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Average Assistant Chief Engineer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An assistant chief engineer in United Kingdom earns about 68,100 GBP a year. That's 2% roughly in line with 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 35,500 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 107,700 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 assistant chief engineer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
68,100 GBP
5,675 GBP per month
Lowest reported
35,500 GBP
2,958 GBP per month
Highest reported
107,700 GBP
8,975 GBP per month

A typical assistant chief engineer working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,675 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 35,500 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 107,700 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 assistant chief 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 assistant chief engineer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How assistant chief 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 assistant chief engineers in United Kingdom earn less than 70,900 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 45,900 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 88,500 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of assistant chief engineers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 35,500 GBP. The highest stretch to 107,700 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.

35,500
Low
70,900
Median
107,700
High
45,900
25th
88,500
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Assistant chief engineer pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an assistant chief 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 assistant chief engineer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    39,300 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +26% from previous
    49,700 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +43% from previous
    71,000 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +21% from previous
    85,800 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +11% from previous
    95,300 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +5% from previous
    99,700 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 43%. That is the point at which a assistant chief 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.

Assistant chief engineer pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving assistant chief 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 assistant chief engineer salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    50,300 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +57% from previous
    79,000 GBP

Assistant chief 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 assistant chief engineers in United Kingdom earn an average of 68,300 GBP a year, while female assistant chief engineers earn around 65,800 GBP. That works out to a 4% 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.

Assistant Chief Engineer gender pay gap

4%

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

Men 68,300 GBP
Women 65,800 GBP

Pay raises for an assistant chief 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 16 months, which works out to roughly 9% 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

Assistant chief 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.

58%

58% of assistant chief engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an assistant chief 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 6% of base salary. The remaining 42% of assistant chief 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

