jobfacts

Environmental health professionals

SOC 2020 2483

Environmental health professionals use specialist technical skills and knowledge to protect people from health risks associated with the environment in which they live and work. They maintain and safeguard standards, including taking legal action to enforce relevant legislation with regard to public health policy.

Also calledEnvironmental health practitionerEnvironmental health officerFood manufacturing inspectorFood quality control inspectorFood safety officerProfessional enforcement officerand 11 more titles
Typical full-time pay£41,7002025 Provisional
People in the job15,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month144↓ 0.5%on last year · 368th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time environmental health professionals earn, 2025
£41,700 typicaln/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%Not published
Median£41,700
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £41,700
East of England!£44,900
South East!£41,300
West Midlands!£40,600
South West!£32,300
Scotland!£31,500
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £41,700
East of England£44,900 (small sample)
South East£41,300 (small sample)
West Midlands£40,600 (small sample)
South West£32,300 (small sample)
Scotland£31,500 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £39,900
  • 2024 £40,900
  • 2025 Provisional£41,700
↑ 4.5% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 144 jobs for environmental health professionals are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026Not published
Jul 2026125
Jun 2026Not published
May 2026158
Apr 2026172
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026122
Jan 2026139
Dec 202580
Nov 2025167
Oct 2025154
Sept 2025179
Aug 2025175
Jul 2025171
Jun 2025217
May 2025206
Apr 2025143
Mar 2025125
Feb 2025179
Jan 2025133
Dec 202488
Nov 2024135
Oct 2024126
Sept 2024122
Aug 2024156
Jul 2024131
Jun 2024133
May 2024172
Apr 2024142
Mar 2024125
Feb 2024113
Jan 2024126
Dec 2023158
Nov 2023154
Oct 2023123
Sept 2023146
Aug 2023173
Jul 2023164
Jun 2023196
May 2023199
Apr 2023156
Mar 2023206
Feb 2023159
Jan 2023190
Dec 2022150
Nov 2022162
Oct 2022194
Sept 2022165
Aug 2022190
Jul 2022211
Jun 2022178
May 2022214
Apr 2022188
Mar 2022198
Feb 2022182
Jan 2022240
Dec 2021220
Nov 2021234
Oct 2021255
Sept 2021280
Aug 2021231
Jul 2021281
Jun 2021296
May 2021267
Apr 2021206
Mar 2021330
Feb 2021257
Jan 2021235
Dec 2020340
Nov 2020249
Oct 2020285
Sept 2020222
Aug 2020286
Jul 2020284
Jun 2020155
May 202094
Apr 202094
Mar 2020158
Feb 2020248
Jan 2020282
Dec 2019220
Nov 2019275
Oct 2019268
Sept 2019196
Aug 2019166
Jul 2019140
Jun 2019164
May 2019178
Apr 2019122
Mar 2019160
Feb 2019152
Jan 2019165
Dec 201896
Nov 2018147
Oct 2018144
Sept 2018135
Aug 2018174
Jul 2018132
Jun 2018177
May 2018140
Apr 2018135
Mar 2018144
Feb 2018134
Jan 2018189
Dec 2017115
Nov 2017123
Oct 2017115
Sept 2017140
Aug 2017139
Jul 2017115
Jun 2017145
May 2017120
Apr 2017116
Mar 2017110
Feb 201786
Jan 201799
Is there a shortage of environmental health professionals?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
28%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for business, media and public service professionals, which includes environmental health professionals. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London96
Birmingham18
Manchester8
Bradford7
Leeds7
Newry, Mourne and Down7
Nottingham6
Welwyn Hatfield6
Causeway Coast and Glens6
Derby6
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where environmental health professionals are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 14 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from Spain, France, Italy, ranking it 201st of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of environmental health professionals
n/p
n/p
30%!
38%!
n/p
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–34Not published
35–4430% (small sample)
45–5438% (small sample)
55–64Not published
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent102%
Higher education below degree!12%
GCSEs or equivalent–
Not published
Other qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent102%
Higher education below degree12% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalentNot published
Other qualificationsNot published

