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Average Manufacturing Engineering Manager Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A manufacturing engineering manager in United Kingdom earns about 100,200 GBP a year. That's 44% above 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 51,800 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 151,800 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 manufacturing engineering manager make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
100,200 GBP
8,350 GBP per month
Lowest reported
51,800 GBP
4,316 GBP per month
Highest reported
151,800 GBP
12,650 GBP per month

A typical manufacturing engineering manager working in United Kingdom brings home around 8,350 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 51,800 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 151,800 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 manufacturing engineering manager 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 manufacturing engineering manager salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How manufacturing engineering manager 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 manufacturing engineering managers in United Kingdom earn less than 93,100 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 65,100 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 117,100 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of manufacturing engineering managers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 51,800 GBP. The highest stretch to 151,800 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.

51,800
Low
93,100
Median
151,800
High
65,100
25th
117,100
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Manufacturing engineering manager pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    59,000 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +34% from previous
    78,900 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +31% from previous
    103,600 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +20% from previous
    124,500 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +8% from previous
    134,100 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +6% from previous
    142,100 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 34%. That is the point at which a manufacturing engineering manager 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.

Manufacturing engineering manager pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Bachelor's Degree
    81,400 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +41% from previous
    114,900 GBP

Manufacturing engineering manager 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 manufacturing engineering managers in United Kingdom earn an average of 100,700 GBP a year, while female manufacturing engineering managers earn around 98,100 GBP. That works out to a 3% 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.

Manufacturing Engineering Manager gender pay gap

3%

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

Men 100,700 GBP
Women 98,100 GBP

Pay raises for a manufacturing engineering manager 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 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

Manufacturing engineering manager 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.

81%

81% of manufacturing engineering managers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a manufacturing engineering manager a high-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 6% to 8% of base salary. The remaining 19% of manufacturing engineering managers 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

Manufacturing engineering manager: 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

