NEBOSH Qualifications mean Higher Salaries

NEBOSH’s latest annual Jobs Barometer 2015 has confirmed that the demand by employers for NEBOSH qualifications is increasing year on year and candidates who are professionally developing themselves are recompensed accordingly.

The research analysing nationally advertised health and safety positions in February and March 2015 indicated that holding a professional qualification and status will mean a higher salary with £49,000 being the average top end salary. For jobs that did not request a NEBOSH Diploma the salary dropped to £42,000. There has been a growing demand for this internationally recognised flagship award confirmed in the research: 55% of job roles advertised required candidates to hold the NEBOSH Diploma compared to 48% in 2014.

“Compared to five years ago, the average salary on offer in the health and safety jobs market has hardly changed, rising to £46K this year from £45K in 2011,” said Teresa Budworth, NEBOSH Chief Executive. “However, what we can see is that more and more employers are demanding professional qualifications and status, and that they are willing to offer better salaries to secure those who value their own continuing professional development.”

Research's key facts

• 38% of positions asked for a NEBOSH Certificate level qualification, up from 33% last year and 30% in 2011.
• 92% of job roles asked for either some form of NEBOSH qualification and/or Membership of IOSH, up by 4% from 88% in 2014.
• Many of the health and safety management roles advertised also included responsibilities for environmental (39%) and quality (18%) management as revealed in the last few years of research.

Top salaries by sector

Based on this research construction and civil engineering led the way as the most popular sector for health and safety jobs advertised, also offering the highest average top-end salaries at £50,000. The manufacturing sector followed closely behind at £46,000, then consulting at £43,000 and public sector at £38,000. The utilities sector trailed behind offering £33,000 per annum. The overall average top-end wage for all health and safety jobs advertised was £46,000.

Location, location, location for health & safety jobs

From the research sample taken of nationally advertised health and safety positions in February and March 2015, 61% of jobs were located in south east England.

Brenig Moore CMIOSH CMCIEH AIEMA, Operations Director at Astutis comments, on his twenty years’ experience of working in health and safety in a managerial, consultative and training capacity:

“I have seen a big shift in the importance of effective health and safety management in many organisations. Health and safety now plays an integral part of any strategy underpinning the business to ensure companies succeed. In turn this requires competent health and safety managers with a detailed understanding of legal responsibilities that can confidently report to their company’s board of Directors that they are managing health and safety effectively and efficiently. NEBOSH qualifications provide managers with the knowledge to help them fulfil their responsibilities.”