Main employers: general public administration activities (37%), regulation of the activities of providing health care, education, cultural services and other social services, excluding social security (18%), other professional, scientific and technical activities nec (12%), hospital activities (8.3%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
102%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
1
from level 6, a degree apprenticeship
Apprenticeships take
4 years
typically

Routes in

Environmental health practitioner

You can get into this job through:

University

You can study for a degree qualification approved by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

If you already have a degree in a related subject, you could get into environmental health through an accredited postgraduate course.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do an Environmental Health Practitioner Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

This usually takes 4 years to complete and combines on-the-job training with academic study at an approved university.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

Work your way up

You may be able to start as an environmental health technician and study for a part-time environmental health degree while you're working.

Registration and professional bodies

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health for professional development opportunities.

Further information

You can find more about how to become an environmental health practitioner from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for environmental health practitioner. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Food manufacturing inspector

You can get into this job through:

College

You could do a college course to get some of the skills and knowledge you need for this job.

Courses include:

  • food and drink operations
  • T Level in Science

Once working, you would complete further training to become an inspector.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do an apprenticeship, for example:

  • Food Industry Technologist Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Hygiene Specialist Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship

You would complete further training in food quality and inspection after finishing your apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

If you want to work as a meat inspector, for example, in a meat processing plant or slaughterhouse, you'll need to complete industry recognised qualifications, such as:

  • Level 2 Certificate for Proficiency in Poultry Meat Inspection
  • Level 4 Diploma for Proficiency in Meat Inspection

You must be working in the meat industry to do the practical assessments needed to complete the courses.

You'll find more details about the qualifications and training providers through the Royal Society for Public Health .

Other routes

You can complete training and qualifications through the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

Qualifications include:

  • Higher Certificate in Food Control
  • Advanced Professional Certificate in Food Hygiene and Standards Control

You will also complete a portfolio of work for assessment as part of the training.

You can find out more about careers in the food and drinks industry from Tasty Careers.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for food manufacturing inspector. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

1 for this job
Level 6About 4 yearsDegree

Environmental health practitioner

You gain
BSc (Hons) degree in Environmental Health/BSc (Hons) degree in Environmental Science
Leads to
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
Employers may ask for
Employers and universities will determine their own entry requirements; typically, this will be 3 A Levels or equivalent.
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • inspects businesses for compliance with legislation on health and safety, food hygiene and food standards and takes appropriate action in the event of non-compliance
  • follows up complaints of unsafe workplaces, investigating accidents
  • investigates outbreaks of food poisoning, infectious diseases or pests
  • monitors radiation activity, levels of noise, air, land and water pollution and takes appropriate action when safety levels are exceeded
  • ensures animal welfare for compliance with legislation, issues licences for premises such as pet shops, zoos and abattoirs
  • gives talks at public enquiries and meetings, ensures compliance through education, advice and enforcement
  • initiates legal proceedings and gives evidence in court

Skills

  • ensure compliance with environmental legislation
  • perform risk analysis
  • test safety strategies
  • advise on environmental risk management systems
  • advise on risk management
  • educate on emergency management
  • think analytically
  • use different communication channels
  • advise on conflict management
  • advise on pollution prevention
  • advise on safety improvements
  • apply radiation protection procedures
  • calculate exposure to radiation
  • communicate health and safety measures

Knowledge

  • environmental legislation
  • pollution prevention
  • health, safety and hygiene legislation
  • pollution legislation
  • assessment of risks and threats
  • food legislation
  • food preservation
  • food storage

Suits people who like

  • Working with ideas and solving problems
  • Practical, hands-on work

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for business, media and public service professionals, a group of 32 jobs that includes environmental health professionals.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 26%about 670,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20352.1 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.