Career Path Guide
The first step to take to get into this field, is to determine if becoming an ISO Auditor is an appropriate choice for your skills, traits, career ambitions, and desired lifestyle.
Are you interested in a lucrative career that allows you to apply your extensive knowledge of regulations within your industry? Do you have excellent analytical and communications skills? Are you interested in a career that allows you to work in the office as well as in the field.
If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to these questions, you may be suited indeed.
Below we've outlined what you'll need to succeed in this field. We've also included helpful information for an ISO Auditor career, such as job description, job duties, salary expectations, a list of possible employers and much more!
Education You'll Need
You typically need at least a diploma, certificate or associate’s degree from a technical college in a field related to environmental management, systems management or quality assurance. Some employers may require you to have bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields:
• Environmental Science
• Environmental Management
• Natural Resource Management
• Environmental Engineering
• Environmental Assessment
For this occupation, it's also beneficial to have working knowledge of environmental (such as ISO 14001), quality assurance and other such management systems and occupational health and safety systems, waste & wastewater legislation, statistics, and accounting procedures. This knowledge is either gained through coursework, or as a result of work experience in the field.
ISO Auditor Job Description
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) auditors are responsible for ensuring that the production systems and processes of manufacturing firms comply with ISO standards.
They must conduct surveillance and assessment of these firms, and report any non-conformity in audit reports. ISO auditors also make necessary recommendations to help the system operate in compliance with required ISO standards.
Typical Job Duties
• Issue audit quotes and invoices
• Provide audit schedule to clients who order audits
• Conduct meetings with client organization
• Conduct tour of the company and inspect the facility to detect non-conformities, especially in the production zone and in the waste generation points
• Review and study company documentation including audit reports
• Conduct interviews with key staff
• Prepare audit report based on findings which specifically mentions anomalies and non-conformities in the system, and rates the degree of severity of the problem
• Recommend modifications to enable the system to comply with ISO standards
Working Conditions for ISO Auditors
Setting: ISO auditors typically spend time both in the office and in the field in order to carry out their duties. Visits to the field may include such settings as industrial plants, offices, construction sites, warehouse facilities and other locations.
Hours: These professionals typically work normal weekday working hours, which may be extended into the evenings and weekends in order to meet deadlines, meet with business managers, prepare reports or fulfill other duties.
Potential Hazards: In the fulfillment of their duties, ISO auditors may be exposed to hazardous or unsafe working conditions, which may include being in the area of dangerous chemicals, working at heights, or working on open excavation or construction sites.
Who Employs Them?
ISO auditors may be employed by or work on a contract basis for such organizations as:
• Engineering, environmental and systems management consulting firms
• Federal, provincial/state and municipal government departments
• Utility companies
• Manufacturing firms
• Resource-based companies (agriculture, forestry, mining, oil and gas)
• Self-employment (on a consultancy basis)
Current Job Postings
Our job board below has "ISO Auditor" postings in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
General Salary Figures
The salary of an ISO auditor can vary greatly depending on many factors, such as their level of experience and certification, their level of education, where they work, and many others.
Salary in the United States: According to O*NET OnLine, the average salary for environmental compliance inspectors (who generally perform the same duties as ISO auditors) is $68,860 per year (2019 figures).
Salary in British Columbia: As per the Work BC (Province of British Columbia), those working in the "Inspectors in public and environmental health and occupational health and safety" occupational group earn an annual provincial median salary of $74,672 per year.
Salary in Alberta: According to the 2019 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans working in the Inspectors in Public and Environmental Health and Occupational Health and Safety occupational group, which includes ISO auditors, earned on average from $89,167 per year.
Similar Careers in Our System
Listed below are jobs that are similar in nature to that of an ISO auditor, as they may involve many of the same skills, competencies and responsibilities.
• Environmental Policy Officer
References
Please consult the references below to find more information on the various aspects of a career as an ISO Auditor.
Occupations in Alberta: “Systems Auditor.” (March 31, 20178. ALIS website - Alberta Learning Information Service. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
Education & Classification for Individuals: “ISO 9001 Lead Auditor.” (January, 2018). United States Government - Professional Evaluation and Certification Board website. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
Explore Careers: “Inspectors in public and environmental health and occupational health and safety.” (January 24, 2018). WorkBC website. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
Summary Report: “Environmental Compliance Inspectors.” (November 14, 2019) O*NET OnLine website. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
Explore Careers: “ISO 14000 Consultant.” (n.d.) ECO Canada website. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
Helpful Scholarships for Becoming an ISO Auditor
Scholarships listed for majors that are relevant for this career can be found on our Environmental Science Scholarships and Management Scholarships pages.
Relevant University Majors
Studying one of the university majors listed below is an excellent starting point to becoming an ISO auditor. Click on the links to find out what else you can do with these majors!
