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Average Electrical Designer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An electrical designer in United Kingdom earns about 63,700 GBP a year. That's 9% 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 35,500 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 100,300 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 electrical designer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
63,700 GBP
5,308 GBP per month
Lowest reported
35,500 GBP
2,958 GBP per month
Highest reported
100,300 GBP
8,358 GBP per month

A typical electrical designer working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,308 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 35,500 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 100,300 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 electrical 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 electrical designer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How electrical 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 electrical designers in United Kingdom earn less than 63,100 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 43,400 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 76,900 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of electrical designers 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 100,300 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
63,100
Median
100,300
High
43,400
25th
76,900
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Electrical designer pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    36,500 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +36% from previous
    49,700 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +33% from previous
    66,100 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +22% from previous
    80,400 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +9% from previous
    87,600 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +4% from previous
    91,500 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 36%. That is the point at which a electrical 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.

Electrical designer pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Certificate or Diploma
    46,300 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +50% from previous
    69,400 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +39% from previous
    96,800 GBP

Electrical 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 electrical designers in United Kingdom earn an average of 66,700 GBP a year, while female electrical designers earn around 64,100 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.

Electrical Designer gender pay gap

4%

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

Men 66,700 GBP
Women 64,100 GBP

Pay raises for an electrical 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 10% every 18 months, which works out to roughly 7% 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

Electrical 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.

30%

30% of electrical designers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an electrical 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 1% to 3% of base salary. The remaining 70% of electrical 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

Electrical 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

Electrical designer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Electrical 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
  • Liverpool
  • Bradford
  • Birmingham
  • Edinburgh
  • Leeds
  • Belfast
  • Leicester
  • Somerset
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion125,400 GBP118,900 GBP64,900-191,500 GBP
ScotlandRegion92,100 GBP87,300 GBP49,800-141,000 GBP
LiverpoolCity75,500 GBP69,600 GBP39,300-114,900 GBP
BradfordCity73,700 GBP76,000 GBP35,100-114,600 GBP
BirminghamCity73,300 GBP80,000 GBP33,000-118,900 GBP
EdinburghCity72,700 GBP66,200 GBP39,300-111,700 GBP
LeedsCity72,000 GBP76,900 GBP35,300-116,400 GBP
BelfastCity71,800 GBP68,900 GBP35,400-109,700 GBP
LeicesterCity71,800 GBP72,700 GBP33,800-111,700 GBP
SomersetCity71,600 GBP65,800 GBP36,700-109,000 GBP
SheffieldCity71,400 GBP69,200 GBP38,100-108,200 GBP
BrightonCity71,000 GBP71,000 GBP37,200-108,200 GBP
DerbyCity70,800 GBP66,900 GBP37,100-105,800 GBP
CoventryCity70,000 GBP69,800 GBP36,500-109,000 GBP
SouthamptonCity69,400 GBP63,700 GBP36,800-103,600 GBP
CardiffCity69,400 GBP67,400 GBP38,100-109,000 GBP
GlasgowCity69,200 GBP73,300 GBP32,900-109,700 GBP
NottinghamCity69,200 GBP64,500 GBP38,700-105,800 GBP
PeterboroughCity68,900 GBP70,000 GBP32,200-105,800 GBP
ManchesterCity68,500 GBP73,700 GBP35,100-109,000 GBP
BristolCity68,500 GBP66,900 GBP35,300-107,300 GBP
LondonCity68,300 GBP77,400 GBP30,300-111,700 GBP
PlymouthCity68,300 GBP68,100 GBP36,000-109,000 GBP
SwanseaCity68,200 GBP68,200 GBP35,300-109,000 GBP
WolverhamptonCity67,800 GBP72,800 GBP29,600-105,800 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity67,800 GBP63,900 GBP37,300-102,700 GBP
NewcastleCity67,200 GBP67,200 GBP34,000-105,200 GBP
NewportCity67,000 GBP68,500 GBP30,700-105,200 GBP
ArmaghCity66,900 GBP66,900 GBP35,100-102,700 GBP
YorkCity66,900 GBP66,200 GBP30,200-103,600 GBP
AberdeenCity66,100 GBP66,100 GBP32,600-102,700 GBP
DundeeCity65,400 GBP61,400 GBP35,300-99,700 GBP
OxfordCity65,100 GBP67,800 GBP30,300-105,200 GBP
PortsmouthCity64,500 GBP69,800 GBP30,100-100,700 GBP
LincolnCity63,500 GBP64,300 GBP33,300-99,700 GBP
WalesRegion63,200 GBP63,200 GBP29,100-94,200 GBP
NorwichCity61,700 GBP58,800 GBP32,600-95,500 GBP
DurhamCity61,600 GBP66,900 GBP26,900-98,000 GBP
ChesterCity61,400 GBP62,600 GBP30,100-95,100 GBP
PooleCity60,700 GBP56,800 GBP31,700-92,100 GBP
CambridgeCity60,200 GBP54,700 GBP34,100-91,900 GBP
StirlingCity60,200 GBP57,100 GBP31,400-90,900 GBP
NewryCity60,000 GBP63,200 GBP29,300-95,000 GBP
SalisburyCity59,800 GBP59,800 GBP30,100-92,000 GBP
HartlepoolCity59,500 GBP58,100 GBP30,000-88,700 GBP
GloucesterCity58,800 GBP58,800 GBP31,200-93,100 GBP
LisburnCity58,600 GBP62,600 GBP26,500-91,700 GBP
TruroCity58,600 GBP63,500 GBP26,300-93,900 GBP
DerryCity58,200 GBP55,200 GBP31,800-90,000 GBP
ExeterCity58,000 GBP60,600 GBP29,600-91,700 GBP
AbingdonCity57,200 GBP54,200 GBP27,300-88,400 GBP
BangorCity57,100 GBP54,100 GBP28,900-86,100 GBP
WakefieldCity56,800 GBP57,400 GBP29,600-88,600 GBP
St DavidsCity56,400 GBP58,700 GBP26,100-88,500 GBP
CanterburyCity55,300 GBP58,800 GBP27,300-89,400 GBP
WinchesterCity55,300 GBP53,500 GBP30,800-85,700 GBP
InvernessCity55,200 GBP55,300 GBP25,800-85,800 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion54,700 GBP58,200 GBP26,600-88,300 GBP
StromnessCity54,500 GBP60,000 GBP27,600-90,600 GBP
StrontianCity54,500 GBP56,600 GBP27,100-88,600 GBP
RiponCity54,200 GBP56,600 GBP27,100-88,600 GBP
KirkwallCity54,100 GBP55,200 GBP26,300-83,100 GBP
WellsCity52,300 GBP51,100 GBP25,800-83,300 GBP

Electrical Designer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an electrical designer make per month in United Kingdom?

    An electrical designer in United Kingdom earns about 5,308 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 63,700 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an electrical designer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level electrical designers in United Kingdom start near 35,500 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 100,300 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 43,400 and 76,900 GBP.

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

    The median is 63,100 GBP, lower than the average of 63,700 GBP. Half of electrical designers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as an electrical designer in United Kingdom earn around 4% more than women on average (66,700 vs 64,100 GBP a year).

  • Do electrical designers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 30% of electrical designers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 3% of base salary.

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

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

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

    An electrical designer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 10% every 18 months, equivalent to roughly 7% a year.