Safety salaries plummet in some states, creep up in others

Tuesday, 04 February 2014 12:03pm

The average annual salaries of project or state-level OHS and HSE managers in Western Australia have dropped by nearly $50,000, while those in the same role in NSW and Victoria have enjoyed modest pay rises in recent months, a new remuneration survey shows.

The 2013-14 safesearch survey of more than 1000 OHS/HSE individuals, from 130 predominately ASX 200 companies, found Western Australian state or project managers' average salaries dropped by 20.8 per cent from $227,073 in 2012-13 to $179,836.

In Queensland, average salaries for the equivalent roles fell by 10.7 per cent from $191,714 to $171,154.

Remuneration packages in these resources states were heavily affected by "the mining boom coming off the boil, and salaries beginning a retreat to pre-boom levels", safesearch managing director Julie Honore said.

In NSW, the average salaries of project or state-level OHS/HSE managers increased by just 0.9 per cent, from $166,060 in 2012-13 to $167,493 this financial year.

In Victoria, the average salaries of those in the same job rose by 2.9 per cent, from $152,750 to $157,879.

National OHS/HSE managers enjoyed more generous 17.1 per cent pay rises, with average salary packages jumping from $175,830 in 2012-13 to $205,897.

The survey also found:

• 71 per cent of OHS workers believed their employers increased their commitment to safety in the last 12 months;
• 41 per cent of safety leaders reported directly to their CEO (or equivalent), up from 30 per cent two years ago;
• 43 per cent of OHS general managers were responsible for more than 50 sites, compared to 37 per cent in 2012-13;
• 83 per cent of OHS officers held some form of formal qualification, with 42 per cent holding a diploma or higher;
• the average total annual remuneration for those in the most senior environmental roles fell by 9.7 per cent in 2013-14, while entry-level environmental packages jumped by 8.9 per cent; and
• 61 per cent of respondents believed their organisation's commitment to environment and sustainability had plateaued in the last 12 months.

Related links

• OHS managers earning more than their senior counterparts (2013)
• OHS salaries outside mining growing, model laws a secondary concern (2012)
• OHS salaries mushrooming in wake of financial crisis (2011)
• OHS senior salaries - and safety - suffer in wake of downturn (2010)
• OHS salaries continue to rise despite financial crisis: survey (2009)
• Safety salaries increasing well above CPI, $300K mark broken: Survey (2008)

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