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Average Network Engineer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A network engineer in United Kingdom earns about 63,900 GBP a year. That's 8% 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 27,700 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 101,100 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 network engineer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
63,900 GBP
5,325 GBP per month
Lowest reported
27,700 GBP
2,308 GBP per month
Highest reported
101,100 GBP
8,425 GBP per month

A typical network engineer working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,325 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 27,700 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 101,100 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 network 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 network engineer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How network 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 network engineers in United Kingdom earn less than 66,200 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 44,900 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 90,900 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of network engineers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 27,700 GBP. The highest stretch to 101,100 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.

27,700
Low
66,200
Median
101,100
High
44,900
25th
90,900
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Network engineer pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    33,600 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +29% from previous
    43,500 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +46% from previous
    63,700 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +26% from previous
    80,200 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +7% from previous
    85,500 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    92,500 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 46%. That is the point at which a network 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.

Network engineer pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Certificate or Diploma
    38,700 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +50% from previous
    58,200 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +70% from previous
    98,700 GBP

Network 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 network engineers in United Kingdom earn an average of 66,000 GBP a year, while female network engineers earn around 62,100 GBP. That works out to a 6% 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.

Network Engineer gender pay gap

6%

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

Men 66,000 GBP
Women 62,100 GBP

Pay raises for a network 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 11% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 8% 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

Network 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 network engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a network 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 network 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

Network 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

Network engineer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Network 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
  • Manchester
  • Birmingham
  • Bristol
  • London
  • Liverpool
  • Somerset
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion118,900 GBP127,600 GBP55,700-187,500 GBP
ScotlandRegion86,300 GBP83,000 GBP45,700-132,000 GBP
LeedsCity73,500 GBP77,300 GBP36,400-116,400 GBP
GlasgowCity72,800 GBP72,000 GBP34,400-112,700 GBP
ManchesterCity72,400 GBP67,800 GBP35,200-109,700 GBP
BirminghamCity72,400 GBP79,700 GBP32,600-116,400 GBP
BristolCity71,700 GBP74,200 GBP32,600-112,700 GBP
LondonCity71,400 GBP78,700 GBP33,500-114,300 GBP
LiverpoolCity70,500 GBP71,900 GBP37,200-114,600 GBP
SomersetCity70,000 GBP73,100 GBP35,100-108,200 GBP
LeicesterCity69,700 GBP75,900 GBP32,300-114,600 GBP
SheffieldCity68,900 GBP72,400 GBP30,300-107,700 GBP
BradfordCity68,900 GBP65,100 GBP35,500-105,800 GBP
EdinburghCity68,300 GBP67,900 GBP34,800-107,700 GBP
BrightonCity67,800 GBP65,700 GBP30,700-102,700 GBP
YorkCity67,000 GBP61,700 GBP33,000-98,300 GBP
CoventryCity66,900 GBP62,300 GBP35,100-100,700 GBP
SwanseaCity66,400 GBP70,100 GBP33,600-105,200 GBP
NewcastleCity66,200 GBP69,400 GBP32,900-105,800 GBP
NottinghamCity66,200 GBP64,900 GBP34,700-102,700 GBP
DerbyCity66,000 GBP65,400 GBP32,200-99,700 GBP
WolverhamptonCity65,700 GBP72,000 GBP29,400-107,700 GBP
AberdeenCity65,100 GBP67,200 GBP31,700-103,600 GBP
DundeeCity64,900 GBP68,900 GBP27,300-100,700 GBP
LincolnCity64,300 GBP62,500 GBP33,300-97,100 GBP
OxfordCity63,900 GBP65,200 GBP29,100-98,000 GBP
PortsmouthCity63,900 GBP66,200 GBP28,900-101,100 GBP
PlymouthCity63,700 GBP63,100 GBP35,500-100,400 GBP
PeterboroughCity63,500 GBP67,800 GBP27,400-99,700 GBP
CardiffCity63,500 GBP67,800 GBP32,200-100,700 GBP
NewportCity63,500 GBP71,100 GBP30,800-102,700 GBP
BelfastCity63,400 GBP68,300 GBP31,200-102,700 GBP
SouthamptonCity63,100 GBP58,600 GBP30,300-96,000 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity62,300 GBP62,100 GBP33,300-99,400 GBP
ArmaghCity61,600 GBP63,900 GBP29,100-97,200 GBP
NorwichCity61,600 GBP66,900 GBP26,900-99,100 GBP
CambridgeCity59,100 GBP58,600 GBP29,600-91,600 GBP
PooleCity58,800 GBP60,600 GBP29,200-95,100 GBP
WalesRegion58,800 GBP59,800 GBP30,800-92,500 GBP
ChesterCity58,600 GBP61,700 GBP27,300-90,900 GBP
StirlingCity58,400 GBP59,100 GBP28,900-92,100 GBP
ExeterCity58,400 GBP58,200 GBP30,100-91,700 GBP
InvernessCity58,100 GBP59,900 GBP27,800-89,400 GBP
WinchesterCity58,000 GBP58,800 GBP27,300-91,500 GBP
HartlepoolCity57,800 GBP59,800 GBP27,400-91,000 GBP
WellsCity57,200 GBP55,700 GBP29,200-86,600 GBP
AbingdonCity57,100 GBP54,100 GBP31,200-86,800 GBP
St DavidsCity57,000 GBP55,200 GBP30,800-87,500 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion57,000 GBP56,400 GBP26,100-88,600 GBP
GloucesterCity56,900 GBP58,500 GBP26,900-88,500 GBP
DerryCity56,900 GBP54,100 GBP29,100-90,000 GBP
DurhamCity55,500 GBP60,700 GBP24,200-87,400 GBP
NewryCity55,300 GBP60,600 GBP25,800-91,200 GBP
RiponCity55,200 GBP53,300 GBP26,300-81,700 GBP
KirkwallCity54,700 GBP53,300 GBP27,200-84,500 GBP
LisburnCity54,600 GBP58,100 GBP28,800-86,300 GBP
CanterburyCity54,200 GBP57,200 GBP25,500-88,300 GBP
SalisburyCity54,100 GBP57,100 GBP26,200-86,600 GBP
WakefieldCity54,100 GBP59,100 GBP24,400-89,800 GBP
StromnessCity53,600 GBP56,900 GBP24,800-85,400 GBP
StrontianCity51,900 GBP51,600 GBP25,500-79,600 GBP
TruroCity51,900 GBP53,800 GBP24,800-84,900 GBP
BangorCity51,800 GBP52,300 GBP25,500-80,000 GBP

Network Engineer in United Kingdom: FAQs

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

    A network engineer in United Kingdom earns about 5,325 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 63,900 GBP.

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

    Entry-level network engineers in United Kingdom start near 27,700 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 101,100 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 44,900 and 90,900 GBP.

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

    The median is 66,200 GBP, higher than the average of 63,900 GBP. Half of network engineers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as a network engineer in United Kingdom earn around 6% more than women on average (66,000 vs 62,100 GBP a year).

  • Do network engineers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

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

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

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

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

    A network engineer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 11% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.