Environmental Consultants and Scientists

Environmental consultants and scientists conduct investigations, analysis, and advisory services on environmental issues including air and water quality, contamination, biodiversity, and regulatory compliance. They work in consulting firms, government agencies, or corporate environmental departments, undertaking field surveys, laboratory testing, modelling, and impact assessments to inform environmental management decisions and satisfy legislative requirements such as the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth).

Conduct field surveys and sampling of soil, water, air, and biological specimens using calibrated equipment and documented protocols. Perform laboratory analysis and testing including chemical composition, contaminant levels, toxicity, and microbial identification. Develop and run environmental models using specialist software to predict impacts of proposed developments on air quality, water flow, or pollutant dispersion. Prepare Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and Environmental Management Plans (EMP) in accordance with state and federal environmental assessment requirements. Assess compliance with environmental legislation including the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, Water Act 2007, and state-based planning and environment legislation. Conduct environmental audits of industrial sites, manufacturing facilities, and waste management operations to identify non-compliance and remediation needs. Advise clients on contaminated site investigation, risk assessment, and remediation options under state environmental protection frameworks. Design and oversee ecological surveys including flora and fauna surveys, habitat assessment, and biodiversity offset calculations.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll need a science degree (often with honours) and years of on-the-job training before you're trusted to sign off reports that actually matter. Many career changers hit a glass ceiling because you can't jump straight to senior roles. The work is also heavily project-dependent, so income swings with development cycles, and you may spend months on boring compliance paperwork rather than interesting science.

The sector concentrates around consulting firms in CBD areas and government environmental departments. Some roles exist in regional areas (mining, agriculture, water management), but promotion and variety favour the cities. Remote work is possible for report writing but field surveys and site visits lock you to travel requirements.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2343, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Data Entry and Accuracycore
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiencycore
• Policy Interpretationcore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Record Managementcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Report Writingcore
• Research and Analysiscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Electronic Document Management
• Incident Reporting
• Microsoft Excel Data Management
• Negotiation
• Process Documentation
• Reporting and Analytics
• Team Collaboration

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026