How to become an environment professional
Official title: Environment professionals
Also called: Environment officer, Energy manager, Landfill engineer, Flood risk manager, Environmental adviser, Environmental chemist, Flood risk consultant, Environmental manager, Flood warning manager, Flood defence officer, Environmental officer, Flood warning officer
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.
Main tasks
- 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
How to become one
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
Ways in
- Apprenticeship (England): Energy manager (level 3). England. Typically 24 months. Skills England standard ST0161.
- Apprenticeship (England): Environmental practitioner (Degree) (level 6). England. Typically 53 months. Skills England standard ST0778.
- Apprenticeship (England): Historic environment advice assistant (level 4). England. Typically 24 months. Skills England standard ST0749.
- Apprenticeship (England): Water environment worker (level 3). England. Typically 18 months. Skills England standard ST0767.
- University: Science degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
- University: Agriculture & Environment degrees, Offered by 25 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £43,362 a year The middle half earn £33,231 to £51,849.
- About 53,900 people work in this job now, and about 59,900 are projected by 2035. (+11.1%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become an environment professional?
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
How much does an environment professional earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £43,362 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £33,231 to £51,849.
Is an environment professional a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 11% by 2035, from about 53,900 to about 59,900 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become an environment professional?
Usually. 90% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.