Like science, but don’t want to be in the medical field? A career in environmental compliance could be the career for you. In this article, we’ll review what it takes to be an environmental compliance manager. We’ll cover what a day in this career entails and highlight important certifications.
What is an Environmental Compliance Manager?
An environmental compliance manager ensures organizations are being compliant to environmental laws and regulations. Whether they are working in an agency or working directly for a private company their role is to ensure companies are maintaining compliance with wastewater, air quality, stormwater permits, and other issues. With growing concern about global climate change, more and more companies are hiring environmental compliance specialists and managers to avoid legal issues.
These jobs involve researching health and safety laws and regulations and investigating violations. In addition to research and investigation, they also developing strategies to preventative and corrective action needed for an organization to be compliant.
Education Requirements for Environmental compliance jobs
A bachelors degree is required to get into this career. A bachelors degree concentrations include sciences (biology or chemistry), environmental science or public safety. A Post-Bachelors degree is not required but can be helpful when trying to work your way up to management. Certifications are necessary for a career in this field.
Environmental Compliance Compensation
According to payscale, the average environmental compliance manager makes anywhere between $49,397 – $139,588. Salaries depend on years of experience, location, and company size.
Environmental Compliance Jobs
There are two paths to go when seeking a career in environmental compliance. The first path is working for a government or private agency. This means you are ensuring your agencies clients are being compliant. Working under an agency usually includes lots of travel from one client to another doing inspections or consulting.
The second path would be working directly with a private or public company. within this path, you work directly with a company to ensure they are compliant, develop and implement preventative and corrective plans to meet regulatory laws and guidelines.
What’s a day as an environmental compliance manager look like?
Environmental compliance jobs usually involve some type of travel. Working under an agency requires traveling from one client to another. Working for a private company requires traveling from one facility to another.
A lot of environmental compliance jobs allow the ability to work from home and also flexible schedules.
Much of the work of an environmental compliance officer includes staying up-to-date with laws and regulations and investigations.
Environmental Compliance Certifications
Certifications are essential for a career in Environmental health and safety. Below is a list of certifications that could be obtained to help advance in one’s career.
- REHS Certification – Cost of certification: Application fee $90-125; Exam fee: $175 – $325
- Environmental Health and Safety Professional Certificate
- Certified Safety Professional Certification (CSP) – Cost of certification: Application fee $160; Exam fee: $350
- Associate Safety Professional (ASP) – Cost of certification: Application fee $160; Exam fee: $350
- Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) – Cost of certification: Exam fee: $350
- Safety Management Specialist (SMS) – Cost of certification: Application fee $160; Exam fee: $350
- Occupational Health and Safety Technologist (OHST) – Cost of certification: Application fee $140; Exam fee: $300
- Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) – Cost of certification: Application fee $140; Exam fee: $300
- Safety Trained Supervisor (STS) – Cost of certification: Application fee $120; Exam fee: $185
- Certified Environmental, Safety and Health Trainer (CET) – Cost of certification: Application fee $140; Exam fee: $300
- Safety Trained Supervisor Construction (STSC) – Cost of certification: Application fee $120; Exam fee: $185
- National Registry of Environmental Professionals (NREP) Certifications – Cost of certification: Application fee $100; Exam fee: $200
