Skip to content
worldsalaries .com

Average Licensed Aircraft Engineer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A licensed aircraft engineer in United Kingdom earns about 67,800 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 34,100 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 102,700 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 licensed aircraft engineer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
67,800 GBP
5,650 GBP per month
Lowest reported
34,100 GBP
2,841 GBP per month
Highest reported
102,700 GBP
8,558 GBP per month

A typical licensed aircraft engineer working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,650 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 34,100 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 102,700 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 licensed aircraft 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 licensed aircraft engineer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How licensed aircraft 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 licensed aircraft engineers in United Kingdom earn less than 66,400 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 46,400 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 88,600 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of licensed aircraft engineers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 34,100 GBP. The highest stretch to 102,700 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.

34,100
Low
66,400
Median
102,700
High
46,400
25th
88,600
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Licensed aircraft engineer pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    36,800 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +35% from previous
    49,800 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +40% from previous
    69,700 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +19% from previous
    83,100 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +11% from previous
    92,300 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +5% from previous
    96,500 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 40%. That is the point at which a licensed aircraft 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.

Licensed aircraft engineer pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Bachelor's Degree
    48,600 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +56% from previous
    75,800 GBP

Licensed aircraft 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 licensed aircraft engineers in United Kingdom earn an average of 66,200 GBP a year, while female licensed aircraft engineers earn around 63,400 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.

Licensed Aircraft Engineer gender pay gap

4%

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

Men 66,200 GBP
Women 63,400 GBP

Pay raises for a licensed aircraft 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 12% every 15 months, which works out to roughly 10% 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

Licensed aircraft 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.

58%

58% of licensed aircraft engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a licensed aircraft 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 3% to 6% of base salary. The remaining 42% of licensed aircraft 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

