PLC training is worth it when it moves you into a role you would not otherwise reach, and not worth it when it duplicates what you can learn free or does not match the jobs you want. According to ITJobsWatch, advertised permanent PLC Engineer jobs had a median salary of £60,000 in the six months to 21 October 2026, but that figure reflects experienced roles. Trainee adverts on Reed started at £25,000.
What does PLC work pay in the UK?
Advertised pay for PLC and automation work is healthy at experienced level and much lower at entry. The table brings together ITJobsWatch data (permanent UK vacancies, six months to 21 October 2026) and Reed examples from the same date.
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PLC Engineer median | £60,000 (£57,000 a year earlier) | ITJobsWatch |
| PLC Engineer range | 10th percentile £42,500; 90th percentile £65,000 | ITJobsWatch |
| PLC Engineer adverts | 144 (79 a year earlier) | ITJobsWatch |
| Automation Engineer median | £60,000; 463 adverts (227 a year earlier) | ITJobsWatch |
| SCADA median | £55,000; 632 adverts (242 a year earlier) | ITJobsWatch |
| Graduate Control Systems Engineer (training on PLC programming) | £25,000 to £27,000 | Reed |
| Junior Controls / PLC Engineer | £30,000 to £40,000 | Reed |
| Junior Automation Engineer (PLC/Siemens TIA Portal) | £40,000 to £50,000 | Reed |
Two caveats matter. ITJobsWatch is an IT-focused index with modest samples, and medians describe advertised permanent roles, which skew experienced. Outside London, the PLC Engineer median was £57,500. Reed showed 133 trainee PLC jobs on 21 October 2026, though counts change daily. Our UK job market roundup has the full picture.
Is there demand for PLC skills?
Yes, on the evidence available, though demand is not the same as a job for you. The IET's 2025 skills survey, conducted with YouGov among 1,316 managers from engineering and technology employers in February and March 2025, found 76% of engineering employers struggle to recruit for key roles and 30% lack automation skills. Advert volumes in the table above rose year on year too.
Demand helps, but employers still hire for fit. Many trainee adverts ask for electrical or maintenance experience, or train people into the role, as our trainee PLC jobs guide shows.
How quickly would a course pay for itself?
Only if it changes your pay, and the arithmetic is simple. The table below is an illustration, not a prediction: it divides a course price by the extra gross monthly pay a new role would bring, before tax. Use your own numbers.
| Extra gross pay a year after the course | Months to recover £2,568 | Months to recover £1,236 |
|---|---|---|
| £0 | Never | Never |
| £2,500 | about 12.3 | about 5.9 |
| £5,000 | about 6.2 | about 3.0 |
| £10,000 | about 3.1 | about 1.5 |
£2,568 is the EDWartens Professional Module price including VAT (£2,140 + VAT); £1,236 is the price including VAT shown for Technique Learning Solutions' five-day PLC course. The calculation ignores time off work, which matters. Nobody can honestly promise the pay uplift: I found no verifiable source for average time to a first PLC job, so beware any provider quoting a placement rate without a definition.
What are the alternatives to a paid course?
There are cheaper and slower routes, and they are not inferior. Compare them on cost, time and what employers see.
| Route | Cost to you | Time and format | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free simulators and courses | Free | Self-paced | Testing whether PLC work suits you |
| College evening course | Free if eligible (Dudley College lists PLCs 1, Level 4) | Weekly evenings, in person | Local learners who qualify for funding |
| Short in-person course | £995 + VAT (Make UK, 3 days) | Rig-based, in person | Hands-on practice, certificate of attendance |
| Live online CPD course | £2,568 inc VAT (EDWartens) | 5 days live plus self-paced modules | Structured Siemens learning, verifiable certificate |
| Apprenticeship | Employed and paid; funding band up to £14,000 | 48 months typical, Level 4 | School leavers and those who can secure a role |
Our guide to funded PLC training in England covers eligibility, and apprenticeship vs short course vs degree compares long routes.
