Conservation professionals Pay Data UK — 2025

Conservation professionals roles in the UK earn a median of £39,500 per year, equivalent to £20.53 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 6.5% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £33,000 in Scotland to £47,000 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £40,083/yr (1% below our computed national average).

Labour Market

Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.

Pay by Region

Annual pay for Conservation professionals across UK regions. The bar shows the typical pay range (25th–75th percentile); the diamond marks the median.

Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).

How Pay Has Changed Over Time

Annual pay grew by +6.5% from 2024 to 2025.

National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot. Shaded band shows 25th–75th percentile range.

Year-on-Year Pay Change

Annual percentage change in median pay for Conservation professionals.

Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.

About Conservation professionals

Conservation professionals are responsible for ensuring that landscapes, habitats and species are protected and enhanced via appropriate management and conservation. They promote public understanding and awareness of the natural environment and help to develop and implement appropriate policies to achieve these objectives.

Typical Tasks and Duties

• promotes and implements local and national biodiversity action plans, particularly with regard to threatened species and habitats
• carries out environmental impact assessments and field surveys
• implements, evaluates and monitors schemes for the management and protection of natural habitats
• provides advice and information to government at national and local levels, clients, landowners, planners and developers to facilitate the protection of the natural environment
• liaises with other groups in the selection and maintenance of the Protected Site System including Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Ramsar sites, and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and National Nature Reserves (NNRs)
• maintains and develops knowledge in relevant policy areas within a national and European legislative context
• promotes conservation issues via educational talks, displays, workshops and literature and liaison with the media
• prepares applications for funding to other organisations, and assessing applications for funding from other organisations
• carries out research into aspects of the natural world

Entry Routes and Qualifications

Entrants normally require a degree in a relevant subject, sometimes with a related postgraduate qualification. Entry is also possible with a relevant BTEC/SQA Award or HND. Prior practical work experience (which may be obtained on a voluntary basis) is needed for most posts. Additional on-the-job training is available

Related Occupations

Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.