Licensed aircraft 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

Licensed aircraft engineer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Licensed aircraft 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
  • Leeds
  • Glasgow
  • London
  • Manchester
  • Birmingham
  • Sheffield
  • Bradford
  • Liverpool
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion130,500 GBP130,500 GBP64,300-199,700 GBP
ScotlandRegion95,400 GBP102,700 GBP43,800-152,900 GBP
LeedsCity81,000 GBP72,300 GBP44,300-123,000 GBP
GlasgowCity80,900 GBP73,100 GBP45,100-121,800 GBP
LondonCity80,800 GBP86,300 GBP35,400-127,600 GBP
ManchesterCity80,700 GBP74,600 GBP43,500-123,000 GBP
BirminghamCity80,000 GBP88,600 GBP36,700-127,600 GBP
SheffieldCity77,400 GBP75,800 GBP35,400-117,100 GBP
BradfordCity77,300 GBP73,300 GBP42,400-118,900 GBP
LiverpoolCity76,900 GBP80,800 GBP36,800-121,800 GBP
EdinburghCity76,800 GBP79,500 GBP35,300-121,800 GBP
CardiffCity76,000 GBP78,100 GBP36,500-115,600 GBP
NottinghamCity76,000 GBP78,700 GBP34,700-117,100 GBP
BristolCity75,900 GBP79,700 GBP36,400-119,700 GBP
SomersetCity74,900 GBP81,200 GBP36,800-119,700 GBP
CoventryCity74,000 GBP74,000 GBP36,800-114,600 GBP
SouthamptonCity73,700 GBP76,600 GBP33,500-114,600 GBP
DerbyCity73,500 GBP77,400 GBP33,800-114,900 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity73,300 GBP81,200 GBP33,300-117,100 GBP
PortsmouthCity73,100 GBP78,100 GBP33,300-114,900 GBP
BelfastCity73,100 GBP71,700 GBP33,300-112,700 GBP
YorkCity72,700 GBP69,700 GBP36,800-108,200 GBP
ExeterCity71,700 GBP65,800 GBP36,700-107,700 GBP
OxfordCity71,600 GBP65,100 GBP36,800-109,000 GBP
WolverhamptonCity71,400 GBP79,600 GBP33,500-114,300 GBP
PlymouthCity71,100 GBP71,100 GBP34,700-109,700 GBP
NewcastleCity71,000 GBP69,200 GBP34,900-109,700 GBP
LeicesterCity70,600 GBP68,500 GBP38,700-108,200 GBP
SwanseaCity70,100 GBP66,400 GBP35,300-105,800 GBP
NewryCity69,800 GBP66,700 GBP36,500-105,800 GBP
NewportCity68,800 GBP75,500 GBP31,400-108,200 GBP
BrightonCity68,500 GBP68,400 GBP35,300-109,000 GBP
DundeeCity67,500 GBP69,100 GBP32,900-105,800 GBP
CambridgeCity67,500 GBP70,700 GBP31,800-107,300 GBP
AberdeenCity67,300 GBP67,400 GBP33,600-105,200 GBP
DurhamCity67,000 GBP68,500 GBP30,700-105,200 GBP
ArmaghCity66,900 GBP63,500 GBP34,000-103,600 GBP
NorwichCity66,900 GBP66,400 GBP34,100-102,700 GBP
LincolnCity66,900 GBP66,900 GBP33,300-102,700 GBP
PooleCity66,400 GBP70,000 GBP34,100-107,300 GBP
PeterboroughCity66,100 GBP65,500 GBP33,600-103,600 GBP
DerryCity65,800 GBP70,900 GBP29,400-105,200 GBP
LisburnCity64,800 GBP60,200 GBP34,300-100,200 GBP
GloucesterCity64,800 GBP63,500 GBP33,600-97,300 GBP
CanterburyCity64,600 GBP58,000 GBP35,300-97,100 GBP
InvernessCity64,200 GBP61,200 GBP35,400-99,700 GBP
WinchesterCity63,900 GBP67,000 GBP29,100-98,000 GBP
StirlingCity63,700 GBP67,900 GBP29,400-100,700 GBP
ChesterCity63,200 GBP60,900 GBP33,200-95,300 GBP
HartlepoolCity63,200 GBP65,900 GBP30,600-99,700 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion63,200 GBP59,200 GBP35,300-95,900 GBP
TruroCity62,600 GBP59,700 GBP34,000-97,200 GBP
RiponCity62,600 GBP58,700 GBP35,500-98,100 GBP
StrontianCity62,500 GBP56,400 GBP30,700-94,300 GBP
WakefieldCity62,100 GBP60,400 GBP32,200-92,200 GBP
WalesRegion61,400 GBP60,800 GBP31,700-96,400 GBP
SalisburyCity61,300 GBP58,600 GBP29,400-93,800 GBP
St DavidsCity60,800 GBP57,400 GBP32,300-95,300 GBP
StromnessCity60,700 GBP64,800 GBP26,500-94,300 GBP
AbingdonCity60,700 GBP60,700 GBP28,900-95,300 GBP
KirkwallCity59,800 GBP59,800 GBP30,100-92,000 GBP
BangorCity59,500 GBP59,500 GBP29,300-92,100 GBP
WellsCity58,400 GBP58,400 GBP30,100-91,700 GBP

Licensed Aircraft Engineer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a licensed aircraft engineer make per month in United Kingdom?

    A licensed aircraft engineer in United Kingdom earns about 5,650 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 67,800 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a licensed aircraft engineer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level licensed aircraft engineers in United Kingdom start near 34,100 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 102,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 46,400 and 88,600 GBP.

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

    The median is 66,400 GBP, lower than the average of 67,800 GBP. Half of licensed aircraft engineers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as a licensed aircraft engineer in United Kingdom earn around 4% more than women on average (66,200 vs 63,400 GBP a year).

  • Do licensed aircraft engineers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 58% of licensed aircraft engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.

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

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

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

    A licensed aircraft engineer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 15 months, equivalent to roughly 10% a year.