Mixed blessings
The Engineer’s 2025 salary survey points to a rise in pay across some key sectors and a decline in others, as well as a continuing desire among high numbers of engineers to explore fresh opportunities
Methodology
Read how we arrived at the findings in this year‘s report
introduction
Welcome to the findings of the 10th anniversary edition of The Engineer’s annual salary survey, brought to you this year in a new, easier to navigate, interactive digital format.
As ever, the results provide a fascinating insight into UK engineering salaries and how engineers are feeling about their careers. What’s more, by comparing this year’s results with earlier survey findings we’re able to see how these attitudes and metrics have shifted over the past decade.
This year’s key findings paint something of a mixed picture. While average engineering salaries in the UK appear to have undergone a 4% year-on-year decline to £62k, three-quarters of respondents to this survey have actually seen their take home pay increase in the past 12 months.
This is explained by a number of factors:
including significant year-on-year fluctuations among a small number of very high earners,
a slight increase in the percentage of respondents experiencing a pay decrease and the fact that
this is a fresh, albeit demographically similar, response group.
Across the various sectors, respondents working in rail/civil and structural engineering enjoy the highest average salaries (74k), while respondents from last year’s best-paying sector oil & gas, have seen average salaries drop to £69k. Meanwhile, in manufacturing (our most heavily represented sector) average salaries appear to have declined slightly, from £58k to £55k.
Below, we have analysed in more detail what this year’s findings tell us about the state of the UK engineering profession in 2025, exploring – among other things – how salaries vary from sector to sector, across different levels of seniority and whether the UK’s engineers are happy in their roles.
This year’s results have also been fed into The Engineer’s online salary benchmarking tool, click here to find out how your salary compares to that of your industry peers.
AVERAGE SALARY BY SECTOR | 2025 vs 2015 £k
£62k
Average salary for UK engineers
74
have seen a pay increase in the past 12 months
%
AVERAGE SALARY BY seniority £k
seniority
Mirroring previous years’ findings, the majority of respondents (92%) describe themselves as senior engineers or above, with senior engineers accounting for 51% of the overall sample followed by managers (29%), and C-suite executives (12%). Junior and graduate engineers account for 8% of the response group.
This year’s research points to a year-on-year decline in average salaries at all levels of seniority. While this decline is relatively modest for the bulk of the sample, average pay levels at director level or above – a relatively small slice of the overall sample – have shown the largest fluctuation, declining by 19%, from £106k to £84k.
Earning power at different seniority levels shows interesting variation from sector to sector. For instance, it appears that junior engineers working in the rail/civil and structural sectors (£43k) can expect to earn more than their colleagues in defence (£36k).
Meanwhile, at senior engineer level (the most heavily represented seniority level) those working in defence are among the best paid (£67k) just behind those working in the oil & gas and chemicals sectors (£69k).
In a rare sign of growth in this year’s report, average salaries for senior engineers in the chemicals & pharmaceutical/medical and food & drink/consumer sector groupings appear to have increased from £63k to £68k, with engineers in the food & drink/ consumer sectors also seeing an average £5k increase.
AVERAGE SALARY BY SECTOR – seniority £k
12
%
are director level or above
general satisfaction levels across the industry are holding up well
Regions
As ever, the salary survey drew responses from across the UK, helping to paint a picture of the evolving pay landscape for engineers in different regions.
For the second year in a row London and the South East accounts for the largest slice of the response group (23%), closely followed by Britain’s traditional manufacturing heartland of the Midlands which accounts for 22% of the overall sample.
The North of England is also well represented (18%), while the smallest regional subset of the overall sample is based outside the UK (7%).
Despite coming top of the table, the average salary for respondents working in London and the South East has actually dropped since last year, by 6.7% to £64k, while salaries in other regions – specifically the Midlands, the South
West and the North of England – have all seen a modest increase.
In line with this closing of the salary gap, satisfaction levels in London and the South East also have dropped, with 53% of respondents from the region telling us they are happy in their roles (down from 59% last year). Conversely, those working in the Midlands are among the most content, with 57% happy in their roles.
AVERAGE SALARY BY region £k
job satisfaction
Despite average salary decreases across most sectors and levels of seniority, general satisfaction levels seem to be holding up reasonably well, with the proportion of respondents telling us they are happy in their roles showing a small drop, from 56% to 54%.
