10 High Paying Engineering Jobs in the UK

Spending so much time studying and working hard definitely pays off really well; engineering school is a prime example of that! Engineering ranks among one of the hardest degrees you can do. The degree requires you to have everything; patience, passion, common sense, and logic. As time-consuming and hard as it can be, it is also very rewarding in the end! The salary of an engineer is usually higher than the salary average of other professions, which is why many people pursue a career in engineering!

The United Kingdom is considered the home of global engineering. It is a high-paying career, in which engineers are ranked among the top five employees who earn the most in the UK! The average salary of an engineer is around £50,000 per year, and it differs according to the place you work in and the major you choose! There are so many things you can do if you study engineering, which facilitates the working process. This will also help you explore your passions and discover what you really like!

What Are The High-Paying Engineering Jobs in the UK?

There are many options you can choose from if you’re pursuing a career in engineering. However, there are certain jobs that can make you gain more money than others. So don’t worry! You are getting paid good money in all professions! Let’s take a look at the ten high-paying engineering jobs in the UK!

1. Aeronautical Engineering

This type of engineering involves applied mathematics, theories, knowledge, and problem-solving skills. Aeronautical engineers design and build aircraft, spacecraft, and rockets. You will be required to design and build but also maintain the aircraft, including its parts and instruments. Aeronautical engineers also use specialised software to help them design these things and often work on testing prototypes.

The average annual salary of aerospace engineers in the UK is around £32,800. It can also differ according to the role you’ll be given in the workspace! Of course, not every place will offer the same salary. However, it is more or less the same in most places! The best university in the UK for aeronautical engineering in the United Kingdom is Imperial College London. 

2. Chemical Engineering 

A chemical engineer works on turning the raw materials gathered from the earth into other materials. You will either work in laboratories or in industrial production areas. You can also work on the safe disposal and recycling of by-products and chemical and industrial waste. The laboratory usually involves testing new production or disposal methods on a smaller scale, after which they may oversee broader implementation! 

Chemical engineering is definitely very interesting because you get to merge two professions in one job: chemistry and engineering! It is also among the highest-paid engineering fields in the world. The average salary for a chemical engineer is around £34,585 yearly. The best university for chemical engineering in the United Kingdom is the University of Cambridge. 

3. Mechanical Engineering 

Mechanical engineers design and test the production of mechanical machines which can be used in a wide variety of industrial sectors ranging from automotive engineering to information technology. Mechanical engineers need to have the capability to develop plans for constructing various machinery-based equipment, such as piping systems! 

The average annual salary for a mechanical engineer is around £34,500. This can vary according to where you work, the number of duties you have, and the amount of experience you have in the field! The best university for mechanical engineering in the United Kingdom is the University of Cambridge. 

4. Biomedical Engineering

This is another example of two fields merged into one profession: biology and engineering! No matter where you go, there will always be that one person who is interested in very different fields; this is where he should go! Biomedical engineers, also known as bio-engineers, work on the design, maintenance and development of medical equipment. The sort of equipment they work on is typically used to treat patients or diagnose conditions, which is very interesting to a lot of people!

Biomedical engineers often spend a lot of time working with doctors and other medical professionals to develop the most effective equipment. The average salary for a biomedical engineer is around £34,940 and can go up to £40,000 according to where you work and your experience. The best university for biomedical engineering in the United Kingdom is the University of Oxford. 

5. Electrical Engineering 

Electrical engineers are usually concerned with the design and development of electrical systems, for which they need to work closely with mechanical and energy engineers. Their main role is to draw up circuit diagrams, use specialised computer software, supervise projects, and test new installations. Electrical engineering is a challenging profession, but worth seeking!

The average annual salary for an electrical engineer is £35,085, and it can go up to £40,000 according to where you work, the experience you have, and how many years you’ve been in the field! The best university for electrical engineering in the United Kingdom is the University of Cambridge. 

6. Civil Engineering 

One of the most well-known engineering jobs is definitely civil engineering. Several people will assume that you’re a civil engineer just because you said you’re an engineer! Civil engineers are responsible for the design, construction, and management of large building projects. These buildings or structures could be bridges, sewage systems, dams, residential buildings, or stadiums. 

A civil engineer’s annual salary could be around £36,683, and it can go up or down according to the experience, the place you work, and how many years you’ve been working in the field! The best university for civil engineering in the United Kingdom is Imperial College London. 

7. Petroleum Engineering 

Another very famous engineering job is petroleum engineering! You always hear a lot of stories about how much they make and how rich they are, and the stories are probably right! Petroleum engineers are responsible for safely extracting hydrocarbon deposits, such as oil and natural gas, from within the earth. The job of a petroleum engineer involves the planning and construction of boreholes and oil wells and spending a lot of time working with other technicians and professionals! 

The annual salary for a petroleum engineer is around £38,239, and it can increase up to £45,000 according to the experience and certificates you have and where you work! One of the best universities for petroleum engineering in the United Kingdom is Imperial College London. 

8. Robotics Engineering

You might recognise robotics engineering when it is referred to as automation engineering! Robotics engineers’ work is often closely related to mechanical, aeronautical, and biomedical engineering, as they all have to work on automated machines to carry out their tasks, so they’re all interconnected! A typical day for a robotic engineer includes designing and manufacturing machines, which requires a certain kind of interest for someone to do it correctly!

A robotic engineer can earn around £43,250 per year, and it can even go up to £50,000 yearly according to the experience they have and where they work. Robotics Engineering is one of the most high-paying jobs in the United Kingdom and the world! If that interests you, the best university for robotic engineering in the United Kingdom is the University of Oxford. 

9. Data Engineering

Data engineering is a modern branch of engineering that has been going around the world very quickly, with a huge demand amongst employers as more organisations started engaging in digital workflows! A data engineer gathers, processes, cleans, formats, and prepares data for data scientists. They also perform data analysis to be able to identify and track trends in large datasets. They also do many data science-related work, such as developing algorithms to assist with access to raw data and how to process it; they became a very crucial part of the work process in a very short period of time!

The average annual salary for a data engineer is £56,418, which is by far one of the highest salaries in the industry! It can also go up to £60,000, and many people speculate that it’s a field that is set to excel even more in the future! If that is something you want to pursue, Imperial College London will be a great choice for you! 

10. Nuclear Engineering 

Not only is nuclear engineering so popular, but it also is absolutely crucial! A single fault in a nuclear plant can incur damage worth £101.1 billion, so they really need to be careful and watch their every move! Nuclear engineers are responsible for the operation, development, and design of nuclear power stations. This can include all of the equipment and designs that are in nuclear power plants; you probably understand the importance of the job now! 

Of course, it is as pricy as it is important! A nuclear engineer’s salary wins the first place, no questions asked! Their salary is about £64,350 per year, which is the highest salary for an engineer in the United Kingdom! It can also go up to £75,000, so really, we totally understand the career shift! The best university for nuclear engineering in the United Kingdom is the University of Manchester. 

Of course, there are so many more engineering fields to choose from, and they are just as rewarding! Choosing a suitable career for yourself is important to avoid any burnout or loss of interest. Studying engineering can be very difficult and draining, but it can also be very interesting, informative, fun, and rewarding! 

Frequently Asked Questions

What engineering jobs pay the most in the United Kingdom?

Almost all of them will pay you a huge amount of money! However, there are certain fields that are highly demanded right now, including nuclear, chemical, and electrical engineering. 

Is the United Kingdom a good place to study engineering?

The United Kingdom is definitely one of the best countries to study engineering in! There is high-quality education and world-renowned universities and educational institutions, attracting both local and international students!