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Average Engineer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An engineer in United Kingdom earns about 68,900 GBP a year. That's 1% 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 30,600 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 109,700 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 engineer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
68,900 GBP
5,741 GBP per month
Lowest reported
30,600 GBP
2,550 GBP per month
Highest reported
109,700 GBP
9,141 GBP per month

A typical engineer working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,741 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 30,600 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 109,700 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 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 engineer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How 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 engineers in United Kingdom earn less than 73,500 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 45,600 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 97,600 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of engineers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 30,600 GBP. The highest stretch to 109,700 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.

30,600
Low
73,500
Median
109,700
High
45,600
25th
97,600
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Engineer pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    36,000 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +30% from previous
    46,700 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +49% from previous
    69,600 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +26% from previous
    87,500 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +9% from previous
    95,300 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +6% from previous
    100,700 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 49%. That is the point at which a 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.

Engineer pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Bachelor's Degree
    41,000 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +97% from previous
    80,900 GBP

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 engineers in United Kingdom earn an average of 71,100 GBP a year, while female engineers earn around 66,400 GBP. That works out to a 7% 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.

Engineer gender pay gap

7%

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

Men 71,100 GBP
Women 66,400 GBP

Pay raises for an 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 10% every 17 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

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.

36%

36% of engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an engineer 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 64% of 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

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

Engineer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

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
  • Bristol
  • Liverpool
  • Birmingham
  • London
  • Somerset
  • Sheffield
  • Coventry
  • Newcastle
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion128,200 GBP138,700 GBP59,800-201,000 GBP
ScotlandRegion90,900 GBP95,100 GBP44,700-142,300 GBP
BristolCity80,700 GBP87,000 GBP37,300-128,200 GBP
LiverpoolCity79,700 GBP73,800 GBP38,900-119,700 GBP
BirminghamCity79,600 GBP87,200 GBP36,400-127,700 GBP
LondonCity78,200 GBP84,800 GBP36,500-125,400 GBP
SomersetCity78,200 GBP73,300 GBP39,500-118,900 GBP
SheffieldCity78,100 GBP85,500 GBP36,000-124,500 GBP
CoventryCity78,100 GBP81,200 GBP39,400-121,800 GBP
NewcastleCity76,800 GBP74,500 GBP40,300-115,600 GBP
GlasgowCity76,000 GBP73,100 GBP39,800-116,400 GBP
EdinburghCity76,000 GBP74,300 GBP36,800-115,600 GBP
LeedsCity75,900 GBP73,300 GBP39,300-115,600 GBP
BradfordCity74,000 GBP73,700 GBP36,500-114,900 GBP
DerbyCity73,500 GBP69,700 GBP37,800-114,600 GBP
PlymouthCity73,500 GBP77,000 GBP35,600-116,400 GBP
LeicesterCity73,200 GBP78,200 GBP35,100-116,400 GBP
ManchesterCity72,400 GBP77,400 GBP36,400-114,300 GBP
CardiffCity72,400 GBP69,200 GBP36,800-114,600 GBP
AberdeenCity72,400 GBP67,800 GBP39,500-111,700 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity72,300 GBP75,400 GBP34,800-114,300 GBP
NottinghamCity71,900 GBP74,600 GBP34,900-116,400 GBP
SwanseaCity71,400 GBP68,800 GBP36,400-111,700 GBP
BelfastCity71,400 GBP79,600 GBP33,500-114,300 GBP
LincolnCity71,100 GBP72,800 GBP33,000-109,700 GBP
WolverhamptonCity71,100 GBP75,400 GBP30,300-111,700 GBP
PortsmouthCity70,800 GBP73,300 GBP31,400-108,200 GBP
DundeeCity69,800 GBP73,800 GBP30,200-109,700 GBP
ArmaghCity69,700 GBP67,300 GBP37,100-109,000 GBP
SouthamptonCity69,600 GBP73,100 GBP35,100-108,200 GBP
NorwichCity68,900 GBP73,500 GBP30,600-109,700 GBP
CambridgeCity68,900 GBP70,000 GBP32,200-105,800 GBP
BrightonCity68,200 GBP65,900 GBP34,900-107,300 GBP
PooleCity67,800 GBP64,200 GBP37,200-105,200 GBP
OxfordCity67,500 GBP64,900 GBP34,400-102,700 GBP
YorkCity67,400 GBP67,300 GBP32,900-105,200 GBP
SalisburyCity67,000 GBP61,700 GBP33,000-98,300 GBP
PeterboroughCity66,900 GBP73,100 GBP31,400-107,300 GBP
HartlepoolCity66,400 GBP73,200 GBP29,100-107,300 GBP
NewryCity66,200 GBP74,000 GBP32,900-109,000 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion66,000 GBP63,200 GBP34,000-99,600 GBP
ExeterCity64,800 GBP66,100 GBP33,200-103,600 GBP
NewportCity64,400 GBP69,200 GBP30,800-105,800 GBP
GloucesterCity64,300 GBP58,800 GBP33,600-98,100 GBP
DurhamCity63,900 GBP70,000 GBP30,800-100,700 GBP
DerryCity63,800 GBP64,200 GBP32,200-99,700 GBP
InvernessCity63,700 GBP71,200 GBP29,200-102,700 GBP
WalesRegion63,500 GBP63,700 GBP34,000-101,400 GBP
StirlingCity63,200 GBP61,700 GBP31,700-100,200 GBP
KirkwallCity62,500 GBP63,000 GBP30,800-95,000 GBP
ChesterCity61,700 GBP68,900 GBP29,900-97,600 GBP
CanterburyCity61,600 GBP59,500 GBP33,200-94,900 GBP
WellsCity61,600 GBP63,900 GBP29,100-97,200 GBP
LisburnCity61,300 GBP58,200 GBP31,800-92,100 GBP
WinchesterCity61,200 GBP62,100 GBP32,300-94,300 GBP
St DavidsCity60,600 GBP63,500 GBP30,800-97,600 GBP
BangorCity59,900 GBP61,700 GBP29,100-95,500 GBP
AbingdonCity59,800 GBP58,700 GBP29,300-92,400 GBP
WakefieldCity59,800 GBP65,100 GBP29,600-96,500 GBP
RiponCity59,700 GBP58,800 GBP29,900-92,400 GBP
TruroCity58,800 GBP55,300 GBP29,400-92,400 GBP
StromnessCity58,700 GBP63,000 GBP25,800-91,600 GBP
StrontianCity54,900 GBP58,100 GBP28,800-86,100 GBP

Engineer in United Kingdom: FAQs

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

    An engineer in United Kingdom earns about 5,741 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 68,900 GBP.

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

    Entry-level engineers in United Kingdom start near 30,600 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 109,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 45,600 and 97,600 GBP.

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

    The median is 73,500 GBP, higher than the average of 68,900 GBP. Half of engineers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as an engineer in United Kingdom earn around 7% more than women on average (71,100 vs 66,400 GBP a year).

  • Do engineers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 36% of engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

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

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

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

    An engineer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 10% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 7% a year.