Career, salary: an in-depth look at the QSE role

QSE issues are at the heart of major international voluntary standards ( ISO 9001 , ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 ). But today, the role of QSE goes beyond mere regulatory compliance... Who are these professionals? What are their roles? How much do they earn? Here are some answers based on our extensive 2025 National Study on "Careers and QSE Salaries."

QSE Role: Definition and Function within the Company

The acronym QSE stands for: Quality (Q), Safety (S), and Environment (E). These three areas form the foundation of the QSE function. 

QSE Job Description 

The QSE department comprises professionals responsible for overseeing quality, safety, and environmental matters. Their role involves implementing QSE management systems, mitigating risks, ensuring compliance and monitoring regulatory changes, supporting teams in the continuous improvement of practices, and ensuring customer satisfaction and the quality of products or services. 

Depending on the size of the company, these responsibilities may include:

• the implementation of the QSE management system
• compliance with standards and regulations
• conducting internal and supplier audits
• occupational risk prevention (occupational diseases or injuries)
• overseeing initiatives related to sustainable development.

How is the QSE function evolving?

The QSE function goes beyond regulatory compliance: it helps to  overall performance and organizational strategy . Several key indicators stand out in the AFNOR study:

• 94% of professionals are on permanent contracts.
• 30% serve on the executive committee (41% in the "QSE" category, 28% in "quality" alone, and 6% in "HSE," where "H" stands for "hygiene")

This confirms the growing importance of QSE as strategic function for risk and performance management .

The integrated QSE function is gaining ground

The integrated QSE function is gaining ground in companies:  41% of professionals now report that they are involved in quality, safety, and environmental issues , (versus 33% in 2018 ). The role of the integrated QSE function is growing significantly, with professionals taking on more responsibilities and expanding their scope of work , notes Anne-Laure Mauduit-Devillers, a consultant specializing in this field and a partner with AFNOR Parcours Croisés for this study.

What are the main responsibilities of the QSE department? 

QSE professionals are involved in a variety of strategic initiatives. These vary depending on the size of the company and the industry. However, they all involve several key responsibilities, such as auditing and management. 

Auditing: The Core Responsibility of QSE Professionals

Among the tasks performed, Auditing plays a central role:   80% of QSE professionals are involved in this , whether as part of internal audits or supplier audits. The audits focus in particular on standards ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment) and ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety). Other standards remain less common, such as ISO 26000 (8%) or ISO 50001 (7%).

A job that often involves management

Managing QSE issues often involves managerial responsibilities: 45% of the professionals surveyed say they manage a team. However, a gender gap emerges:

• 53% of men hold management positions
• against 42% of women .

As for the budget, One in three professionals manages a dedicated budget , most often less than 100,000 euros .

Who works in the QSE department? 

The national study provides an overview of professionals in the sector. 

More and more women in QSE 

Among QSE managers: 63% are women, up from 54% in 2018. Contrary to popular belief, the role of QSE manager now appears to be a field where women make up the majority . However, this feminization remains less pronounced as one moves up the managerial hierarchy .

42: the average age of QSE professionals 

The study also highlights a slight an aging workforce . The average age is now 42 years old , versus 39 years old in 2018 . There are more seniors than juniors there: 22% of professionals are over 50 , versus 13% under the age of 30 , a more pronounced imbalance than seven years ago.

Candidates with a master’s degree 

All QSE professionals hold a degree. Most of them come from university programs specializing in quality, safety, and the environment , generally at the master's level . The QSE degree appears to lead to more specialized career paths focused on core business functions, regulatory standards, and professional development , says Anne-Laure Mauduit-Devillers, a consultant specializing in this field and a partner at AFNOR Parcours Croisés for this study.

Where do QSE professionals work? 

In the private sector rather than in the public sector 

The division between private and public sectors in the QSE function is very clear:

• 91% of QSE professionals work in private companies.
• 6% work in the public sector.

The QSE role is well established in companies: 94% of professionals in this field are on permanent contracts. 

In the industrial and service sectors

In private, the QSE function is particularly prevalent in the manufacturing industry , which alone accounts for nearly a third of the respondents. Next comes the service sector (13%) .

SMEs: The Primary Focus of the QSE Function

In half of all cases, the companies where QSE professionals work are SMEs (10 to 249 employees). These are followed, in order of importance, by: 

• Medium-sized companies (250 to 4,999 employees),
• Large corporations (more than 5,000 employees),
• And very small businesses (fewer than 10 employees).

Finally, the QSE function is most often located at the company's headquarters , rather than a production site or a subsidiary.

Various roles within the organization

The department to which an employee is assigned may have different names depending on the company:

• Quality in 20% of cases
• CSR in 19% (corporate social responsibility)
• Executive Management by 14%.

Teams generally remain small . In nearly 6 out of 10 cases , they count 1 to 3 employees . Not surprisingly, the size of the company plays a decisive role. Large corporations may have as many as 93 people working on QSE-related issues.

What are the job roles in the QSE department?

Key roles in Quality, Safety, and Environment (QSE): manager, engineer, coordinator, director.

