Environmental consultant
Environmental consultants advise on sustainability, including waste management, recycling, flood risk and the effects of climate change.
Also known as: Eco consultant
- Starter salary£25,000 a year
- Experienced£50,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 39 a week
- Green jobYes
What you'll do
As an environmental consultant, you could:
- assess potential impacts from industrial, commercial and environmental development projects
- collect and analyse survey data from sites, such as soil samples
- write scientific reports and present findings
- respond to environmental accidents and manage clean-up operations
- provide policy advice to businesses, landowners and the government
- advise organisations on environmental laws and regulations
Working environment
You could work in an office or at a client's business.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time and you'll travel often.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of geography
- maths knowledge
- analytical thinking skills
- thinking and reasoning skills
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- excellent written communication skills
- the ability to use your judgement and make decisions
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a environmental consultant
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
University
You'll usually need a degree or postgraduate qualification in environmental science, environmental studies or environmental sustainability.
You might also be able to take a related subject like:
- biology
- chemistry
- geoscience
- ecology
- agricultural science
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do an Environmental Practitioner Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.
You might also specialise by completing a Soil Scientist Level 7 Apprenticeship, or Spatial Data Specialist Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship.
Entry requirements
Employers will set their own entry requirements.
Volunteering
Volunteering is a great way of getting experience and a taste of environmental work. It will also give you the opportunity to develop your skills and make contacts.
Organisations who offer volunteering opportunities include:
- The Conservation Volunteers
- National Trust
- The Wildlife Trusts
You can find more opportunities through the Countryside Jobs Service .
Career path and progression
With experience, you could:
- move into a senior or principal consultant position
- apply for chartered environmentalist status
- work as a lecturer in education
- run your own consultancy business
- get involved in environmental research
Career tips
As a graduate you could look for environmental postgraduate training positions offered through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) .
In a KTP, you get the opportunity to run a research project together with an organisation and a university or research body. You may also work towards postgraduate qualifications.
Professional and industry bodies
You can join the Society for the Environment for your professional development and to make industry contacts.
Guides for this industry
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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0