Earnings by IEMA membership level

The impact of IEMA membership level on environment professionals' rate of pay, as revealed by the IEMA pay and benefits survey 2011

Figure 3 shows how IEMA members’ total earnings vary between membership levels, while table 4 gives the breakdown between salary and bonus, overtime and commission payments (all non-salary pay is grouped as “bonus” in the table). There is a strong, positive relationship between an individual’s annual income from employment and their membership level.

Figure 3: Total annual earnings from employment by membership level

There is a minimal difference between the earnings of Affiliate and Associate members, with median incomes of £34,000 and £35,000 respectively. Full members are earning on average £10,000 more than this, at £45,000. By contrast, Fellows earn twice this amount, with a median of £90,000. This reflects their seniority in the profession though, as the table shows, and the sample of Fellows responding is relatively small.

Extra-salary payments also increase up the membership scale, although the step is small – only £1,000 – between Affiliate and Associate levels.

Earnings vary with additional membership registrations, including chartered environmentalist (CEnv). Auditors and EIA practitioners with CEnv status are earning approximately £5,000 to £6,000 more than those not registered and whose earnings equal the median for an Associate member. Those with CEnv registration are earning on average £12,000 or 35% more than those without chartered status. Those who hold both Full IEMA membership and CEnv status have a median salary of £47,500 compared with £40,000 for those who hold Full membership alone, showing the value of holding both.

Table 4: Total annual earnigns by membership level
Salary Bonus Total earnings
Base Member level Mean Median Mean Median Mean Median
88 Graduate £22,152 £22,200 £2,839 £800 £23,088 £23,000
315 Affiliate £36,235 £32,622 £7,610 £3,000 £38,868 £34,000

1,443

 Associate £36,427 £34,000 £6,033 £2,000 £38,914 £35,000
235 Full £44,616 £43,000 £11,716 £3,500 £50,399 £45,000
19 Fellow £80,843 £80,000 £16,508 £10,000 £92,138 £90,000

Read the full survey results:

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