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Average Automotive Engineering Technician Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An automotive engineering technician in United Kingdom earns about 39,100 GBP a year. That's 44% below 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 20,300 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 61,400 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 automotive engineering technician make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
39,100 GBP
3,258 GBP per month
Lowest reported
20,300 GBP
1,691 GBP per month
Highest reported
61,400 GBP
5,116 GBP per month

A typical automotive engineering technician working in United Kingdom brings home around 3,258 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 20,300 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 61,400 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 automotive engineering technician 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 automotive engineering technician salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How automotive engineering technician 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 automotive engineering technicians in United Kingdom earn less than 39,600 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 26,600 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 49,200 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of automotive engineering technicians sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 20,300 GBP. The highest stretch to 61,400 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.

20,300
Low
39,600
Median
61,400
High
26,600
25th
49,200
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Automotive engineering technician pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an automotive engineering technician 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 automotive engineering technician salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    23,800 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +26% from previous
    29,900 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +34% from previous
    40,000 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +21% from previous
    48,500 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +4% from previous
    50,600 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +7% from previous
    54,200 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 automotive engineering technician 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.

Automotive engineering technician pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • High School
    29,900 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +33% from previous
    39,700 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +44% from previous
    57,100 GBP

Automotive engineering technician 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 automotive engineering technicians in United Kingdom earn an average of 39,600 GBP a year, while female automotive engineering technicians earn around 38,100 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.

Automotive Engineering Technician gender pay gap

4%

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

Men 39,600 GBP
Women 38,100 GBP

Pay raises for an automotive engineering technician 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 10% every 15 months, which works out to roughly 8% 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

Automotive engineering technician 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.

32%

32% of automotive engineering technicians in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an automotive engineering technician a low-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 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 68% of automotive engineering technicians 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

Automotive engineering technician: 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

