--- title: "FY27 Remuneration Report" description: "FY27 ESG, Environment & Sustainability Remuneration Report 7th Edition · Australia Since 2012, Talent Nation has been a leading executive search and recruitment firm for sustainability, ESG, environment, climate and responsible investment professionals across Australia and New Zealand. Our seventh annual report draws on confidential data from 1,531 professionals to show what the sector is paid, […]" url: "https://talentnation.com.au/fy27-remuneration-report/" date_modified: "2026-11-06T22:29:20+11:00" --- # FY27 ESG, Environment & Sustainability Remuneration Report ![FY27 Sector Insights Report: ESG, Environment & Sustainability Remuneration Report, cover and an inside page](https://cdn.talentnation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/TN_FY27-REM-Report_Hero-Mockup.webp) --- ## 7th Edition · Australia Since 2012, Talent Nation has been a leading executive search and recruitment firm for sustainability, ESG, environment, climate and responsible investment professionals across Australia and New Zealand. Our seventh annual report draws on confidential data from 1,531 professionals to show what the sector is paid, and how it is feeling. [Buy the FY27 report · $195 incl. GST](#buy) [See key findings](#key-findings) ![Cover of the FY27 Sector Insights Report: ESG, Environment & Sustainability Remuneration Report](https://cdn.talentnation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/TN_FY27-REM-Report-Cover_1600-v2.jpg) ## 1,531 professionals contributed data ## 17 role types benchmarked ## 13 industry sectors ## 54 pages of data and analysis --- ## The year in context ## Tighter budgets, a heavier compliance load Rising energy prices, inflation of 4.0% and four rate rises in 2026 have meant tighter budgets and slower hiring for many organisations. At the same time, Group 2 entities began mandatory climate reporting under AASB S2 from 1 July 2026, and the reformed EPBC Act and new National Environmental Protection Agency commenced with significantly higher penalties. The result is less a retreat from sustainability than a redistribution of it, with accountability moving closer to finance, risk and legal, and more emphasis on assurance-ready data than statements of ambition. The people doing the work are feeling it. ## About the report ## Seven years of sector data We started this report in 2019 because reliable employment data for our sector simply did not exist. Seven editions on, it is widely referenced by hiring managers, industry publications and mainstream media. This year, 1,531 professionals from every state and territory shared their data. Every participant receives a free copy, and the full report is now available to everyone else for $195 including GST. [Buy the FY27 report](#buy) --- ## FY27 Key Findings ## Pay kept pace with wages, not prices, as the compliance load grew ## $251,948 Average Total Actual Remuneration, up 3.1% on FY26 ## 8.8% Gender pay gap across all roles (8.5% in FY26) ## 57% Stretched to the point of impact or beyond (54% in FY26) ## 33% Say executive incentives are tied to ESG (37% in FY26, 43% in FY25) - Average pay rose in line with national wage growth (3.2%) but below headline inflation of 4.0%, so many professionals went backwards in real terms. - Senior in-house leadership softened: Heads of Sustainability down 3.4%, Heads of Environment down 2.5% and Chief Sustainability Officers down 3.6%, largely due to lower incentives. - Sustainability Reporting Manager is benchmarked as its own role for the first time. - Available headcount is a key challenge for 39% of respondents, up from 34%. - Growth was strongest at practitioner level, including Senior Sustainability Advisors (+4.8%) and Sustainable Finance/Responsible Investment Managers (+5.6%). Director/Partner pay in consulting rose 9.5%. - Chief Sustainability Officers remain the highest paid role, with average Total Potential Remuneration of $770,041. - Reporting & Disclosures is now a priority for 53% of respondents (48% in FY26), yet 54% see mandatory climate disclosure mainly as a compliance workload. - 59% like or love their job, broadly steady on 60% in FY26. --- ## What's inside ## Valuable insights to support informed decisions Whether you are budgeting for headcount, making the case for your team or weighing up your next move, the report gives you independent numbers to work from. ### Pay for 17 roles Fixed pay (including super), short and long-term incentives, Total Actual and Total Potential remuneration across sustainability, ESG