Engineering salaries in the UK, by role
The median pay for full-time employees in the UK was £40,911 a year in April 2026 (ONS, provisional). Engineering roles range from about £36,342 for CNC setters to £63,136 for electrical engineers. Pick a role for its figures, sources and dates.
Checked 28 October 2026. We never estimate pay.
By role
Salary by role, with sources
- PLC engineer salary guide
The median pay advertised for PLC engineer roles was £60,000, from 147 permanent adverts in the six months to 27 October 2026 (against 80 in the period ITJobsWatch compares it with). Advert-based, IT-category sample.
ITJobsWatch, 27 October 2026
- Automation engineer salary
The median pay advertised for automation engineer roles was £60,000, from 481 permanent adverts in the six months to 27 October 2026 (against 228 in the period ITJobsWatch compares it with). Advert-based, IT-category sample.
ITJobsWatch, 27 October 2026
- Controls engineer salary
Median gross annual pay for full-time production and process engineers (includes control and instrumentation engineers and industrial and production engineers) was £48,700 in April 2026.
ONS, 22 October 2026
- Commissioning engineer salary
The median pay advertised for commissioning engineer roles was £50,000, from 146 permanent adverts in the six months to 27 October 2026 (against 26 in the period ITJobsWatch compares it with). Advert-based, IT-category sample.
ITJobsWatch, 27 October 2026
- Maintenance engineer salary
Median gross annual pay for full-time metal working production and maintenance fitters (includes automation maintenance technicians and heavy plant) was £41,942 in April 2026, about 201,000 jobs.
ONS, 22 October 2026
- Industrial electrician salary
Median gross annual pay for full-time electrical service and maintenance mechanics was £44,785 in April 2026.
ONS, 22 October 2026
- Multi-skilled maintenance engineer salary
Median gross annual pay for full-time metal working production and maintenance fitters (includes automation maintenance technicians and heavy plant) was £41,942 in April 2026, about 201,000 jobs.
ONS, 22 October 2026
- SCADA engineer salary
The median pay advertised for SCADA engineer roles was £60,000, from 28 permanent adverts in the six months to 27 October 2026 (against 19 in the period ITJobsWatch compares it with). Advert-based, IT-category sample.
ITJobsWatch, 27 October 2026
- Robotics engineer salary
The median pay advertised for robotics engineer roles was £55,000, from 46 permanent adverts in the six months to 27 October 2026 (against 41 in the period ITJobsWatch compares it with). Advert-based, IT-category sample.
ITJobsWatch, 27 October 2026
- Manufacturing engineer salary
Median gross annual pay for full-time production and process engineers (includes control and instrumentation engineers and industrial and production engineers) was £48,700 in April 2026.
ONS, 22 October 2026
- Field service engineer salary
The median pay advertised for field service engineer roles was £42,500, from 508 permanent adverts in the six months to 27 October 2026 (against 221 in the period ITJobsWatch compares it with). Advert-based, IT-category sample.
ITJobsWatch, 27 October 2026
- Electrical engineer salary
Median gross annual pay for full-time electrical engineers was £63,136 in April 2026.
ONS, 22 October 2026
- Mechanical fitter salary
Median gross annual pay for full-time metal working production and maintenance fitters (includes automation maintenance technicians and heavy plant) was £41,942 in April 2026, about 201,000 jobs.
ONS, 22 October 2026
- Instrument technician salary
Sources and dates on the page.
- Data centre engineer salary
The median pay advertised for data centre engineer roles was £60,000 (£46,250 a year earlier), from 150 permanent adverts in the six months to 28 October 2026 (against 35 in the period ITJobsWatch compares it with). The middle 80% of quoted salaries ran from £40,000 to £100,000, across 81 adverts that quoted one. Advert-based, IT-category sample.
ITJobsWatch, 28 October 2026
- CNC machinist salary
Median gross annual pay for full-time cnc setters and setter-operators was £36,342 in April 2026.
ONS, 22 October 2026
Looking for a job rather than a figure? See all UK engineering jobs and jobs from licensed visa sponsors. Visa rules depend on pay as well as the job: check an employer on the Home Office register.
Demand
Why engineering pay is under pressure
Half of manufacturers say skills shortages are their biggest barrier to growth, and 99% say access to skills will shape their growth plans.
Make UK, The Shape of British Industry (opens in a new tab), 9 March 2026
The electrical workforce is down 26% since 2018, and 36% of science, engineering and production technicians are 55 or over.
Royal Academy of Engineering, response to the Migration Advisory Committee shortage list review (opens in a new tab), 18 May 2026
UK vacancies were 691,000 in July to September 2026, down 21,000 on the quarter and 37,000 (5.1%) on the year, the first time below 700,000 since February to April 2021.
ONS, Vacancies and jobs in the UK: October 2026 (opens in a new tab), 20 October 2026
FAQ
Questions people ask
What is the average engineering salary in the UK?
It depends on the job. The ONS median for all full-time employees was £40,911 in April 2026 (provisional, published 22 October 2026). For engineering occupations the ONS medians we have read run from £36,342 for CNC setters to £63,136 for electrical engineers. Each role page gives the figure for its own occupation.
Where do these figures come from?
From two public sources, each shown with its date: the Office for National Statistics Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), which reports the median pay of full-time employees by occupation, and ITJobsWatch, which reports the median pay in the adverts it counted. We never estimate pay or use averages from job aggregators, and a job card shows pay only when the advert states it.
Why do the two kinds of figure differ?
ASHE measures what employees were paid, across a whole occupation group, and is published once a year. ITJobsWatch measures advertised pay in a recent period, from adverts in its IT category, so it can be higher or lower. Neither is a prediction of what an employer will offer you.