Controls engineer salary in the UK

The median pay for full-time production and process engineers, the ONS group that includes a controls engineer, is £48,700 a year (ONS ASHE 2026, provisional, published 22 October 2026). The ONS median covers all full-time employees in the occupation group, and the advertised figure covers the adverts ITJobsWatch counted, so the two will not match.

Pay moves with shift pattern (nights and rotating shifts pay a premium), region (London and the South East pay more than the North and the Midlands for most engineering roles), sector (pharmaceuticals, energy and nuclear often pay more than general manufacturing) and the qualifications and platforms the job needs. Control and instrumentation engineers sit in the same occupation group as production engineers (SOC 2125), so the ONS figure covers a wider group than controls alone.

Compare like with like: the same hours (the ONS median is for full-time work), base pay without overtime and allowances, and the same region. A job card on EDWartens shows pay only when the advert states it, and we never estimate it.

2125 production and process engineers is a higher-skilled occupation: it does not need the Temporary Shortage List. The general rules apply: £41,700 a year or the going rate for the code, whichever is higher. A sponsor licence is not a promise of sponsorship for this job, and whether a particular job qualifies depends on its duties, its occupation code and its pay, which the employer and the Home Office decide. You should never pay an employer or agent for a job or for sponsorship. This is not immigration advice (rules checked 28 October 2026).