So, how much do you earn? And are you happy with that figure? Not questions many people would be willing to answer, however much those questions may be front of mind. To uncover what role salary and salary satisfaction play in driving energy professionals’ career progression, the Energy Institute conducted an anonymous survey of its members. When we asked, more than 400 members replied. And what they said is eye-opening, to say the least.

The survey found that 57.6% of Energy Institute fellows (FEIs), the highest grade of membership, reported earning an annual salary of £101,000 or more. Cut a different way, more than a quarter – 26.8% – of those with top-end professional qualifications reported earnings in this bracket. They include Chartered Energy Manager, Chartered Energy Engineer or Chartered Petroleum Engineer (awarded uniquely by the Energy Institute), or Chartered Environmentalist (awarded by the Energy Institute and others).

Limitations in the data prevent the direct calculation of salaries, but we can still make an educated guess. Depending on whether we use conservative or liberal assumptions of what those top earners actually bring in, we estimate that on average FEIs probably earn between £112,000–142,000. Slicing the survey results a different way, respondents with a chartered qualification probably on average earn between £84,000–99,000. Both groups’ earnings were much higher than the salaries reported by respondents as a whole. Around one-third (32.4%) reported earning £60,000 or less; 35.4% reported salaries of £75,000–100,000; and 19.5% over £101,000.  

Less surprisingly, there is also a strong association between salary and seniority, with the needle shifting towards higher salary bands as respondents move from officer to manager and director/senior leader roles. A total of 62% of survey respondents held manager or director/senior leader titles, which rose to 78.5% when considering chartered respondents.

The results demonstrate the value of participating in a professional membership body and highlight the benefits of professional registration and career progression to workers in the energy industry.

It is important to point out that the association between higher salaries and the highest levels of membership or professional registration is only that. We cannot be sure whether professional registration increases salaries, or the other way around. Differences in age, seniority, experience and gender may also contribute to salary disparities.

In any case, it was quite clear that the highest earners report the greatest satisfaction with their salaries. Some 68% of chartered respondents reported being satisfied with their salary, significantly above the overall percentage of respondents satisfied with their salary (58%), which is already quite a high fraction. Further to this, 36% of the 107 chartered respondents were extremely satisfied with their role compared with19.7% of non-chartered respondents. Our members (if not all energy professionals) are happy with their pay.

Which is just as well, because salary was reported to be the most important factor in a good job, achieving the highest overall ranking and score. Ranking a close second place in importance is having the chance to make a difference, suggesting that respondents place importance on both financial reward and having meaningful work. Working arrangements, including flexible working (which ranked third), followed by relationships with colleagues and/or management and autonomy in carrying out the job, came next. Opportunities for career progression ranked sixth. This suggests that energy professionals may be more motivated by purpose, flexibility and competitive pay, rather than promotion.

Open to new opportunities   
What is interesting is that respondents’ satisfaction in what they earn did not necessarily make them less open to changing jobs. If anything, it was the opposite. Almost two-thirds (63.8%) of survey respondents report that they are considering a change of job. More than a fifth (20.7%) say that they are actively considering a move and are sending applications or ready to leave, while 43.1% are passively considering opportunities and would seriously consider a suitable offer.

The significance of these results is unclear. It could be that those respondents that are most preoccupied with finding a new job were disproportionately motivated to fill in the survey. And/or it could be that at the highest levels of the energy industry there is intense competition for a limited talent pool of skills. Or it could be that while competitive pay remains important, it is not the only factor influencing career decisions. Many professionals appear to be balancing salary against considerations such as meaningful work, flexible working arrangements and overall quality of life. This may help explain why many remain open to new opportunities despite being satisfied in their current role.

In any case, survey respondents are also interested in bettering themselves. Just over a quarter of respondents (27.5%) aim to achieve a professional registration, such as Chartered Energy Manager, while 24.3% are interested in progressing to a higher membership grade, such as Fellow. A further 17 % expressed an ambition to achieve both.

At the same time, respondents identified barriers to pursuing these ambitions, particularly concerns about the time and effort required to gather evidence to support an application for professional qualification, and to fill out the application.

Achieving professional accreditation requires applicants to demonstrate that an individual meets the relevant standards of knowledge, experience and professional development.

Still, respondents may be over-cautious – 92.5% of those who did apply successfully obtained their chartership qualification.

A streamlined process   
The Energy Institute is continually finding ways to support our members by improving their application experience, ensuring a smoother, clearer path to obtaining such qualifications. Last year, we streamlined the first step to chartership; becoming a Member (MEI), making it quicker and easier than ever for seasoned professionals to earn the recognition they deserve. Applications were moved online, while complicated competence grids and up-front continued professional development (CPD) records were removed, only requiring minimal paperwork that retained the necessary requirements for meeting professional standards.

Further to this, chartership applicants might be interested to know that the Energy Institute is launching a new streamlined approach for one special chartership. The Chartered Energy Manager Training Pathway is an all-in-one structured package that includes elements of training to develop theoretical understanding alongside practical knowledge assessments to verify competence. The pathway complements the Energy Institute’s range of e-energy management training courses and its traditional assessment route for Chartered Energy Manager. The pathway is only open to those with two years’ energy management experience, four years’ energy experience and professional membership of the Energy Institute (MEI or FEI).

• Further reading: ‘Spotlight on energy people: behind the scenes of Energy Institute member video series’. The true catalyst for change in the global energy sector is its people. Central to the sector’s transformation is a diverse energy workforce representing multiple generations, perspectives, industries and roles, all bringing different values to bear on today’s challenges. The Energy Institute has built a thriving global community of over 20,000 members from across every corner of the sector. Here, four of them outline the benefits of their particular grade of membership.  
• ‘When goodwill isn’t enough: why DEI in energy needs accountability, not just intent’. The Chair of POWERful Women (PfW) offers her recommendations about how to move the dial on gender inclusivity in boardrooms in the UK and beyond.