Highest Paying Engineering Jobs in the UK

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. 

But what engineering branch should you focus on? Each engineering specialisation comes with its challenges, benefits and salary expectations.

Learn more about the highest-paying engineering jobs in the UK below and book a free consultation with SI-UK London today to begin your application to study engineering in the UK.

Highest Paid Engineers 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 be required to design and build and maintain the aircraft, including its parts and instruments.

• 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 role 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.

• 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 projects, whether residential buildings or structures such as bridges, stadiums, transport links, sewage systems, dams, etc.

• 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 must collaborate 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 daily task for a robotics engineer includes designing and building machines for automated manufacturing, aerospace and medicine jobs. As a robotics engineer, you must 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. 

• 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.

• National average salary: £64,350

Study Engineering in the UK

Contact SI-UK London for a free consultation today if you want to learn more about studying an engineering course in the UK or to begin your application.