Manufacturing engineering manager salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Manufacturing engineering manager 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
  • London
  • Birmingham
  • Somerset
  • Leicester
  • Cardiff
  • Bradford
  • Newcastle
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion180,500 GBP172,100 GBP95,300-275,800 GBP
ScotlandRegion140,200 GBP128,400 GBP76,800-213,800 GBP
LiverpoolCity114,900 GBP109,000 GBP61,300-172,200 GBP
LondonCity112,700 GBP121,800 GBP53,300-177,200 GBP
BirminghamCity109,700 GBP115,600 GBP49,700-172,100 GBP
SomersetCity109,700 GBP103,600 GBP57,800-163,800 GBP
LeicesterCity109,700 GBP111,700 GBP54,600-168,700 GBP
CardiffCity109,000 GBP103,600 GBP55,300-163,500 GBP
BradfordCity108,200 GBP114,900 GBP51,900-172,300 GBP
NewcastleCity107,700 GBP107,700 GBP54,100-165,900 GBP
PlymouthCity107,700 GBP105,800 GBP53,800-163,500 GBP
EdinburghCity107,700 GBP97,300 GBP58,700-160,600 GBP
CoventryCity107,700 GBP105,800 GBP55,100-163,800 GBP
GlasgowCity107,300 GBP112,700 GBP50,300-166,600 GBP
WolverhamptonCity107,300 GBP116,400 GBP48,000-168,700 GBP
LeedsCity107,300 GBP112,700 GBP49,200-166,600 GBP
SheffieldCity105,800 GBP99,700 GBP53,800-160,700 GBP
ManchesterCity105,800 GBP108,200 GBP51,300-163,800 GBP
BristolCity105,800 GBP100,700 GBP55,700-160,600 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity105,200 GBP94,000 GBP55,200-156,200 GBP
SouthamptonCity105,200 GBP95,100 GBP54,200-157,600 GBP
BelfastCity102,700 GBP98,900 GBP53,500-158,900 GBP
BrightonCity102,700 GBP102,700 GBP52,600-158,700 GBP
DundeeCity100,900 GBP97,200 GBP51,400-152,900 GBP
SwanseaCity100,700 GBP100,700 GBP51,600-156,200 GBP
ArmaghCity100,700 GBP100,700 GBP52,300-156,200 GBP
NottinghamCity99,700 GBP93,100 GBP55,600-153,800 GBP
OxfordCity99,700 GBP107,300 GBP47,600-158,900 GBP
DerbyCity99,700 GBP93,600 GBP54,600-152,900 GBP
PeterboroughCity99,400 GBP100,500 GBP49,400-153,800 GBP
YorkCity98,900 GBP102,700 GBP46,700-157,600 GBP
PooleCity98,800 GBP93,100 GBP52,000-146,900 GBP
CambridgeCity98,100 GBP90,600 GBP52,000-147,900 GBP
ChesterCity97,200 GBP98,000 GBP47,800-151,800 GBP
AberdeenCity96,500 GBP96,500 GBP49,400-151,800 GBP
PortsmouthCity95,900 GBP105,800 GBP44,700-153,700 GBP
DurhamCity95,300 GBP100,700 GBP44,800-150,100 GBP
LincolnCity94,900 GBP94,100 GBP47,400-146,700 GBP
StirlingCity94,800 GBP88,700 GBP51,100-147,900 GBP
WalesRegion94,800 GBP94,800 GBP48,200-146,700 GBP
NorwichCity94,500 GBP91,700 GBP49,300-146,700 GBP
ExeterCity94,400 GBP100,100 GBP45,600-151,800 GBP
LisburnCity94,100 GBP98,000 GBP44,500-147,900 GBP
HartlepoolCity93,600 GBP91,200 GBP50,800-146,700 GBP
NewportCity93,100 GBP103,600 GBP44,900-151,800 GBP
NewryCity92,900 GBP92,200 GBP46,400-142,300 GBP
BangorCity92,300 GBP88,600 GBP45,000-140,700 GBP
GloucesterCity91,700 GBP91,700 GBP44,200-142,100 GBP
InvernessCity90,900 GBP92,900 GBP45,000-141,000 GBP
AbingdonCity90,900 GBP91,000 GBP45,900-142,100 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion90,600 GBP93,900 GBP42,500-141,000 GBP
SalisburyCity90,000 GBP90,000 GBP44,500-139,100 GBP
CanterburyCity88,600 GBP93,100 GBP39,800-139,100 GBP
DerryCity88,300 GBP80,500 GBP49,400-134,700 GBP
RiponCity88,300 GBP92,900 GBP43,400-142,100 GBP
WinchesterCity88,300 GBP83,700 GBP46,100-132,000 GBP
TruroCity87,400 GBP92,200 GBP42,000-137,100 GBP
St DavidsCity86,800 GBP90,600 GBP40,300-139,100 GBP
WakefieldCity86,100 GBP90,000 GBP42,800-134,700 GBP
WellsCity84,800 GBP83,700 GBP43,800-132,000 GBP
StromnessCity83,300 GBP92,300 GBP39,600-134,700 GBP
KirkwallCity81,900 GBP81,400 GBP43,500-130,500 GBP
StrontianCity79,500 GBP83,800 GBP40,500-128,200 GBP

Manufacturing Engineering Manager in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a manufacturing engineering manager make per month in United Kingdom?

    A manufacturing engineering manager in United Kingdom earns about 8,350 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 100,200 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a manufacturing engineering manager in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level manufacturing engineering managers in United Kingdom start near 51,800 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 151,800 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 65,100 and 117,100 GBP.

  • Is the median manufacturing engineering manager salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 93,100 GBP, lower than the average of 100,200 GBP. Half of manufacturing engineering managers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for manufacturing engineering managers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a manufacturing engineering manager in United Kingdom earn around 3% more than women on average (100,700 vs 98,100 GBP a year).

  • Do manufacturing engineering managers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 81% of manufacturing engineering managers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 6% to 8% of base salary.

  • Do manufacturing engineering managers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

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

  • How often do manufacturing engineering managers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A manufacturing engineering manager in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 11% every 18 months, equivalent to roughly 7% a year.