and sustainable finance, environment and consulting. ### Industry, state and employer type Every role broken down across 13 industry sectors, each state and territory, and listed, private, government, NGO and other organisation structures. ### Role profiles and trends since FY20 A two-page profile for each role: pay over time, experience and tenure, skills, priorities and the challenges people face. ### Gender pay gap The gap across the sector and within each role, and how incentives drive it. ### How the sector feels Job satisfaction, stress, whether people feel fairly paid, working from home and the non-financial benefits that matter most. ### Position descriptions Downloadable position descriptions for every role in the report. --- ## Get your copy ## Download the FY27 ESG, Environment & Sustainability remuneration trends and insights today - The full 54-page report as a PDF, delivered straight after payment - Position descriptions for all 17 roles - Receipt emailed to you for your records - Secure card payment with Stripe ## FY27 Remuneration Report · Australia ## $195 AUD incl. GST LinkedIn This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Name(Required) First Last Email(Required) Company(Required) Job Title(Required) Consent(Required) **Single-User Licence: $195 (incl. GST).** For individual use. One named person may use the report for their own professional purposes, including salary benchmarking, career planning, budgeting and hiring decisions. **Includes:** access for one named user; permission to save the report on your own devices; permission to quote figures in your own work documents, with Talent Nation credited as the source. **Not included:** forwarding or sharing the report, or saving it to shared drives or intranets. If others in your organisation would like access, our Organisation Licence covers your entire team. To arrange it, email insights@talentnation.com.au. I confirm the report is for my own use, as set out in the Single-User Licence terms. FY27 Remuneration Report – Single-User Licence Credit Card(Required) Download Now Need wider distribution rights or to pay by invoice? [Email us](/contact-us/). --- **Survey Participants:** Your complimentary copy of the FY27 report is already in your inbox. Cannot find it? Contact [insights@talentnation.com.au](mailto:insights@talentnation.com.au). --- ## FY27 · Aotearoa New Zealand edition ### FY27 Talent Nation Aotearoa New Zealand Remuneration Report Available for purchase from 10th November 2026 [Coming soon →](#nz-edition-tbc) ## Historic Australian & Aotearoa New Zealand editions Previous editions are free to download. - [FY26 Remuneration Report](https://talentnation.com.au/fy26-remuneration-report/) - [FY26 Aotearoa New Zealand Remuneration Report](https://talentnation.com.au/fy26-nz-remuneration-report/) - [FY25 Remuneration Report](https://talentnation.com.au/fy25-remuneration-report/) - [FY24 Remuneration Report](https://talentnation.com.au/remuneration-report-23-24/) - [FY23 Remuneration Report](https://talentnation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2022-2023-Talent-Nation-ESG-Environment-Sustainability-Remuneration-Report.pdf) - [FY22 Remuneration Report](https://talentnation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2021-2022-Talent-Nation-ESG-Environment-Sustainability-Remuneration-Report.pdf) - [FY20 Remuneration Report](https://talentnation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2019-2020-Talent-Nation-ESG-Environment-Sustainability-Remuneration-Report.pdf) --- ## Questions Straight after payment you’ll get a download link on screen and by email. Yes. $195 includes GST, and your receipt is a valid tax invoice. The report is for the purchaser’s use. You’re welcome to cite individual figures with attribution to Talent Nation. To share or republish it more widely, [talk to us about a licence](/contact-us/). No. Every survey participant receives a free copy ahead of wider release. Yes. [Email us](/contact-us/) with your purchase order details. --- ## Get in touch. If you have questions, or would like more detail, then our team is here to help. Experience the difference of working with a professional, market-leading ESG recruiter that is passionate about accelerating impact. We do this by supporting organisations to secure exceptional talent, and individuals to find a role in which they can thrive. **Speak with one of our experienced Recruitment Consultants today or submit your enquiry for one of the team to contact you directly.** [Contact us](/contact-us/)