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Average HSE Engineer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An HSE engineer in United Kingdom earns about 67,400 GBP a year. That's 3% 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 31,400 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 107,300 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 HSE engineer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
67,400 GBP
5,616 GBP per month
Lowest reported
31,400 GBP
2,616 GBP per month
Highest reported
107,300 GBP
8,941 GBP per month

A typical HSE engineer working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,616 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 31,400 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 107,300 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 HSE 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 HSE engineer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How HSE 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 HSE engineers in United Kingdom earn less than 73,700 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 46,700 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 97,200 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of HSE engineers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 31,400 GBP. The highest stretch to 107,300 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.

31,400
Low
73,700
Median
107,300
High
46,700
25th
97,200
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

HSE engineer pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    33,000 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +39% from previous
    46,000 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +52% from previous
    70,000 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +19% from previous
    83,000 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +10% from previous
    91,200 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +10% from previous
    100,200 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 52%. That is the point at which a HSE 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.

HSE engineer pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Bachelor's Degree
    39,000 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +101% from previous
    78,200 GBP

HSE 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 HSE engineers in United Kingdom earn an average of 67,800 GBP a year, while female HSE engineers earn around 63,500 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.

HSE Engineer gender pay gap

6%

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

Men 67,800 GBP
Women 63,500 GBP

Pay raises for an HSE 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 13% every 14 months, which works out to roughly 11% 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

HSE 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.

61%

61% of HSE engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an HSE 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 2% to 7% of base salary. The remaining 39% of HSE 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

HSE 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

HSE engineer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

HSE 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
  • Birmingham
  • Leeds
  • Nottingham
  • Bradford
  • London
  • Bristol
  • Glasgow
  • Edinburgh
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion123,800 GBP134,700 GBP57,800-199,700 GBP
ScotlandRegion90,900 GBP91,700 GBP44,700-142,300 GBP
BirminghamCity80,900 GBP84,800 GBP35,200-127,600 GBP
LeedsCity78,200 GBP73,800 GBP39,000-118,900 GBP
NottinghamCity77,300 GBP75,800 GBP35,400-117,100 GBP
BradfordCity77,000 GBP78,200 GBP35,200-117,100 GBP
LondonCity77,000 GBP79,600 GBP33,000-119,700 GBP
BristolCity75,100 GBP82,200 GBP34,300-123,000 GBP
GlasgowCity75,000 GBP71,600 GBP38,000-114,900 GBP
EdinburghCity74,100 GBP73,800 GBP36,500-114,900 GBP
LiverpoolCity73,300 GBP73,700 GBP40,500-114,900 GBP
PlymouthCity72,800 GBP72,000 GBP34,400-111,700 GBP
WolverhamptonCity72,800 GBP76,900 GBP32,200-114,900 GBP
BrightonCity72,700 GBP71,200 GBP36,700-111,700 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity72,400 GBP77,400 GBP36,400-114,300 GBP
LeicesterCity72,400 GBP78,700 GBP35,300-117,100 GBP
SheffieldCity72,000 GBP80,200 GBP31,700-114,300 GBP
SwanseaCity71,400 GBP68,800 GBP36,400-111,700 GBP
ManchesterCity71,200 GBP75,000 GBP36,000-114,900 GBP
SomersetCity71,000 GBP69,400 GBP37,300-109,000 GBP
CoventryCity70,700 GBP72,000 GBP34,400-111,700 GBP
BelfastCity70,500 GBP78,900 GBP32,600-116,400 GBP
NewcastleCity69,800 GBP67,800 GBP36,500-105,800 GBP
ArmaghCity69,800 GBP66,700 GBP36,500-105,800 GBP
AberdeenCity69,800 GBP67,800 GBP35,300-105,800 GBP
YorkCity69,800 GBP70,000 GBP34,000-107,700 GBP
PortsmouthCity69,800 GBP73,800 GBP30,200-108,200 GBP
DerbyCity69,400 GBP66,700 GBP36,500-105,800 GBP
CardiffCity69,200 GBP70,100 GBP35,400-109,700 GBP
SouthamptonCity68,900 GBP68,900 GBP32,200-105,800 GBP
PeterboroughCity68,300 GBP77,400 GBP30,300-111,700 GBP
OxfordCity68,300 GBP67,900 GBP34,800-107,700 GBP
DundeeCity66,900 GBP69,800 GBP30,100-105,800 GBP
LincolnCity66,700 GBP65,700 GBP30,700-102,700 GBP
PooleCity66,400 GBP63,800 GBP33,000-103,600 GBP
GloucesterCity66,200 GBP63,500 GBP33,300-105,200 GBP
HartlepoolCity65,900 GBP69,700 GBP28,900-105,800 GBP
NewportCity65,200 GBP68,500 GBP30,800-103,600 GBP
CambridgeCity64,800 GBP66,100 GBP33,200-103,600 GBP
DerryCity64,800 GBP65,100 GBP30,600-99,700 GBP
WalesRegion64,300 GBP58,800 GBP33,600-96,500 GBP
NewryCity64,100 GBP70,100 GBP27,300-99,700 GBP
WinchesterCity64,100 GBP61,300 GBP32,200-97,400 GBP
WellsCity62,600 GBP61,800 GBP30,800-95,100 GBP
ChesterCity61,800 GBP68,900 GBP29,900-100,400 GBP
ExeterCity61,500 GBP62,300 GBP31,400-97,100 GBP
NorwichCity61,500 GBP65,700 GBP28,900-100,500 GBP
DurhamCity61,400 GBP63,700 GBP25,800-94,200 GBP
CanterburyCity61,300 GBP58,200 GBP31,800-94,300 GBP
StrontianCity60,900 GBP60,100 GBP27,400-94,100 GBP
LisburnCity60,600 GBP59,200 GBP31,700-95,100 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion60,500 GBP57,100 GBP31,400-90,900 GBP
SalisburyCity60,100 GBP57,400 GBP32,200-93,100 GBP
StromnessCity60,100 GBP67,000 GBP26,500-96,600 GBP
StirlingCity60,000 GBP56,900 GBP30,200-93,200 GBP
WakefieldCity58,600 GBP66,000 GBP25,500-93,100 GBP
TruroCity58,600 GBP56,100 GBP30,800-89,300 GBP
RiponCity58,500 GBP60,000 GBP27,700-92,100 GBP
InvernessCity58,400 GBP63,900 GBP26,500-93,300 GBP
KirkwallCity57,800 GBP56,400 GBP26,100-86,100 GBP
BangorCity57,400 GBP60,900 GBP27,200-88,700 GBP
AbingdonCity56,900 GBP58,500 GBP26,900-88,500 GBP
St DavidsCity56,100 GBP57,800 GBP26,500-87,700 GBP

HSE Engineer in United Kingdom: FAQs

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

    An HSE engineer in United Kingdom earns about 5,616 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 67,400 GBP.

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

    Entry-level HSE engineers in United Kingdom start near 31,400 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 107,300 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 46,700 and 97,200 GBP.

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

    The median is 73,700 GBP, higher than the average of 67,400 GBP. Half of HSE engineers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as an HSE engineer in United Kingdom earn around 7% more than women on average (67,800 vs 63,500 GBP a year).

  • Do HSE engineers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 61% of HSE engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary.

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

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

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

    An HSE engineer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 13% every 14 months, equivalent to roughly 11% a year.