Assistant chief 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

Assistant chief engineer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Assistant chief 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
  • Leeds
  • Bristol
  • Birmingham
  • Somerset
  • Edinburgh
  • Coventry
  • Cardiff
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion139,100 GBP141,000 GBP66,200-216,300 GBP
ScotlandRegion97,400 GBP102,700 GBP45,200-152,900 GBP
LondonCity87,200 GBP93,200 GBP38,000-137,100 GBP
LeedsCity83,300 GBP75,900 GBP43,100-127,700 GBP
BristolCity81,300 GBP83,100 GBP38,900-130,500 GBP
BirminghamCity81,200 GBP86,600 GBP35,000-127,700 GBP
SomersetCity80,900 GBP83,200 GBP36,800-127,700 GBP
EdinburghCity80,300 GBP84,300 GBP36,500-130,500 GBP
CoventryCity80,300 GBP80,300 GBP42,000-127,700 GBP
CardiffCity80,000 GBP83,300 GBP39,100-128,200 GBP
GlasgowCity79,000 GBP71,700 GBP45,000-119,700 GBP
NewcastleCity78,700 GBP79,700 GBP41,900-124,500 GBP
BradfordCity78,500 GBP73,700 GBP40,300-121,800 GBP
ManchesterCity78,500 GBP73,700 GBP40,300-121,800 GBP
LiverpoolCity78,500 GBP84,200 GBP39,400-123,800 GBP
DerbyCity77,400 GBP77,100 GBP36,400-118,900 GBP
PortsmouthCity77,000 GBP82,300 GBP33,000-119,700 GBP
SheffieldCity77,000 GBP79,600 GBP38,000-124,500 GBP
SouthamptonCity76,900 GBP83,700 GBP36,400-123,000 GBP
AberdeenCity76,000 GBP71,700 GBP36,500-116,400 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity76,000 GBP78,400 GBP34,700-117,100 GBP
LeicesterCity75,900 GBP72,700 GBP38,000-115,600 GBP
WolverhamptonCity75,400 GBP80,500 GBP35,300-119,700 GBP
PlymouthCity74,300 GBP74,300 GBP39,400-117,100 GBP
OxfordCity73,500 GBP67,200 GBP40,900-108,200 GBP
SwanseaCity73,300 GBP73,200 GBP38,100-114,600 GBP
NottinghamCity72,700 GBP79,600 GBP33,600-114,300 GBP
ArmaghCity72,700 GBP69,700 GBP35,200-112,700 GBP
BrightonCity71,900 GBP70,500 GBP36,400-114,900 GBP
YorkCity71,700 GBP65,800 GBP36,700-107,700 GBP
BelfastCity71,400 GBP76,000 GBP35,300-114,900 GBP
LincolnCity71,200 GBP71,200 GBP34,800-114,600 GBP
PeterboroughCity71,100 GBP67,500 GBP34,800-107,700 GBP
NewportCity71,100 GBP74,200 GBP32,600-112,700 GBP
StirlingCity71,000 GBP73,300 GBP33,000-111,700 GBP
NewryCity70,900 GBP68,900 GBP34,800-107,700 GBP
HartlepoolCity69,400 GBP71,700 GBP33,500-107,700 GBP
DerryCity68,800 GBP72,700 GBP32,900-108,200 GBP
DundeeCity68,800 GBP69,400 GBP35,400-109,000 GBP
ExeterCity68,500 GBP67,800 GBP35,600-107,700 GBP
NorwichCity68,300 GBP70,700 GBP34,000-109,700 GBP
PooleCity68,100 GBP71,600 GBP32,200-109,000 GBP
InvernessCity67,900 GBP64,600 GBP33,800-102,700 GBP
CanterburyCity67,500 GBP61,700 GBP34,800-103,600 GBP
ChesterCity67,400 GBP64,500 GBP33,600-103,600 GBP
GloucesterCity67,400 GBP67,000 GBP33,000-103,600 GBP
SalisburyCity67,300 GBP67,400 GBP33,600-105,200 GBP
WalesRegion66,900 GBP64,500 GBP35,100-99,700 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion66,900 GBP62,500 GBP35,300-99,700 GBP
CambridgeCity66,100 GBP73,200 GBP33,200-107,700 GBP
LisburnCity66,000 GBP58,500 GBP33,000-96,400 GBP
TruroCity65,500 GBP60,400 GBP35,100-98,100 GBP
DurhamCity64,100 GBP69,700 GBP27,300-100,700 GBP
WellsCity63,500 GBP63,500 GBP30,600-96,800 GBP
St DavidsCity63,200 GBP60,700 GBP35,300-98,000 GBP
AbingdonCity63,200 GBP63,200 GBP30,000-95,400 GBP
WakefieldCity62,300 GBP62,500 GBP33,300-97,100 GBP
RiponCity61,800 GBP59,700 GBP32,900-95,100 GBP
KirkwallCity61,700 GBP61,700 GBP32,900-94,800 GBP
BangorCity61,700 GBP61,700 GBP29,400-96,600 GBP
StromnessCity61,700 GBP66,400 GBP29,600-97,300 GBP
WinchesterCity61,200 GBP64,800 GBP28,900-100,200 GBP
StrontianCity59,700 GBP56,100 GBP30,300-90,600 GBP

Assistant Chief Engineer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an assistant chief engineer make per month in United Kingdom?

    An assistant chief engineer in United Kingdom earns about 5,675 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 68,100 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an assistant chief engineer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level assistant chief engineers in United Kingdom start near 35,500 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 107,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 45,900 and 88,500 GBP.

  • Is the median assistant chief engineer salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 70,900 GBP, higher than the average of 68,100 GBP. Half of assistant chief engineers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for assistant chief engineers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as an assistant chief engineer in United Kingdom earn around 4% more than women on average (68,300 vs 65,800 GBP a year).

  • Do assistant chief engineers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 58% of assistant chief engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.

  • Do assistant chief engineers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

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

  • How often do assistant chief engineers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    An assistant chief engineer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 9% a year.