The UK is considered the home of global engineering. Through placements, live projects and volunteering opportunities, students will gain vital real-world engineering experience by studying engineering in the UK, enhancing their employability upon graduation. Graduates from UK universities are one of the highest-paid engineers in the world due to their globally recognised qualifications and industry experience.
But what branch of engineering should you choose to focus on? Each engineering specialisation comes with its own challenges, benefits, and salary expectations, and below, we have detailed high-paying engineering jobs and the leading UK universities in that field.
If you would like to apply, contact SI-UK India today for a free consultation on your study abroad future.
High Paying Engineering Jobs after Studying in the UK
1. Aeronautical Engineering
An aeronautical engineer designs and builds aircraft, spacecraft, missiles and rockets. As an aeronautical engineer, you will need only be required to design and build but also maintain the aircraft, including its parts and instruments. Aeronautical engineering is one of the best engineering courses with a high salary and a favourite engineering course to study in the UK as an international student.
- National average salary: £32,900
- Best university in the UK for aeronautical engineering: Imperial College London
2. Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineers alter the chemical state of substances to create products. Chemical engineers might also be involved in the design of machines used in production processes. Chemical engineers are also among the highest-paid engineering fields in the world, with experienced candidates earning more than £54,000.
- National average salary: £34,585
- Best university in the UK for chemical engineering: University of Cambridge
3. Mechanical Engineering
A mechanical engineer designs, develops, and maintains the technical purposes of machinery used in industry, construction and/or everyday living. Mechanical engineers must be able to develop plans for constructing machinery-based equipment, such as piping systems.
- National average salary: £34,805
- Best university in the UK for mechanical engineering: University of Cambridge
4. Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineers are vital to the medical and healthcare sectors, which is why they are amongst the highest-paid engineers in the UK. Biomedical engineers must work in various settings; for example, they may be tasked with developing equipment like respirators or surgical tools to assist physicians during surgery.
- National average salary: £34,925
- Best university in the UK for biomedical engineering: University of Oxford
5. Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineers primarily work with designing and developing electrical systems, for which they need to work closely with mechanical and energy engineers. The job of an electrical engineer consists of developing designs, drawing up circuit diagrams, carrying out feasibility studies, using specialised computer software, testing new installations, supervising projects, and ensuring that all the safety regulations are met. Electrical engineers get to work in a highly creative and technical environment, and it is one of the best-paying engineering jobs in the world.
- National average salary: £35,085
- Best university in the UK for electrical engineering: University of Cambridge
6. Civil Engineering
Among the highest-paying engineering jobs, civil engineering is one of the leading professions where experienced engineers can earn more than £50,000 once they become members of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). Civil engineers are experts on large building projects, be it residential buildings or structures such as bridges, stadiums, transport links, sewage systems, dams and more.
- National average salary: £36,683
- Best university in the UK for civil engineering: University of Cambridge
7. Petroleum Engineering
Petroleum engineers are responsible for safely extracting hydrocarbon deposits, such as oil and natural gas. The job of a petroleum engineer involves the planning and constructing boreholes and oil wells. Petroleum engineers need to collaborate and work with other technicians and professionals to meet emissions targets and environmental standards
- National average salary: £38,239
- Best university in the UK for petroleum engineering: Imperial College London
8. Robotics Engineering
A typical day-to-day task for a robotics engineer includes designing and building machines for automated jobs in manufacturing, aerospace and medicine. As more industries are moving towards automation, it is currently one of the highest highest-paid engineering fields in the world.
As a robotics engineer, you will need to learn about the industry's progress and upcoming technology and learn about the latest robotics trends by reading articles and attending conferences to get acquainted with forthcoming changes.
- National average salary: £43,250
- Best university in the UK for robotics engineering: University of Oxford
9. Data Engineering
Data engineering is one of the youngest branches of engineering, and there is a huge demand amongst employers as more organisations have started engaging in digital workflows. The job of a data engineer is to gather, process, clean format, and prepare data for data scientists. Data engineering is among the fastest-growing career options in the highest-paying engineering jobs category.
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National average salary: £56,418
10. Nuclear Engineering
A single fault in a nuclear plant can incur damage worth £101.1 billion. Nuclear engineers must design, build, run or decommission nuclear power stations while working with multi-disciplinary teams to develop technical solutions.
Depending on the job position, nuclear engineers can design completely new systems or maintain existing systems to improve the efficiency, stability and sustainability of nuclear power plants. Due to the sensitivity of the job profile, Nuclear engineers are among the world's highest paid engineers.
- National average salary: £64,350
Study Engineering in the UK
Contact SI-UK India for a free consultation if you want to learn more about studying an engineering course in the UK or to begin your application.