The QSE function in companies comprises several roles, held by both men and women, of course. Among the most common are: 

• QSE Manager
• QSE Coordinator
• QSE Director
• QSE Manager
• Quality Engineer
• Safety Manager
• QSE Coordinator
• QSE Manager 

The title "manager" is by far the most common job title (58%). Other titles include: engineer , coordinator and director . Finally, the majority of employees remain in managerial positions (69%).

QSE Manager: What Is It and What Are Their Responsibilities?

The  QSE Manager is the most common position in this role. He or she oversees the company’s quality, safety, and environmental initiatives. He or she designs and implements the QSE management system, sets quality and risk prevention objectives, and ensures their implementation throughout the organization. Their role also involves analyzing risks, monitoring regulatory changes, and supporting teams to continuously improve the company’s practices and minimize the environmental impact of its operations.

Learn more in the  Job Description: QSE Manager . 

Once in their roles, QSE managers are staying in their positions for longer and longer: nearly twelve years on average, compared to nine and a half years in 2018. They work at nearly three organizations over the course of their careers (compared to two seven years ago). 

What skills are needed to work in the QSE department?

The study identifies 6 major skill categories required to work in the QSE role:

• governance and strategy
• management and indicators
• agility and innovation
• communication and teaching
• team leadership and management
• systemic and collaborative approach

In total, 18 skills were analyzed . Key priorities include the ability to integrate the QSE manager into the company’s governance structure, demonstrate cross-functional leadership, comply with current regulations, develop analytical skills to identify effective solutions, drive change, harness collective intelligence, and communicate effectively.

The QSE professional is becoming a strategic contributor to overall performance, going beyond mere compliance and technical matters , notes Anne-Laure Mauduit-Devillers. She also points out a the growing link between QSE and CSR .

QSE Training

To keep pace with these developments, QSE professionals can take advantage of various specialized training programs, including QSE standards , the steps quality , or the audit methodologies AFNOR Compétences, a subsidiary of the AFNOR Group, offers a wide range of training programs designed to develop these skills.

What is the salary range for QSE roles? 

According to the national study  AFNOR–Crossing Paths , the average salary in the QSE department is €47,400 gross annually (including any 13th and 14th-month bonuses). On average, a QSE professional also receives €4,600 in variable compensation . 

Over the past seven years, average pay has increased by approximately 6 400 € .

Note: Salaries vary depending on years of experience and company size. The salary range most frequently cited by the professionals surveyed is  between €50,000 and €59,000 gross annually .

Salary of QSE Managers

The position of QSE Manager , which is the most common in the profession, generally falls around the average observed in the study, with variations depending on company size, industry, and experience.

Salaries of QSE Directors

The gaps are becoming more pronounced for management positions. The QSE managers have an average fixed salary of approximately €77,900 gross annually , or €11,700 more than in 2018 .

Recognition that is still considered insufficient

Despite this increase, compensation remains a sensitive issue in the profession: 56% of the professionals surveyed believe they are paid less than their peers . This reflects a perceived disconnect between their strategic contribution and their compensation.

Are QSE professionals satisfied with their jobs?

Overall, yes. QSE professionals show a average satisfaction rating of 7 out of 10 , up from 2018 (6.4). They cite the following as their top priorities:

• the appeal of the position,
• the work environment,
• work-life balance
• relations with the manager.

However, this enthusiasm remains cautious. The opportunities for internal advancement score only 5 out of 10 , and 47% of professionals expect to be in a different position in three years , often in a position of greater responsibility. Under the surface, we are dealing with a role that is still seeking recognition and visibility , concludes Anne-Laure Mauduit-Devillers.

*Our big 2025 National Study on "Careers and QSE Salaries" was conducted by the firm Time to Be on behalf of AFNOR Compétences and Parcours Croisés, based on 1,462 responses. You can access the full report via the Recording of a webinar held on September 18, 2025 . or by downloading the full report. 

FAQ - QSE Department 

What is the QSE function?

The QSE function refers to activities related to quality, workplace safety, and the environment within an organization.

What are the main roles in QSE?  

Some of the most common occupations include:

• QSE Manager , responsible for overseeing quality, safety, and environmental initiatives
• QSE Engineer , which designs and implements QSE policies
• QSE Coordinator or Facilitator , which supports teams in implementing processes and procedures

What is the salary for a QSE position? 

The average salary is around €47,000 gross annually , with variations depending on experience and responsibilities.

What is the difference between QHSE and QSE? 

The difference between QSE and QHSE depends on the presence of the letter H , which means Hygiene .

• QSE refers to the procedures related to the quality , at the security and to the environment .
• QHSE adds the dimension hygiene , particularly in sectors where health standards are essential, such as the food industry, healthcare, or certain industrial activities.

In practice, the two terms are often closely related and encompass similar objectives related to risk prevention, process improvement, and environmental protection.

What kind of training is required to work in the QSE department?

Most QSE professionals hold a degree at the bachelor's or master's level , often in programs specializing in Quality, Safety, and the Environment . These programs can be taken at universities, engineering schools, or in programs focused on risk management and quality.

Vocational training programs also help develop specific skills, such as in ISO standards (9001, 14001, 45001) , the audit methods or the management of QSE initiatives .