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Average Telecommunications Network Engineer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A telecommunications network engineer in United Kingdom earns about 71,100 GBP a year. That's 2% 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 34,000 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 109,700 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 telecommunications network engineer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
71,100 GBP
5,925 GBP per month
Lowest reported
34,000 GBP
2,833 GBP per month
Highest reported
109,700 GBP
9,141 GBP per month

A typical telecommunications network engineer working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,925 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 34,000 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 109,700 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 telecommunications 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 telecommunications network engineer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How telecommunications 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 telecommunications network engineers in United Kingdom earn less than 72,800 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 49,000 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 92,100 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of telecommunications 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 34,000 GBP. The highest stretch to 109,700 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.

34,000
Low
72,800
Median
109,700
High
49,000
25th
92,100
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Telecommunications network engineer pay by experience in United Kingdom

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

  • 0-2 Years
    38,900 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +32% from previous
    51,500 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +39% from previous
    71,400 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +24% from previous
    88,300 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +10% from previous
    97,200 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +7% from previous
    103,600 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 39%. That is the point at which a telecommunications 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.

Telecommunications network engineer pay by education in United Kingdom

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

  • Certificate or Diploma
    57,800 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +52% from previous
    88,000 GBP

Telecommunications 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 telecommunications network engineers in United Kingdom earn an average of 72,800 GBP a year, while female telecommunications network engineers earn around 70,000 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.

Telecommunications Network Engineer gender pay gap

4%

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

Men 72,800 GBP
Women 70,000 GBP

Pay raises for a telecommunications 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 12% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 9% 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

Telecommunications 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.

58%

58% of telecommunications network engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a telecommunications network 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 telecommunications 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

Telecommunications 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

Telecommunications network engineer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Telecommunications 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
  • Manchester
  • Somerset
  • Glasgow
  • Birmingham
  • Leeds
  • Belfast
  • Kingston upon Hull
  • Coventry
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion130,500 GBP130,500 GBP63,500-199,700 GBP
ScotlandRegion100,700 GBP100,700 GBP51,300-156,200 GBP
ManchesterCity81,000 GBP84,600 GBP36,200-128,200 GBP
SomersetCity79,800 GBP73,200 GBP41,500-117,100 GBP
GlasgowCity79,700 GBP75,900 GBP38,000-121,800 GBP
BirminghamCity79,000 GBP83,000 GBP34,900-123,800 GBP
LeedsCity79,000 GBP78,900 GBP38,900-124,500 GBP
BelfastCity78,900 GBP79,000 GBP39,100-123,000 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity78,900 GBP78,900 GBP39,800-121,800 GBP
CoventryCity78,700 GBP73,800 GBP43,200-119,700 GBP
NottinghamCity78,500 GBP78,500 GBP39,100-119,700 GBP
BradfordCity78,500 GBP83,800 GBP35,600-123,800 GBP
BristolCity78,200 GBP79,000 GBP39,500-119,700 GBP
LondonCity78,200 GBP83,000 GBP36,000-124,500 GBP
PlymouthCity77,000 GBP69,400 GBP38,000-116,400 GBP
LiverpoolCity77,000 GBP72,400 GBP44,300-118,900 GBP
EdinburghCity77,000 GBP77,000 GBP39,800-123,000 GBP
WolverhamptonCity76,900 GBP83,200 GBP36,600-124,500 GBP
CardiffCity76,000 GBP69,800 GBP40,300-114,600 GBP
SheffieldCity76,000 GBP74,900 GBP37,100-115,600 GBP
BrightonCity76,000 GBP78,100 GBP35,300-115,600 GBP
SouthamptonCity75,000 GBP75,000 GBP36,700-116,400 GBP
LeicesterCity75,000 GBP71,600 GBP38,000-114,900 GBP
NewcastleCity74,100 GBP78,200 GBP36,500-115,600 GBP
DerbyCity73,800 GBP70,000 GBP41,700-112,700 GBP
NewportCity73,500 GBP79,000 GBP31,700-114,300 GBP
YorkCity72,700 GBP75,800 GBP35,300-116,400 GBP
AberdeenCity72,400 GBP71,900 GBP35,400-111,700 GBP
DundeeCity71,700 GBP76,000 GBP35,000-116,400 GBP
OxfordCity71,700 GBP69,400 GBP36,500-109,000 GBP
SwanseaCity71,000 GBP73,300 GBP33,000-111,700 GBP
LincolnCity70,700 GBP67,900 GBP36,200-109,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity70,000 GBP65,900 GBP35,500-105,800 GBP
ExeterCity69,700 GBP77,000 GBP34,000-112,700 GBP
CambridgeCity69,600 GBP69,600 GBP34,300-109,700 GBP
PooleCity69,100 GBP64,100 GBP36,800-105,200 GBP
ArmaghCity68,500 GBP73,700 GBP33,300-109,000 GBP
PortsmouthCity68,400 GBP74,100 GBP30,200-108,200 GBP
NewryCity68,300 GBP67,900 GBP34,800-107,700 GBP
NorwichCity67,600 GBP67,900 GBP32,600-102,700 GBP
DerryCity67,300 GBP67,300 GBP33,000-105,800 GBP
StirlingCity66,900 GBP59,100 GBP34,700-98,700 GBP
GloucesterCity66,100 GBP71,000 GBP32,900-107,700 GBP
WalesRegion66,100 GBP70,800 GBP31,400-105,200 GBP
InvernessCity65,900 GBP65,200 GBP33,000-103,600 GBP
AbingdonCity65,900 GBP60,600 GBP35,300-100,900 GBP
ChesterCity65,500 GBP59,900 GBP35,100-99,100 GBP
CanterburyCity65,200 GBP63,900 GBP32,900-100,200 GBP
HartlepoolCity64,800 GBP65,100 GBP30,600-99,700 GBP
DurhamCity64,300 GBP67,800 GBP27,400-99,700 GBP
StromnessCity64,300 GBP69,100 GBP30,100-100,700 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion64,300 GBP63,700 GBP34,100-99,100 GBP
BangorCity63,900 GBP58,500 GBP35,100-95,000 GBP
WinchesterCity63,900 GBP58,200 GBP35,300-97,200 GBP
WakefieldCity63,900 GBP60,000 GBP32,900-97,200 GBP
KirkwallCity63,700 GBP58,400 GBP33,300-93,600 GBP
LisburnCity62,600 GBP61,800 GBP30,700-99,100 GBP
RiponCity62,300 GBP66,400 GBP30,700-100,700 GBP
SalisburyCity62,300 GBP67,800 GBP31,400-99,700 GBP
St DavidsCity62,100 GBP63,500 GBP28,900-96,000 GBP
TruroCity61,800 GBP59,800 GBP30,200-95,500 GBP
WellsCity61,200 GBP58,500 GBP32,600-94,400 GBP
StrontianCity59,800 GBP64,600 GBP29,900-94,300 GBP

Telecommunications Network Engineer in United Kingdom: FAQs

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

    A telecommunications network engineer in United Kingdom earns about 5,925 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 71,100 GBP.

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

    Entry-level telecommunications network engineers in United Kingdom start near 34,000 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 109,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 49,000 and 92,100 GBP.

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

    The median is 72,800 GBP, higher than the average of 71,100 GBP. Half of telecommunications network engineers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as a telecommunications network engineer in United Kingdom earn around 4% more than women on average (72,800 vs 70,000 GBP a year).

  • Do telecommunications network engineers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

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

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

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a telecommunications 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 telecommunications network engineers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A telecommunications network engineer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 9% a year.