A commissioning engineer is the person who checks, tests and proves that newly installed plant works as designed before it is handed to the customer. According to ITJobsWatch, permanent commissioning engineer adverts in the UK carried a median salary of £50,000 in the six months to 23 October 2026, and the adverts we opened asked for hands-on commissioning, electrical or multi-skilled experience rather than a graduate start.
What does a commissioning engineer do?
A commissioning engineer takes equipment from installed to working. The stages vary by sector, but the pattern is consistent:
- Pre-commissioning checks: confirming wiring, cabling and instruments match the drawings, then loop checks and input and output (I/O) checks on the control system.
- Factory acceptance testing (FAT): proving the system at the supplier before it ships.
- Site acceptance testing (SAT): repeating and extending those tests on site, including functional tests of sequences and interlocks.
- Live or wet commissioning: running the plant with real product or process fluid.
- Snagging and handover: clearing the punch list and producing the commissioning report and documents.
The adverts we opened describe it in the same terms. A Rise Technical Recruitment advert in Retford asks for someone to commission electrical and mechanical process and packaging plant and equipment, work from wiring and schematic diagrams, and work with software engineers on sequences and PLC input and output fault-finding. A Randstad advert for water-sector work in Hampshire asks for someone to write commissioning plans and test procedures, run factory, site acceptance and wet commissioning tests, and resolve snags through to client takeover.
What are the main types of commissioning engineer?
Commissioning is an umbrella. Bing's suggestions for the search include "bms", "process", "electrical" and "mechanical" variants, and the adverts fall into three working groups.
| Type | What you commission | Typical evidence in adverts |
|---|---|---|
| Controls and PLC | Machine and process control systems, PLC sequences, I/O, HMI and SCADA | PLC I/O fault-finding, working with software engineers (Retford advert) |
| Electrical and power | Panels, switchgear, HV and LV systems, control and power equipment | Commissioning and testing of electrical and control systems, testing control panels (an Owen Daniels advert) |
| M&E, MEICA and BMS | Mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control and automation packages in buildings and utilities | MEICA commissioning in the UK water sector, with water hygiene and safety cards (Randstad advert) |
Many jobs mix two or three. The Dorking advert from Rise Technical Recruitment asks for a multi-skilled background with electrical qualifications for installation and commissioning of niche equipment.
How much does a commissioning engineer earn in the UK?
ITJobsWatch's median for permanent commissioning engineer adverts was £50,000 in the six months to 23 October 2026, with a 10th percentile of £42,500, a 90th percentile of £66,000 and 139 permanent adverts, against 26 in the same period of 2025 when the median was £45,000. ITJobsWatch is built from job adverts and the earlier samples are small, so year-on-year change is not reliable. The table adds the adverts we opened.
| Source (opened 24 October 2026) | Role and place | Pay |
|---|---|---|
| ITJobsWatch | Permanent commissioning engineer, UK | Median £50,000; 10th percentile £42,500; 90th percentile £66,000 |
| Reed advert: Rise Technical Recruitment | Commissioning engineer, Retford, Nottinghamshire (agency, end client not named) | £45,000 to £50,000 |
| Reed advert: Rise Technical Recruitment | Installation and commissioning engineer, Dorking, Surrey | £50,000 to £58,000 plus benefits |
| Reed advert: Owen Daniels | Commissioning engineer, electrical and control systems (header says Scotland, description says South Wales) | £60,000 to £80,000; "up to £80,000" in the description |
| Reed advert: Randstad Construction and Property | MEICA commissioning engineer, water sector, Hampshire | £450 to £500 a day, outside IR35 negotiable |
By region, ITJobsWatch showed the highest medians in the East Midlands (£60,000, 13 adverts), Scotland (£57,500, 9 adverts), the South East and South West (£55,000 each) and London (£53,000, 24 adverts). Those are small counts, so do not read much into the order. Reed's search for commissioning engineer listed 1,166 results that day, which includes related roles such as AV and pre-commissioning posts.
What qualifications and tickets do employers ask for?