That video is from a US-based automation careers channel and dates from 2020, so read its pay references as American. Its points on portfolios and demonstrable skills still apply here.
Who is PLC training not for?
It is a poor fit in several cases, and saying so saves you money.
- You need Allen-Bradley or Mitsubishi. Our course is Siemens-focused. If your target employer uses another brand, pick training on that platform.
- You need a regulated qualification for funding, a particular job spec or progression to a degree. CPD is not a regulated qualification, as we explain in CPD vs City & Guilds vs Siemens certification.
- You want a physical rig. Ours teaches online using PLCSIM and Factory I/O simulation plus a free browser lab, not hardware.
- You have not tried the free options. A weekend on a simulator tells you a lot.
- You cannot attend five live days or expect a guaranteed job. There is no job guarantee on any reputable course.
- You are looking for a sponsored visa. A course does not create eligibility; see PLC jobs and UK visa sponsorship.
A checklist: is it worth it for you?
Answer these in order. If you cannot answer yes to most, delay paying.
- Have I read 20 current adverts for the role I want and listed the skills they name?
- Can I show an electrical, mechanical or maintenance background, or a plan to build one?
- Have I spent at least a few hours on free simulators and enjoyed the work?
- Does the course's PLC brand match my target employers?
- Do I know exactly what credential I get, and can an employer verify it?
- Can I afford it without debt, or can an employer or funding route help?
- Do I have a realistic idea of entry pay (£25,000 to £30,000 for many trainee posts)?
- Will I build a portfolio project afterwards, not just collect a certificate?
What do the numbers not tell you?
Advert data has blind spots, and it is worth naming them. ITJobsWatch counts advertised vacancies, not hires, so it cannot tell you how many applicants each role attracted. The medians come from adverts that quote a salary, which is a subset of all adverts. Reed counts change daily and include roles that mention PLCs only in passing, such as service or electrician posts, as the "Trainee Electrician" listing shows. None of this data measures what happens to people who finish a particular course.
That is why we suggest using the numbers to set expectations, not to forecast your own result. Pay data tells you what the market offers at different experience levels. It cannot tell you how quickly you will move between levels.
What does a good first project look like?
A small, finished project beats a long list of tools. Employers reading a junior application want proof you can take a problem from description to working logic, so aim for something you can explain in five minutes.
- A motor start-stop with overload and emergency stop, written in ladder logic, with a short description of the safe states.
- A tank-level control with a pump, two alarms and a trend screen, built on a free simulator and then, if you can, in a HMI or SCADA tool.
- A simple conveyor sequence with sensors and a counter, simulated in Factory I/O or the free browser labs.
Record a short screen capture, keep your logic tidy and commented, and write down one thing that went wrong and how you fixed it. Our ladder logic tutorial walks through the basics.
How can you judge a course before paying?
Use five checks that do not depend on marketing copy.
- Syllabus specificity. Does it list the actual topics by day, or just say "PLC programming"?
- Practice time. How much of the course is you doing exercises rather than watching?
- Class size and access. Can you ask the instructor questions? Cohort size matters; ours is capped at 10.
- Credential clarity. Is it regulated, CPD or vendor? Can an employer verify it?
- Honest limits. Does the provider tell you what it does not cover (brand, delivery format, no rig)?
If a provider cannot answer these quickly, treat that as information. A short call or email before paying is reasonable, and you can reach us through our contact page.
How EDWartens can help
The Professional Module is five days of live, instructor-led online training in Siemens TIA Portal (PLC, HMI and WinCC SCADA), plus 68 self-paced Basic Engineering modules, a one-to-one resume session and a CPD certificate of 80 credits. It costs £2,140 + VAT (£2,568); a £100 deposit reserves your seat. Cohorts start every Monday with a maximum of 10 learners. We offer career support, not a job guarantee.
Try the free PLC simulator and the free Siemens TIA Portal course first. If you still want guidance, get in touch or sign up.