Meanwhile, other key satisfaction metrics have improved. Forty-four per cent of respondents (up from 41% last year) say they are happy with their pay levels, while 55% (up from 54%) feel comfortable with their workload.
The highest levels of salary satisfaction are found in automotive and this year’s highest paying sector grouping, rail/civil & structural (53%), closely followed by academia and last year’s front-runner, oil & gas, which each enjoy a 50% rating. Interestingly, some of the lowest levels of salary satisfaction are found in this year’s second most-generous sectors pay-wise, chem and pharma/ medical, where just 33% are happy with their pay.
Respondents in the telecoms & utilities/ electronics sectors are the least satisfied, with just 32% happy with their pay.
In terms of general contentment, it’s a slightly different picture again. Indeed, academics – at the bottom of the pecking order in terms of salaries –appear to be the happiest respondents overall, while the relatively well-paid members of the chem and pharma community are less happy (33%).
47
%
are actively considering a change of job
change of job/leaving the industry %
change of job/leaving the industry
Previous reports have pointed to a growing appetite to explore new opportunities and this year’s survey sees a continuation of that trend, perhaps fuelled by an increasing awareness that most areas of industry are facing a noted skills shortage.
Among this year’s response group 47% tell us they are actively considering looking for a new role (a slight increase on last year’s figure of 44%) while a high proportion of respondents are keen to explore opportunities in other areas of industry.
Indeed, nearly three-quarters would consider a move to another sector, with renewables and energy, followed by aerospace viewed as the most appealing destinations.
Reassuringly – and echoing last year’s findings – the majority of these potential movers (77%) expect to remain in the industry for the next five years, with just 10% of the total response group expecting to leave altogether within that time frame.
While respondents currently working in the telecoms and automotive sectors are most likely to be considering a change of role (64% and 63%, respectively) the engineers least likely to be considering a move can found in the aerospace (32%) sector.
As in previous years, the survey also reflects a strong appetite to explore opportunities further afield, with 49% of respondents telling us they would consider taking a position overseas. Once more, Europe (excluding the UK) is the most appealing destination, with 78% of the response group identifying it as their preferred choice.
Unsurprisingly, when considering a change of role, the prospect of a higher salary is the key motivation, with 73% citing it as the most important factor, followed by a desire for a fresh challenge. This year’s results also show a slight rise in the proportion of respondents for whom flexible working is a key driver (up from 25% to 27%).
73
%
top motivations for considering a change of job
64
%
46
%
27
%
Better salary
New challenge
Flexible working
Limited opportunity in current role
benefits and bonuses
Overall, 57% of respondents to this year’s survey are on bonus schemes, marking a decrease from last year’s figure of 60%.
Eighty-six per cent of those involved in bonus schemes (just under half of the entire sample group) have actually seen them pay out within the past 12 months, which again marks a slight decrease on last year’s figures.
Among those receiving a bonus, 45% received between 0-5% of their basic salary, 42% received between 6-15%, while a lucky 13% received lump sums representing at least 16% of their salaries.
According to our results, engineers working in the consumer goods/food and drink sectors are the most (74%) likely to be involved in bonus schemes, followed by Aerospace (72%) while in the manufacturing sector, the most heavily represented sector in the report, 53% are involved in bonus schemes.
This year’s findings also strengthen the argument that the flexible working practices adopted during the pandemic are here to stay, with the proportion of those able to work flexibly rising for the third year in a row, from 58% to 60%. The highest levels of flexible working are found in the aerospace sector, where 72% of respondents enjoy such arrangements, while levels appear to have risen most dramatically (from 37% to 47%) in the heavily represented manufacturing sector.
49
%
of respondents received a bonus in the past 12 months
age and experience
The ageing demographic of the engineering workforce remains a major area of concern for industry, which faces the twin challenge of developing and nurturing a fresh pipeline of talent, while finding ways of retaining and capturing the skills and expertise of those leaving the sector.
This year’s survey results do little to allay these concerns with engineers over 50 now accounting for more than half of all respondents (up to 53% from 48% last year) and engineers under 40 forming a dwindling share of the sample group (down to 27% from 32% last year).
