Sustainability continues to be a strategic priority for UK businesses, as increasing regulatory pressure, evolving ESG frameworks, and growing stakeholder expectations place new demands on employers. In response, organisations are investing in skilled sustainability professionals to lead and support their green agendas and salaries are rising as a result.
For our 2025 UK Salary & Recruiting Trends guide, we surveyed nearly 11,000 employers and employees nationwide, including 186 sustainability professionals. In this post, we’re highlighting key salary trends, high-growth roles, and what jobseekers and employers can expect in the year ahead.
What’s Driving Salary Growth in Sustainability?
The sector is experiencing sustained growth, with 94% of employers increasing salaries in the last year none reported a decrease. On average, pay across sustainability roles has grown by 2.6%, slightly ahead of the UK average of 2.4%.
This growth looks set to continue, with 84% of employers expecting to raise salaries again in the next 12 months. The pressure to offer competitive compensation is especially strong in a market facing ongoing skills shortages a challenge cited by 88% of employers.
Mid-level roles are proving particularly hard to fill, with 57% of hiring managers struggling to source talent at this level. As a result, three-quarters of employers say they’re open to hiring candidates without all the required experience, with a view to upskilling them internally.
Which Sustainability Roles Are Seeing the Highest Pay Increases?
While salaries have generally increased across the board, some roles have seen well above-average uplifts especially in areas that align with emerging priorities like ESG, nature-based solutions, and energy decarbonisation.
Top 10 Sustainability Roles with the Highest Salary Increases (2025):
- ESG Specialist (Experienced)
- ESG Specialist (Early Career)
- Energy/Carbon Manager (Early Career)
- Environment Manager (Experienced)
- ESG Specialist (Senior Leadership)
- Environmental Consultant (Early Career)
- Environmental Consultant (Experienced)
- Energy/Carbon Manager (Experienced)
- Sustainability Consultant
- Sustainability Manager
Among these, experienced ESG specialists have seen the most significant pay rises averaging 4.4% closely followed by early-career energy managers, whose salaries have risen by 3.6%.
The Hiring Outlook: Skills, Flexibility, and Purpose Matter
With demand high and skills in short supply, sustainability professionals are in a strong position to negotiate. Our research shows that 48% of employees in the sector plan to change jobs within the next year. The most common reasons include:
- Lack of long-term career opportunities (42%)
- Dissatisfaction with salary or benefits (42%)
However, pay isn’t the only factor influencing decisions. Flexible working is now a deal-breaker for many: 51% of candidates say they wouldn’t consider a role without hybrid options. Meanwhile, alignment with company values matters more than ever 85% want to work for a business with a clear purpose, and 83% prioritise employers committed to sustainability.
This makes transparency and authenticity key in both recruitment and retention. Employers that can clearly communicate their environmental vision and purpose are likely to attract top talent in a highly competitive market.
Your Next Move in Sustainability
If you’re a sustainability professional weighing up your next step, 2025 is shaping up to be a strong year to explore new opportunities. With four in five organisations planning to hire in the coming months, there’s no shortage of demand for passionate green talent whether you’re starting out or stepping into senior leadership.
And for employers, staying ahead in this talent race means offering not just competitive pay, but also meaningful work, flexibility, and room for growth.