Automotive engineering technician salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Automotive engineering technician 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
  • Birmingham
  • Liverpool
  • Leeds
  • Bradford
  • Edinburgh
  • Sheffield
  • Leicester
  • Swansea
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion73,100 GBP74,600 GBP34,900-116,400 GBP
ScotlandRegion54,100 GBP54,100 GBP25,800-87,200 GBP
BirminghamCity45,600 GBP47,100 GBP21,100-69,700 GBP
LiverpoolCity45,000 GBP39,700 GBP22,400-67,900 GBP
LeedsCity44,800 GBP43,500 GBP23,200-66,100 GBP
BradfordCity44,300 GBP45,700 GBP18,600-67,500 GBP
EdinburghCity43,500 GBP43,500 GBP20,100-66,200 GBP
SheffieldCity43,500 GBP43,500 GBP21,400-66,400 GBP
LeicesterCity42,700 GBP42,000 GBP23,200-63,700 GBP
SwanseaCity42,600 GBP42,300 GBP20,500-64,900 GBP
CoventryCity42,500 GBP38,000 GBP20,400-63,900 GBP
BelfastCity41,500 GBP45,000 GBP22,600-67,600 GBP
SomersetCity41,500 GBP40,500 GBP21,300-65,500 GBP
LondonCity41,000 GBP44,700 GBP20,900-65,800 GBP
PlymouthCity41,000 GBP39,800 GBP23,200-64,300 GBP
WolverhamptonCity40,900 GBP43,500 GBP16,300-63,700 GBP
CardiffCity40,600 GBP38,000 GBP23,700-63,900 GBP
BrightonCity40,600 GBP44,300 GBP20,000-67,600 GBP
DundeeCity40,500 GBP38,700 GBP19,200-58,800 GBP
OxfordCity40,500 GBP36,500 GBP18,200-61,400 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity40,300 GBP40,300 GBP22,000-61,700 GBP
NewcastleCity40,300 GBP40,700 GBP19,200-63,000 GBP
GlasgowCity40,200 GBP39,000 GBP21,400-64,900 GBP
NottinghamCity40,200 GBP40,200 GBP19,300-62,300 GBP
DerbyCity40,200 GBP36,700 GBP23,400-63,100 GBP
AberdeenCity40,000 GBP40,200 GBP19,200-63,100 GBP
ArmaghCity39,800 GBP39,800 GBP19,200-61,700 GBP
ManchesterCity39,800 GBP44,500 GBP17,800-63,400 GBP
BristolCity39,800 GBP41,400 GBP20,000-65,200 GBP
PeterboroughCity39,300 GBP36,500 GBP22,600-59,800 GBP
SouthamptonCity39,000 GBP39,000 GBP20,000-63,700 GBP
YorkCity38,000 GBP39,800 GBP17,100-62,600 GBP
NewportCity37,900 GBP41,400 GBP19,300-61,600 GBP
NorwichCity37,300 GBP36,400 GBP19,200-56,400 GBP
LincolnCity36,800 GBP35,600 GBP21,100-59,800 GBP
PortsmouthCity36,700 GBP39,700 GBP15,700-60,000 GBP
ChesterCity36,600 GBP35,300 GBP17,900-52,800 GBP
NewryCity36,000 GBP34,000 GBP20,300-54,700 GBP
CambridgeCity36,000 GBP36,000 GBP19,300-54,700 GBP
StirlingCity36,000 GBP33,600 GBP17,800-53,500 GBP
DerryCity35,300 GBP35,300 GBP15,700-55,200 GBP
PooleCity35,300 GBP32,900 GBP17,800-55,600 GBP
St DavidsCity35,300 GBP34,900 GBP16,800-53,500 GBP
LisburnCity35,300 GBP31,700 GBP15,700-51,900 GBP
DurhamCity35,000 GBP39,800 GBP15,300-57,400 GBP
WalesRegion34,800 GBP36,200 GBP19,100-55,300 GBP
HartlepoolCity34,700 GBP36,500 GBP18,800-55,100 GBP
GloucesterCity34,300 GBP37,300 GBP15,700-54,100 GBP
TruroCity34,300 GBP33,600 GBP19,200-52,800 GBP
AbingdonCity34,000 GBP32,200 GBP18,000-52,000 GBP
WakefieldCity34,000 GBP30,700 GBP18,600-51,400 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion33,600 GBP31,700 GBP18,300-51,600 GBP
StrontianCity33,300 GBP34,700 GBP17,100-51,500 GBP
StromnessCity33,300 GBP36,000 GBP17,100-51,900 GBP
RiponCity33,300 GBP34,700 GBP17,100-50,600 GBP
ExeterCity33,300 GBP35,600 GBP15,700-54,600 GBP
WellsCity33,200 GBP29,100 GBP15,700-46,900 GBP
CanterburyCity33,000 GBP35,100 GBP16,000-53,600 GBP
SalisburyCity33,000 GBP34,900 GBP18,300-55,700 GBP
WinchesterCity33,000 GBP29,600 GBP19,000-51,800 GBP
KirkwallCity32,900 GBP31,400 GBP16,000-49,200 GBP
InvernessCity32,600 GBP31,400 GBP16,000-51,800 GBP
BangorCity31,700 GBP30,600 GBP19,300-51,100 GBP

Automotive Engineering Technician in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an automotive engineering technician make per month in United Kingdom?

    An automotive engineering technician in United Kingdom earns about 3,258 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 39,100 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an automotive engineering technician in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level automotive engineering technicians in United Kingdom start near 20,300 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 61,400 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 26,600 and 49,200 GBP.

  • Is the median automotive engineering technician salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 39,600 GBP, higher than the average of 39,100 GBP. Half of automotive engineering technicians in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for automotive engineering technicians in United Kingdom?

    Men working as an automotive engineering technician in United Kingdom earn around 4% more than women on average (39,600 vs 38,100 GBP a year).

  • Do automotive engineering technicians in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 32% of automotive engineering technicians in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do automotive engineering technicians earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

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

  • How often do automotive engineering technicians in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    An automotive engineering technician in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 10% every 15 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.