Meanwhile, in a reminder of the UK’s deep pool of experience but vulnerability to an exodus of ageing engineers, 42% of respondents told us they have been working in engineering for at least 30 years (an increase from 38% in last year’s report).
This ageing workforce is particularly striking in the UK’s critical manufacturing sector, where
61% of respondents are over the age of 50, and over a quarter are over the age of 60.
The sector groupings which appear to be doing the best job of meeting that double-edged challenge of attracting a younger workforce while retaining those with more experience are the food & drink/consumer, aerospace and defence sectors, where 43%, 36% and 34% of respondents, respectively, are under the age of 40.
age and experience %
years in engineering %
routes into industry
Despite an increased emphasis on the importance of vocational learning and a cross-industry drive to encourage more young people into apprenticeships, there is little sign of change in this year’s findings. Indeed, the routes engineers use to enter the profession have remained fairly consistent since The Engineer’s first annual salary survey in 2015.
Once again, well over half of our overall sample group have a degree, while 29% entered the profession via an apprenticeship, marking a continued decline across the past two surveys. Somewhat surprisingly, the highest level of apprentice trained engineers are to be found in the academic sector (with 83% of respondents entering industry via this route), however this is a relatively small sample group.
Elsewhere, in common with previous years’ findings, the food & drink/consumer goods and manufacturing sectors also boast a relatively high level of apprenticeship-trained engineers (48% and 38%, respectively) while once again the lowest levels of apprentice trained engineers are found in the defence & security sectors (22%).
This year’s survey sees no change in the proportion of respondents who have chosen to pursue professional registration (which remains at 49%). Though there is some age-based variation in registration levels, all age groups are reasonably well represented, with 42% of under-30s and 58% of over-40s opting to pursue professional registration.
Across the sectors, respondents from the energy and rail/civil & structural sectors are most likely to be professionally registered (70% and 68%, respectively), while registration levels are at their lowest in the telecoms utilities and electronics sectors (34%).
While those respondents who are professionally registered earn on average £7k more than those who are not, only a quarter of respondents are persuaded that professional registration boosts their earning potential.
49
%
routes into industry £k
gender and diversity
The overall response continues to reflect industry’s gender imbalance, with female engineers accounting for just 8% of the total sample group (the same as last year). This figure is considerably less than the commonly accepted figure of around 16%. More gratifyingly, this year’s survey results do deliver some good news on the gender salary gap identified by previous surveys.
While female respondents still earn on average less than their male counterparts, the gap appears to have narrowed significantly, from £13k to just £4k. Indeed, while female engineers’ salaries have risen on average from £53k to £58k, their male colleagues have seen their average pay levels decline from £66k to £63k.
This narrowing of the salary gap is reflected at all levels of seniority apart from at director level, where the average salaries displayed for this admittedly small sample group are considerably higher (£29k on average) for male respondents.
In terms of benefits, our results again point to a gender bonus gap with 45% of women 58% of male respondents on bonus schemes.
In terms of other benefits, there seems to be greater alignment with, as per last year’s survey, female engineers more likely to enjoy the benefits of flexible working (63%, compared with 59% of their male peers).
Levels of job satisfaction show some gender-based variation with female respondents apparently less happy in their jobs than male respondents (45% for women, 55% for men) and also less happy with their pay (37% for women, 44% for men.
Nevertheless, female respondents tell us that on average they feel valued by their employers (47% compared with 46% for men).
industry gender balance %
gender split by sector %
51
%
of respondents are senior engineers
54
%
are happy in their roles
44
%
of respondents are happy with their pay
introduction
seniority
regions
job satisfaction
change of job/ leaving the industry
benefits and bonuses
age and experience
routes into industry
gender and diversity
methodology & demographics
This report presents the findings of The Engineer’s 10th annual salary survey, an online survey conducted among The Engineer’s audience between December 2024 and January 2025 aimed at gathering insights into their pay levels, job satisfaction and appetite for change.
This year’s survey attracted responses from 621 engineers working across 12 broad sectors.
The demographic of the response group is broadly in line with last year’s survey, with 93% of our respondents working on a full-time basis and 93% in permanent roles.
