Environmental Managers

ANZSCO ID 139912

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
2,300
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
86%
Female Share
35%
Average age
42

Summary

Environmental Managers manage the development and implementation of environmental management systems within organisations by identifying, solving and alleviating environmental issues, such as pollution and waste treatment, in compliance with environmental legislation and to ensure corporate sustainable development.

Tasks

  • Develops and implements environmental strategies, policies, practices and action plans to ensure corporate sustainable development.

  • Co-ordinates all aspects of pollution control, waste management, recycling, environmental health, conservation and renewable energy to ensure compliance with environmental legislation.

  • Audits, analyses and reports environmental performance to internal and external clients and regulatory bodies.

  • Carries out impact assessments to identify, assess and reduce an organisation's environmental risks and financial costs.

  • Promotes, raises awareness and trains staff at all levels on environmental issues and responsibilities.

  • Negotiates environmental service agreements and manages associated costs and revenues.


Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Other Specialist Managers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 86% of people employed as Environmental Managers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 20 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 45 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Public Administration and Safety
27.4%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
10.6%
3
Mining
10.3%
4
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services
7.8%
5
Other industries
38.6%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

32.8% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

24.0% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

16.4% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.0% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

14.9% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.0% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

1.5% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

2.3% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Environmental Managers All Jobs Average
NSW 32.8 31.6
VIC 24.0 25.6
QLD 16.4 20.0
SA 6.0 7.0
WA 14.9 10.8
TAS 2.0 2.0
NT 1.5 1.0
ACT 2.3 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
42
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
35%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Environmental Managers is 42 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 35% of the workforce. This is 13 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Environmental Managers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.4 5.0
20-24 2.1 9.3
25-34 16.8 22.9
35-44 41.0 22.0
45-54 24.8 21.6
55-59 9.3 9.0
60-64 3.9 6.0
65 and Over 1.8 4.2
Median Age 42 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor degree in environmental science, environmental management, sustainability or another related field is usually needed to work as an Environmental Manager. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Business Services VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Environmental Managers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 34.6 10.1
Bachelor degree 46.1 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 7.3 11.6
Certificate III/IV 5.5 21.1
Year 12 3.6 18.1
Year 11 0.8 4.8
Year 10 and below 1.9 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Other Specialist Managers who have strong leadership skills, the ability to communicate with a wide variety of people and strong interpersonal skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 63%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 61%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 61%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 61%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 59%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 59%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 59%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 55%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 55%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 54%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 54%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 54%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 54%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 54%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 52%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 50%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 50%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 48%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 48%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 46%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 74%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 70%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 69%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 69%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 67%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 64%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 62%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 60%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 59%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 58%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 54%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 53%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 52%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 51%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 46%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 44%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 44%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 42%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 42%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 39%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 66%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 64%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 64%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 63%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 63%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 61%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 61%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 59%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 57%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 52%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 52%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 52%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 52%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 50%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 46%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 46%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 45%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 43%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 39%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 39%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 86%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 81%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 81%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 81%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 79%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 79%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 77%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 77%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 76%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 75%

    Influencing people

    Convincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.

  • 74%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 73%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 71%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 67%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.

  • 67%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 66%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 66%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 66%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 65%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 51%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 62%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 62%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 38%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 33%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 14%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 95%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 95%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 90%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 86%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 71%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 48%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 99%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 98%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 95%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 90%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 89%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 88%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 88%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 88%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 87%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 82%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 79%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 78%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 75%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 73%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 72%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 69%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 68%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 67%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 58%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 55%

    Public speaking

    Talk to a group of people.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 11-1011.03 - Chief Sustainability Officers.


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