Civil engineering: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in civil engineering earned a median £47,297 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £8,258 more than across all industries.
What the figures show
It ranks 19th of 84 divisions on this measure.
92% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £36,943, men £48,378.
The median rose 21.6% from £38,908 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 194,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, down 6% since 2019; 13% are in South East.
There were 24,770 business sites in March 2026, nearly all (88%) with fewer than 10 staff (UK Business Counts).
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £26,298 | £544.40 | £13.50 | £23,565 | £478.90 | £13.09 |
| 20th percentile | £32,722 | £640.00 | £15.33 | £29,864 | £585.00 | £15.00 |
| 25th percentile | £35,474 | £683.20 | £16.09 | £32,499 | £632.10 | £15.74 |
| 30th percentile | £37,498 | £725.40 | £16.98 | £35,387 | £682.20 | £16.50 |
| 40th percentile | £41,931 | £814.50 | £18.77 | £39,891 | £773.70 | £18.41 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £47,297 | £904.10 | £21.22 | £45,085 | £865.50 | £20.55 |
| 60th percentile | £52,531 | £1,024.90 | £23.60 | £50,736 | £989.50 | £23.38 |
| 70th percentile | £59,882 | £1,148.80 | £27.16 | £58,256 | £1,111.30 | £26.67 |
| 75th percentile | £63,889 | £1,239.70 | £29.33 | £62,962 | £1,198.20 | £28.66 |
| 80th percentile | £69,734 | £1,341.60 | £31.81 | £67,238 | £1,311.50 | £31.57 |
| 90th percentile | £81,634* | £1,614.10* | £39.38* | £80,236* | £1,599.50 | £39.12* |
| Mean | £53,500 | £1,021.50 | £24.19 | £51,013 | £972.80 | £24.07 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £38,908 | £776.10 | £17.80 | £37,496 | £739.30 | 167 |
| 2022 revised | £41,540 | £819.50 | £18.91 | £40,414 | £783.20 | 157 |
| 2023 revised | £40,493 | £800.00 | £18.40 | £38,674 | £762.70 | 164 |
| 2024 revised | £44,186 | £896.90 | £20.63 | £42,014 | £862.40 | 178 |
| 2025 provisional | £47,297 | £904.10 | £21.22 | £45,085 | £865.50 | 182 |
Where the 194,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| East of England | 23,000 | 24,000 |
| Scotland | 23,000 | 23,000 |
| North West | 20,000 | 21,000 |
| London | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 17,000 | 17,000 |
| South West | 16,000 | 17,000 |
| West Midlands | 13,000 | 14,000 |
| Wales | 13,000 | 13,000 |
| East Midlands | 12,000 | 12,000 |
| North East | 7,000 | 8,000 |
| Great Britain | 189,000 | 194,000 |
24,770 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 21,730 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 2,280 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 640 |
| Large (250 or more) | 115 |
| Total | 24,770 |
2021: 26,920; 2022: 25,685; 2023: 24,220; 2024: 24,220; 2025: 24,255; 2026: 24,770.
Related
Construction · Construction of buildings · Specialised construction activities · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026