In terms of seniority, 51% describe themselves as senior engineers, 41% as managers or above, and 81% of respondents have worked in engineering for 10 years or more.
In terms of disciplines, in common with last year’s survey the largest segment of those surveyed work in engineering design (37%). This is followed by production (16%) and R&D (15%).
Echoing our 2024 survey, 92% of respondents are male and 8% are female, while just over half are over the age of 50. Under three-quarters (58%) of the total sample are over the age of 40 and 27% are under the age of 40. What’s more, 63% of respondents have worked in engineering for 20 years or more (an increase on last year’s figure of 57%). The survey attracted a balanced spread of responses from across the UK with all regions represented. As with last year’s survey, London and the South East accounts for the largest regional share (23%) closely followed by the Midlands/East Anglia (22%).
Meanwhile, the most heavily represented sector is manufacturing, which accounts for 18% of the overall sample. Again, this response profile closely mirrors last year’s sample group.
Throughout the report, to allow for statistically robust samples, a number of key vertical sectors have been grouped together (eg rail/civil & structural).
For all data analysis presented in this report, ‘average’ refers to the arithmetic mean, calculated by summing all values within a data set and dividing by the total number of observations.
There are a number of instances in this year’s findings where the small size of particular slices of the data makes robust statistical analysis impossible (for example, overseas engineers working in academia = 1). These potentially misleading averages have been omitted from the tables displayed throughout although still feed into the overall sector averages displayed.
Academia
Average salary £k
response size by sector
job satisfaction matrix
£62k
Average salary for UK engineers
Academia
aerospace
Academia
aerospace
automotive
chemicals & Pharma/
medical
automotive
aerospace
Academia
defence & security/
marine
energy/renewables/
nuclear
Average salary £k
Academia
Average salary £k
Aerospace
Average salary £k
Automotive
Average salary £k
Automotive
Average salary £k
Defence & Security/Marine
Average salary £k
Energy/Renewables/Nuclear
Average salary £k
Food & Drink/Consumer Goods
Average salary £k
Manufacturing
Average salary £k
Materials
Average salary £k
Oil & Gas
Average salary £k
Rail/Civil/Structural
Academia
aerospace
automotive
telecomms/utilities/
electronics
rail/civil/
structural
oil & gas
materials
manufacturing
food & drink/
consumer goods
energy/renewables/
nuclear
defence & security/
marine
chemicals & Pharma/
medical
general satisfaction levels across the industry are holding up well
54
%
are happy in their roles
44
%
of respondents are happy with their pay
change of job/leaving the industry %
73
%
would consider moving
into another sector
49
%
would consider
a move overseas
47
%
receive private medical insurance
60
%
enjoy flexible working arrangements
years in engineering %
of respondents received a bonus in the past 12 months
62
%
have worked in engineering for 20 years or more
£64k
highest Average salaries found in london and south east
Methodology
Read how we arrived at the findings in this year‘s report
This report presents the findings of The Engineer’s 10th annual salary survey, an online survey conducted among The Engineer’s audience between December 2024 and January 2025 aimed at gathering insights into their pay levels, job satisfaction and appetite for change.
This year’s survey attracted responses from 621 engineers working across 12 broad sectors.
The demographic of the response group is broadly in line with last year’s survey, with 93% of our respondents working on a full-time basis and 93% in permanent roles.
In terms of seniority, 51% describe themselves as senior engineers, 41% as managers or above, and 81% of respondents have worked in engineering for 10 years or more.
In terms of disciplines, in common with last year’s survey the largest segment of those surveyed work in engineering design (37%). This is followed by production (16%) and R&D (15%).
Echoing our 2024 survey, 92% of respondents
are male and 8% are female, while just over half
are over the age of 50. Under three-quarters (58%) of the total sample are over the age of 40 and 27% are under the age of 40. What’s more, 63% of respondents have worked in engineering for
20 years or more (an increase on last year’s figure of 57%).
The survey attracted a balanced spread of responses from across the UK with all regions represented. As with last year’s survey, London and the South East accounts for the largest regional share (23%) closely followed by the Midlands/East Anglia (22%).
Meanwhile, the most heavily represented sector is manufacturing, which accounts for 18% of the overall sample. Again, this response profile closely mirrors last year’s sample group.
