The manufacturing sector reports the highest levels of employee compensation satisfaction according to 2023/24 Sustainability Census

​​Professionals most satisfied with their level of compensation are those who work in the manufacturing sector (materials, chemicals and components), according to our new 2023/24 Sustainability Census.

The census, conducted by Acre and Carnstone, offers insight into the true state of the sustainability profession to capture an accurate, global snapshot of working in a sustainability-related profession today.

The data highlighted that 40 per cent of respondents from the manufacturing sector (materials, chemicals and components) feel very fairly rewarded for the work they conduct, compared to sectors such as non-profit and transport & infrastructure, whose satisfaction lags behind at 25 per cent.

The hospitality & leisure and the natural resources sectors followed closely behind the manufacturing industry for compensation satisfaction, with 39 per cent and 38 per cent of employees, respectively, expressing a high level of contentment with their remuneration.

In almost every sector, a portion of respondents indicated they felt significantly under-compensated at work, apart from the hospitality & leisure and property & real estate sectors.

The professional services sector features the lowest employee compensation satisfaction, with 24 per cent of respondents feeling they are somewhat or very unfairly compensated for their work.

Tanith Allen, Acre’s Director – Sustainable Business UK, said: “The data for our new census was collected over a six-month period and has provided a much clearer, up-to-date picture of what is happening in the sustainability world, sector by sector.

“Looking from a compensation perspective, we can see which sectors employ the sustainability professionals who feel they are falling short of what they deserve for the work they do.

“In my experience, those working in organisations with high numbers of financiers, marketeers and sales, for example, often feel that comparably, sustainability is actually not a well-compensated function. However, those with a more operational workforce are likely to see things differently.”

For further information about this statistic and other findings from the sustainability survey, including how sustainability professionals from the transport & infrastructure sector are the most likely to complete a specific sustainability-related degree or accreditation, please click here to download a free copy of the full Acre Sustainability Census 2023 report.