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Average Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An aircraft maintenance engineer in United Kingdom earns about 74,000 GBP a year. That's 6% above the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 36,900 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 112,700 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does an aircraft maintenance engineer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
74,000 GBP
6,166 GBP per month
Lowest reported
36,900 GBP
3,075 GBP per month
Highest reported
112,700 GBP
9,391 GBP per month

A typical aircraft maintenance engineer working in United Kingdom brings home around 6,166 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 36,900 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 112,700 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior aircraft maintenance engineer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the aircraft maintenance engineer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How aircraft maintenance engineer pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all aircraft maintenance engineers in United Kingdom earn less than 71,700 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 46,900 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 86,600 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of aircraft maintenance engineers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 36,900 GBP. The highest stretch to 112,700 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

36,900
Low
71,700
Median
112,700
High
46,900
25th
86,600
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Aircraft maintenance engineer pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an aircraft maintenance engineer in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical aircraft maintenance engineer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    44,800 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +28% from previous
    57,400 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +34% from previous
    77,000 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +20% from previous
    92,400 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +9% from previous
    101,100 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +5% from previous
    105,800 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 34%. That is the point at which a aircraft maintenance engineer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Aircraft maintenance engineer pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving aircraft maintenance engineer pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average aircraft maintenance engineer salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    59,800 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +39% from previous
    83,100 GBP

Aircraft maintenance engineer gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male aircraft maintenance engineers in United Kingdom earn an average of 73,300 GBP a year, while female aircraft maintenance engineers earn around 69,800 GBP. That works out to a 5% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer gender pay gap

5%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 73,300 GBP
Women 69,800 GBP

Pay raises for an aircraft maintenance engineer in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 12% every 15 months, which works out to roughly 10% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Aircraft maintenance engineer bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