The adverts are specific, and they differ by sector. The water-sector advert lists a full UK driving licence, a CSCS or ECS card, an EUSR National Water Hygiene Card, SSSTS (minimum) or SMSTS (preferred) site safety certification, and BS 7671 wiring regulations (18th Edition), with at least five years' water-sector MEICA experience. The Retford advert asks for a strong electrical and mechanical background with commissioning experience, electrical qualifications and a full driving licence. The Dorking advert asks for a multi-skilled background with electrical qualifications and the ability to pass security tests.
None of the four adverts we read was a trainee post. All asked for commissioning, electrical or multi-skilled experience. Entry through a graduate scheme or a junior "pre-commissioning" role exists, but we did not read such an advert in full, so we make no claim about its pay or requirements.
What is the working pattern, and how much travel?
Expect site work and travel. The Retford advert says "UK & Ireland travel with occasional international trips (overnight stays and some weekend work as required)". The Dorking advert combines office work with travelling to clients internationally. The water-sector advert is project work at treatment plants. Read the travel and overnight terms before you accept, because they affect how far the salary goes.
What is PLC commissioning?
It is the controls part of the job: proving that every input and output works, that the program runs its sequences correctly, and that alarms and interlocks behave. This video from Made 2 Automate explains what PLC commissioning is and gives tips for checking a PLC control panel. It covers PLC commissioning only, which is one of the three types above.
How is commissioning different from maintenance and PLC programming?
The three jobs share tools but not goals. A maintenance engineer keeps running equipment running. A PLC programmer writes the control logic. A commissioning engineer proves that the finished installation, wiring, instruments, logic and mechanics together, does what the specification says, and then hands it over with evidence. That is why commissioning adverts weigh site experience, drawings and fault-finding more than programming skill. It is also why a maintenance background transfers well: you already diagnose plant faults, and commissioning asks you to do it on new plant against a test script, usually to a deadline. Our guide to PLC programmer, PLC engineer and controls engineer roles shows where programming sits in that picture.
How do you become a commissioning engineer?
Most people move across from maintenance, electrical or controls work, because the adverts value site experience. A realistic route:
- Get a trade or technical base. An electrical or multi-skilled maintenance background is the most common one in the adverts. Our multi-skilled maintenance engineer guide covers that route.
- Learn to read drawings and prove a circuit. Loop diagrams, schematics and I/O lists are the commissioning engineer's working documents.
- Add controls fundamentals. Understand PLC inputs, outputs and sequences well enough to fault-find.
- Collect the tickets the sector asks for. The adverts we opened name BS 7671 (18th Edition), CSCS or ECS, site safety certificates and a driving licence.
- Practise the process. Rehearse FAT, SAT, loop checks and punch lists before you meet them on site.
Free practice that fits steps 2 to 5 includes Siemens TIA Portal commissioning simulation and troubleshooting, instrument calibration and loop checks for commissioning and Siemens TIA Portal with Factory IO virtual commissioning. The instrumentation and process control hub lists more, and the free EDWartens Lab lets you run PLC logic in the browser.
The commissioning engineer job simulation rehearses loop checks, I/O checkout, a site acceptance test and a punch list on a plant that is nearly ready. It is practice, not employment, and the first five days are free.
Where are commissioning engineer jobs, and can they be sponsored?
Browse live commissioning engineer jobs on our board, or compare them with automation engineer jobs. The ITJobsWatch figures put adverts in the East Midlands, Midlands, London and the North. If you need a visa, read how engineering jobs with visa sponsorship qualify first, because technician-level commissioning roles may not meet the Skilled Worker rules.
For the wider market, see our overview of the UK PLC and automation job market.
Start free
Open two commissioning adverts for your area and list the repeated requirements. Take the free commissioning course that matches your gap, then try the commissioning engineer simulation and browse live commissioning jobs. If you want structured live teaching in Siemens TIA Portal for the controls side, the five-day live online Professional Module is CPD accredited (80 CPD credits with The CPD Group) and is not a regulated qualification. It costs £2,140 plus VAT. EDWartens does not place people in jobs, and employers make the hiring decision.