Throughout the report, to allow for statistically robust samples, a number of key vertical sectors have been grouped together (eg rail/civil & structural).
For all data analysis presented in this report, ‘average’ refers to the arithmetic mean, calculated by summing all values within a data set and dividing by the total number of observations.
There are a number of instances in this year’s findings where the small size of particular slices of the data makes robust statistical analysis impossible (for example, overseas engineers working in academia = 1). These potentially misleading averages have been omitted from the tables displayed throughout although still feed into the overall sector averages displayed.
methodology & demographics
AVERAGE SALARY BY SECTOR | 2025 vs 2015 £k
*Sample size of 80 respondents **Sample size of 47 respondents
*Sample size of 60 respondents **Sample size of 49 respondents
response size by sector
Seniority
introduction
seniority
regions
job satisfaction
change of job/ leaving the industry
benefits and bonuses
age and experience
routes into industry
gender and diversity
job satisfaction
Despite average salary decreases across most sectors and levels of seniority, general satisfaction levels seem to be holding up reasonably well, with the proportion of respondents telling us they are happy in their roles showing a small drop, from 56% to 54%.
Meanwhile, other key satisfaction metrics have improved. Forty-four per cent of respondents (up from 41% last year) say they are happy with their pay levels, while 55% (up from 54%) feel comfortable with their workload.
The highest levels of salary satisfaction are found in automotive and this year’s highest paying sector grouping, rail/civil & structural (53%), closely followed by academia and last year’s front-runner, oil & gas, which each enjoy a 50% rating. Interestingly, some of the lowest levels of salary satisfaction are found in this year’s second most-generous sectors pay-wise, chem and pharma/ medical, where just 33% are happy with their pay.
Respondents in the telecoms & utilities/ electronics sectors are the least satisfied, with just 32% happy with their pay.
In terms of general contentment, it’s a slightly different picture again. Indeed, academics – at the bottom of the pecking order in terms of salaries –appear to be the happiest respondents overall, while the relatively well-paid members of the chem and pharma community are less happy (33%).
job satisfaction matrix
47
%
are actively considering a change of job
50
%
Feel valued in role
Comfortable with workload
33
%
50
%
Content with salary
83
%
Happy in current job
Average salary £k
Academia
48
%
Feel valued in role
Comfortable with workload
56
%
40
%
Content with salary
54
%
Happy in current job
Average salary £k
Aerospace
47
%
Feel valued in role
Comfortable with workload
54
%
53
%
Content with salary
54
%
Happy in current job
Average salary £k
Automotive
30
%
Feel valued in role
Comfortable with workload
55
%
33
%
Content with salary
33
%
Happy in current job
Average salary £k
Chemicals & Pharma/Medical
42
%
Feel valued in role
Comfortable with workload
52
%
43
%
Content with salary
55
%
Happy in current job
Average salary £k
Defence & Security/Marine
51
%
Feel valued in role
Comfortable with workload
54
%
44
%
Content with salary
61
%
Happy in current job
Average salary £k
Energy/Renewables/Nuclear
39
%
Feel valued in role
Comfortable with workload
48
%
48
%
Content with salary
61
%
Happy in current job
Average salary £k
Food & Drink/Consumer Goods
41
%
Feel valued in role
Comfortable with workload
53
%
41
%
Content with salary
54
%
Happy in current job
Average salary £k
Manufacturing
33
%
Feel valued in role
Comfortable with workload
67
%
33
%
Content with salary
67
%
Happy in current job
Average salary £k
Materials
53
%
Feel valued in role
Comfortable with workload
53
%
50
%
Content with salary
47
%
Happy in current job
Average salary £k
Oil & Gas
55
%
Feel valued in role
Comfortable with workload
67
%
53
%
Content with salary
55
%
Happy in current job
Average salary £k
Rail/Civil & Structural
42
%
Feel valued in role
Comfortable with workload
46
%
32
%
Content with salary
46
%
Happy in current job
Average salary £k
Telecomms/Utilities/Electronics
change of job/leaving the industry
introduction
seniority
regions
job satisfaction
change of job/ leaving the industry
benefits and bonuses
age and experience
routes into industry
gender and diversity