55%

55% of aircraft maintenance engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an aircraft maintenance engineer a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5% of base salary. The remaining 45% of aircraft maintenance engineers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Aircraft maintenance engineer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Aircraft maintenance engineer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Aircraft maintenance engineer pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • London
  • Liverpool
  • Leicester
  • Coventry
  • Birmingham
  • Cardiff
  • Somerset
  • Bristol
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion139,100 GBP130,400 GBP72,800-209,700 GBP
ScotlandRegion99,700 GBP92,100 GBP55,400-151,800 GBP
LondonCity83,700 GBP90,000 GBP39,500-128,400 GBP
LiverpoolCity82,300 GBP76,000 GBP45,000-125,400 GBP
LeicesterCity81,300 GBP83,800 GBP40,300-127,700 GBP
CoventryCity81,200 GBP78,100 GBP40,300-123,000 GBP
BirminghamCity80,500 GBP88,000 GBP36,400-128,400 GBP
CardiffCity79,600 GBP73,300 GBP42,700-121,800 GBP
SomersetCity79,000 GBP75,500 GBP41,500-121,800 GBP
BristolCity78,100 GBP73,700 GBP40,300-118,900 GBP
ManchesterCity77,000 GBP81,400 GBP36,200-125,400 GBP
SheffieldCity76,900 GBP72,300 GBP41,700-117,100 GBP
PlymouthCity76,000 GBP75,500 GBP39,800-117,100 GBP
LeedsCity75,900 GBP82,300 GBP34,900-121,800 GBP
BradfordCity75,900 GBP79,000 GBP37,300-119,700 GBP
GlasgowCity75,800 GBP82,200 GBP35,600-123,000 GBP
WolverhamptonCity75,500 GBP79,500 GBP35,100-118,900 GBP
DerbyCity74,900 GBP73,100 GBP40,300-114,300 GBP
EdinburghCity74,200 GBP68,200 GBP39,700-114,900 GBP
PeterboroughCity73,800 GBP75,900 GBP37,300-115,600 GBP
NewcastleCity73,700 GBP73,700 GBP35,600-114,300 GBP
BelfastCity73,500 GBP69,700 GBP36,800-114,600 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity73,300 GBP66,200 GBP40,300-111,700 GBP
PortsmouthCity73,300 GBP81,200 GBP34,000-115,600 GBP
LincolnCity73,200 GBP69,700 GBP37,300-111,700 GBP
AberdeenCity73,100 GBP73,100 GBP35,000-112,700 GBP
NewportCity72,800 GBP76,900 GBP32,200-114,900 GBP
NottinghamCity72,700 GBP66,200 GBP39,300-111,700 GBP
BrightonCity71,900 GBP71,900 GBP35,200-114,900 GBP
SwanseaCity71,200 GBP71,200 GBP34,800-114,600 GBP
PooleCity70,700 GBP68,900 GBP36,700-109,000 GBP
YorkCity70,600 GBP76,000 GBP33,600-114,600 GBP
ArmaghCity69,700 GBP69,700 GBP34,300-109,700 GBP
SouthamptonCity69,700 GBP64,800 GBP39,100-107,700 GBP
ChesterCity68,500 GBP69,600 GBP33,000-109,000 GBP
DundeeCity68,500 GBP66,900 GBP35,300-107,300 GBP
ExeterCity68,400 GBP73,700 GBP33,300-109,000 GBP
WalesRegion68,200 GBP68,200 GBP33,000-109,000 GBP
StirlingCity68,100 GBP64,600 GBP34,800-105,200 GBP
OxfordCity67,800 GBP71,400 GBP33,200-109,000 GBP
DurhamCity67,800 GBP72,800 GBP30,100-105,800 GBP
WinchesterCity66,900 GBP63,700 GBP33,300-100,700 GBP
NorwichCity66,400 GBP63,500 GBP34,700-102,700 GBP
KirkwallCity66,000 GBP63,500 GBP33,600-100,300 GBP
NewryCity66,000 GBP64,200 GBP32,200-99,700 GBP
WellsCity66,000 GBP61,400 GBP32,300-100,400 GBP
SalisburyCity66,000 GBP66,000 GBP31,700-101,400 GBP
CambridgeCity65,800 GBP61,300 GBP35,500-97,900 GBP
GloucesterCity65,700 GBP65,700 GBP34,000-105,800 GBP
DerryCity65,100 GBP60,100 GBP37,200-99,900 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion64,600 GBP69,700 GBP30,800-103,600 GBP
HartlepoolCity64,200 GBP61,200 GBP35,400-99,700 GBP
AbingdonCity64,200 GBP63,800 GBP34,000-100,700 GBP
WakefieldCity63,900 GBP65,500 GBP29,100-98,000 GBP
BangorCity63,500 GBP62,300 GBP35,100-99,700 GBP
St DavidsCity63,200 GBP65,200 GBP31,300-96,000 GBP
CanterburyCity62,100 GBP63,500 GBP28,900-96,000 GBP
StromnessCity61,800 GBP68,900 GBP29,900-100,300 GBP
LisburnCity61,400 GBP66,100 GBP29,300-98,900 GBP
TruroCity61,300 GBP63,200 GBP29,600-97,200 GBP
RiponCity61,200 GBP64,800 GBP29,100-100,200 GBP
StrontianCity59,800 GBP64,100 GBP30,800-94,400 GBP
InvernessCity59,800 GBP63,100 GBP31,200-93,600 GBP

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an aircraft maintenance engineer make per month in United Kingdom?

    An aircraft maintenance engineer in United Kingdom earns about 6,166 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 74,000 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an aircraft maintenance engineer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level aircraft maintenance engineers in United Kingdom start near 36,900 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 112,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 46,900 and 86,600 GBP.

  • Is the median aircraft maintenance engineer salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 71,700 GBP, lower than the average of 74,000 GBP. Half of aircraft maintenance engineers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for aircraft maintenance engineers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as an aircraft maintenance engineer in United Kingdom earn around 5% more than women on average (73,300 vs 69,800 GBP a year).

  • Do aircraft maintenance engineers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 55% of aircraft maintenance engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5% of base salary.

  • Do aircraft maintenance engineers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays an aircraft maintenance engineer about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do aircraft maintenance engineers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    An aircraft maintenance engineer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 15 months, equivalent to roughly 10% a year.