.79 | £32,432 | £659.80 | £17.83 |
| 30th percentile | £34,874 | £705.00 | £18.60 | £34,384 | £689.60 | £18.61 |
| 40th percentile | £38,895 | £770.00 | £20.32 | £37,801 | £745.20 | £20.32 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £43,362 | £841.10 | £22.55 | £41,555 | £824.60 | £22.46 |
| 60th percentile | £46,746 | £898.20 | £24.18 | £46,074 | £891.30 | £23.93 |
| 70th percentile | £48,845 | £1,000.40 | £26.21 | £48,442 | £976.60 | £25.95 |
| 75th percentile | £51,849 | £1,048.00 | £27.97 | £50,359 | £1,038.20 | £27.52 |
| 80th percentile | £58,222* | £1,085.10* | £29.82* | £55,425* | £1,071.40* | £29.65* |
| Mean | £46,565 | £911.10 | £24.20 | £45,221 | £891.60 | £24.12 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £32,887 | £655.70 | £16.77 | £32,423 | £646.50 | 43 |
| 2022 revised | £32,975 | £641.20 | £16.95 | £32,812 | £627.20 | 48 |
| 2023 revised | £36,336 | £713.00 | £19.49 | £35,865 | £696.80 | 49 |
| 2024 revised | £37,277 | £734.90 | £19.80 | £36,702 | £721.20 | 52 |
| 2025 provisional | £43,362 | £841.10 | £22.55 | £41,555 | £824.60 | 45 |
Environment professionals by region
UK: 80,200 (± 11,000), April 2025 to March 2026. 9 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South West | 10,900* | ± 3,800 |
| South East | 10,200* | ± 4,000 |
| Scotland | 8,400* | ± 3,300 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What environment professionals do
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. (ONS SOC 2020, 2152)
Also covers: energy manager, environmental consultant, environmental engineer, environmental protection officer, environmental technician, flood risk manager, water quality scientist, environment officer, environmental campaigner, environmental chemist, environmental coordinator, environmental scientist, environmental specialist, geo-environmental consultant, geoenvironmental engineer, geoenvironmental specialist, interpretation officer and interpretative officer (34 titles in the ONS coding index).
- 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
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
Related
Conservation and environment professionals (median £42,275) · Conservation professionals · Research and development (r&d) managers · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026