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Average Project Engineer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A project engineer in United Kingdom earns about 65,900 GBP a year. That's 5% 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 35,300 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 100,700 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 project engineer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
65,900 GBP
5,491 GBP per month
Lowest reported
35,300 GBP
2,941 GBP per month
Highest reported
100,700 GBP
8,391 GBP per month

A typical project engineer working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,491 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 35,300 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 100,700 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 project 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 project engineer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How project 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 project engineers in United Kingdom earn less than 64,300 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 45,200 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 77,100 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of project engineers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 35,300 GBP. The highest stretch to 100,700 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.

35,300
Low
64,300
Median
100,700
High
45,200
25th
77,100
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Project engineer pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    39,100 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +33% from previous
    52,000 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +27% from previous
    66,200 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +26% from previous
    83,700 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +9% from previous
    91,000 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +5% from previous
    95,300 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 33%. That is the point at which a project 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.

Project engineer pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Bachelor's Degree
    55,700 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +34% from previous
    74,700 GBP

Project 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 project engineers in United Kingdom earn an average of 67,900 GBP a year, while female project engineers earn around 64,800 GBP. That works out to a 5% 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.

Project Engineer gender pay gap

5%

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

Men 67,900 GBP
Women 64,800 GBP

Pay raises for a project 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

Project 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.

55%

55% of project engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a project 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 5% of base salary. The remaining 45% of project 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

Project 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

Project engineer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Project 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
  • Glasgow
  • London
  • Liverpool
  • Birmingham
  • Nottingham
  • Edinburgh
  • Leeds
  • Manchester
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion124,500 GBP117,100 GBP64,500-189,800 GBP
ScotlandRegion98,700 GBP103,600 GBP45,300-152,700 GBP
GlasgowCity79,600 GBP74,500 GBP42,400-118,900 GBP
LondonCity79,600 GBP83,800 GBP35,300-125,400 GBP
LiverpoolCity79,600 GBP79,600 GBP39,800-121,800 GBP
BirminghamCity79,000 GBP86,400 GBP34,900-123,800 GBP
NottinghamCity77,400 GBP77,100 GBP36,400-118,900 GBP
EdinburghCity76,900 GBP79,800 GBP36,800-121,800 GBP
LeedsCity76,000 GBP68,500 GBP40,300-114,900 GBP
ManchesterCity76,000 GBP71,400 GBP39,400-116,400 GBP
SomersetCity75,800 GBP75,800 GBP36,800-118,900 GBP
CardiffCity75,500 GBP75,500 GBP38,100-114,300 GBP
SheffieldCity75,400 GBP72,700 GBP39,800-114,300 GBP
CoventryCity74,100 GBP68,900 GBP39,800-108,200 GBP
BradfordCity74,000 GBP73,100 GBP35,600-114,600 GBP
BelfastCity73,100 GBP68,400 GBP38,700-108,200 GBP
BristolCity71,400 GBP70,000 GBP39,400-112,700 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity71,400 GBP73,800 GBP33,600-114,600 GBP
NewcastleCity71,100 GBP75,000 GBP32,900-111,700 GBP
DundeeCity71,000 GBP69,400 GBP37,300-109,000 GBP
BrightonCity70,900 GBP72,400 GBP32,200-108,200 GBP
PlymouthCity70,900 GBP64,800 GBP39,500-107,300 GBP
ExeterCity69,800 GBP65,700 GBP34,700-107,300 GBP
CambridgeCity69,700 GBP69,700 GBP33,600-107,700 GBP
LeicesterCity69,700 GBP72,700 GBP35,300-111,700 GBP
WolverhamptonCity69,400 GBP76,000 GBP32,900-114,600 GBP
AberdeenCity68,900 GBP69,200 GBP30,600-107,300 GBP
LincolnCity68,800 GBP65,500 GBP38,100-105,800 GBP
PeterboroughCity68,500 GBP68,500 GBP34,000-109,000 GBP
SouthamptonCity68,500 GBP73,700 GBP35,100-109,000 GBP
ArmaghCity68,400 GBP74,000 GBP30,700-109,700 GBP
DerbyCity68,200 GBP68,200 GBP33,800-109,000 GBP
OxfordCity68,200 GBP64,200 GBP35,200-107,300 GBP
PortsmouthCity67,800 GBP72,800 GBP29,600-105,800 GBP
SwanseaCity67,500 GBP70,700 GBP31,800-107,300 GBP
YorkCity66,400 GBP66,900 GBP35,100-105,200 GBP
NewryCity66,200 GBP68,400 GBP33,300-107,300 GBP
GloucesterCity65,800 GBP69,200 GBP30,600-107,300 GBP
NewportCity65,800 GBP72,700 GBP30,000-107,700 GBP
ChesterCity65,200 GBP64,800 GBP32,200-100,900 GBP
NorwichCity64,300 GBP58,800 GBP33,600-96,500 GBP
WinchesterCity64,300 GBP64,300 GBP30,600-98,000 GBP
SalisburyCity64,100 GBP65,800 GBP29,200-100,900 GBP
DerryCity63,900 GBP67,600 GBP29,600-101,400 GBP
HartlepoolCity63,700 GBP63,100 GBP35,500-100,400 GBP
CanterburyCity63,500 GBP60,900 GBP34,000-97,200 GBP
PooleCity63,400 GBP63,400 GBP30,700-99,700 GBP
StromnessCity63,200 GBP66,900 GBP26,900-99,100 GBP
WellsCity63,200 GBP57,100 GBP33,300-91,500 GBP
AbingdonCity62,600 GBP59,700 GBP34,000-97,200 GBP
LisburnCity62,100 GBP58,600 GBP33,200-91,600 GBP
InvernessCity62,100 GBP61,500 GBP30,700-95,400 GBP
WakefieldCity62,100 GBP61,600 GBP29,300-93,900 GBP
RiponCity61,800 GBP59,800 GBP30,200-97,200 GBP
WalesRegion61,500 GBP67,800 GBP30,800-97,600 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion61,200 GBP59,500 GBP32,600-95,400 GBP
BangorCity60,800 GBP58,100 GBP32,600-91,700 GBP
StirlingCity60,600 GBP60,600 GBP30,300-95,500 GBP
DurhamCity60,200 GBP63,500 GBP27,400-94,000 GBP
KirkwallCity59,000 GBP54,100 GBP32,200-88,400 GBP
StrontianCity58,700 GBP59,800 GBP30,100-92,100 GBP
TruroCity58,400 GBP56,100 GBP32,900-89,900 GBP
St DavidsCity57,100 GBP57,000 GBP30,800-88,000 GBP

Project Engineer in United Kingdom: FAQs

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

    A project engineer in United Kingdom earns about 5,491 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 65,900 GBP.

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

    Entry-level project engineers in United Kingdom start near 35,300 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 100,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 45,200 and 77,100 GBP.

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

    The median is 64,300 GBP, lower than the average of 65,900 GBP. Half of project engineers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as a project engineer in United Kingdom earn around 5% more than women on average (67,900 vs 64,800 GBP a year).

  • Do project engineers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 55% of project engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5% of base salary.

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

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

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

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