Skip to content
worldsalaries .com

Average CAD Designer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A CAD designer 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 58,700 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 a CAD designer 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
58,700 GBP
4,891 GBP per month

A typical CAD designer 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 58,700 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 CAD designer 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 CAD designer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How CAD designer 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 CAD designers in United Kingdom earn less than 39,800 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 CAD designers 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 58,700 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.

20,300
Low
39,800
Median
58,700
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

CAD designer pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a CAD designer 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 CAD designer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    23,400 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +28% from previous
    29,900 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +33% from previous
    39,800 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +22% from previous
    48,500 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +6% from previous
    51,500 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +6% from previous
    54,500 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 33%. That is the point at which a CAD designer 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.

CAD designer pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Bachelor's Degree
    26,500 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +68% from previous
    44,500 GBP

CAD designer 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 CAD designers in United Kingdom earn an average of 39,600 GBP a year, while female CAD designers earn around 38,700 GBP. That works out to a 2% 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.

CAD Designer gender pay gap

2%

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

Men 39,600 GBP
Women 38,700 GBP

Pay raises for a CAD designer 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 11% every 15 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

CAD designer 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 CAD designers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a CAD designer 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 CAD designers 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

CAD designer: 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

CAD designer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

CAD designer 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
  • Bristol
  • London
  • Glasgow
  • Nottingham
  • Leeds
  • Liverpool
  • Sheffield
  • Somerset
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion72,700 GBP75,500 GBP35,000-116,400 GBP
ScotlandRegion55,700 GBP56,600 GBP24,200-84,800 GBP
BristolCity46,700 GBP47,800 GBP23,800-73,100 GBP
LondonCity46,300 GBP48,500 GBP20,200-70,600 GBP
GlasgowCity45,800 GBP44,900 GBP24,400-70,700 GBP
NottinghamCity45,600 GBP47,600 GBP21,700-71,700 GBP
LeedsCity45,600 GBP44,300 GBP27,400-69,800 GBP
LiverpoolCity45,300 GBP45,400 GBP23,000-68,500 GBP
SheffieldCity45,200 GBP46,000 GBP23,800-69,700 GBP
SomersetCity45,100 GBP46,400 GBP20,200-66,100 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity45,000 GBP47,600 GBP21,700-71,700 GBP
NewcastleCity45,000 GBP42,700 GBP23,200-66,900 GBP
BradfordCity44,900 GBP39,700 GBP23,800-66,700 GBP
BelfastCity44,500 GBP42,700 GBP20,000-66,200 GBP
ManchesterCity44,500 GBP43,200 GBP23,100-67,300 GBP
CardiffCity44,300 GBP42,700 GBP21,200-67,200 GBP
BirminghamCity44,200 GBP49,400 GBP21,700-73,200 GBP
EdinburghCity43,800 GBP49,400 GBP21,100-70,600 GBP
WolverhamptonCity42,600 GBP45,000 GBP19,200-65,100 GBP
SwanseaCity42,500 GBP41,900 GBP20,000-66,000 GBP
AberdeenCity42,400 GBP39,500 GBP23,000-62,300 GBP
DundeeCity42,000 GBP42,400 GBP18,200-64,900 GBP
NewryCity41,700 GBP38,000 GBP21,700-61,600 GBP
SouthamptonCity41,500 GBP46,300 GBP20,000-65,700 GBP
BrightonCity41,500 GBP43,200 GBP20,100-64,400 GBP
LeicesterCity41,400 GBP41,700 GBP20,100-65,200 GBP
CambridgeCity41,300 GBP43,500 GBP20,300-64,300 GBP
DerbyCity40,700 GBP43,400 GBP20,500-63,400 GBP
CoventryCity40,600 GBP40,600 GBP21,400-66,900 GBP
OxfordCity40,600 GBP38,000 GBP23,700-63,900 GBP
PlymouthCity40,300 GBP40,300 GBP22,000-61,700 GBP
DerryCity39,800 GBP42,500 GBP17,900-61,800 GBP
ExeterCity39,800 GBP37,100 GBP22,600-59,200 GBP
GloucesterCity39,600 GBP39,100 GBP18,200-60,000 GBP
YorkCity39,500 GBP39,400 GBP23,200-63,200 GBP
PortsmouthCity39,500 GBP43,500 GBP20,300-63,200 GBP
ArmaghCity39,500 GBP40,300 GBP22,600-63,700 GBP
InvernessCity39,400 GBP36,800 GBP20,500-59,700 GBP
LincolnCity39,400 GBP39,400 GBP19,200-59,500 GBP
PeterboroughCity39,100 GBP36,700 GBP22,000-59,200 GBP
TruroCity38,700 GBP33,000 GBP22,000-58,200 GBP
NorwichCity38,000 GBP38,900 GBP19,400-61,800 GBP
NewportCity38,000 GBP41,500 GBP19,200-63,000 GBP
HartlepoolCity37,900 GBP40,000 GBP19,200-62,100 GBP
RiponCity37,200 GBP32,600 GBP20,300-53,500 GBP
DurhamCity36,800 GBP38,700 GBP18,400-58,200 GBP
LisburnCity36,800 GBP36,600 GBP20,200-59,000 GBP
PooleCity36,800 GBP41,300 GBP17,900-60,100 GBP
ChesterCity36,500 GBP33,000 GBP20,300-55,700 GBP
CanterburyCity36,200 GBP33,800 GBP21,200-55,300 GBP
WinchesterCity36,000 GBP36,700 GBP18,800-55,200 GBP
WakefieldCity36,000 GBP34,000 GBP20,300-54,700 GBP
SalisburyCity35,400 GBP35,600 GBP19,200-57,900 GBP
StrontianCity35,300 GBP31,700 GBP16,300-51,300 GBP
BangorCity35,300 GBP35,300 GBP16,900-51,100 GBP
StromnessCity35,300 GBP35,200 GBP17,000-52,800 GBP
StirlingCity35,200 GBP39,100 GBP19,400-58,500 GBP
St DavidsCity35,100 GBP30,700 GBP19,000-50,600 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion35,000 GBP35,100 GBP19,400-53,800 GBP
WalesRegion34,800 GBP35,500 GBP17,900-55,500 GBP
WellsCity34,000 GBP34,000 GBP18,400-50,600 GBP
KirkwallCity34,000 GBP34,000 GBP18,400-51,500 GBP
AbingdonCity33,000 GBP33,000 GBP15,700-53,500 GBP

CAD Designer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a CAD designer make per month in United Kingdom?

    A CAD designer 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 a CAD designer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level CAD designers in United Kingdom start near 20,300 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 58,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 26,600 and 49,200 GBP.

  • Is the median CAD designer salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 39,800 GBP, higher than the average of 39,100 GBP. Half of CAD designers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for CAD designers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a CAD designer in United Kingdom earn around 2% more than women on average (39,600 vs 38,700 GBP a year).

  • Do CAD designers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

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

  • Do CAD designers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a CAD designer about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do CAD designers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A CAD designer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 11% every 15 months, equivalent to roughly 9% a year.