Electrical engineers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time electrical engineers in the UK earned a median £60,303 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 54% more than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That ranks 17th of 382 occupations on this measure.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £43,003 and £73,899.
Median full-time pay: women £46,378 a year, men £60,680 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 36,000 employee jobs, 100% full-time.
From £49,143 in 2021, the median is up 22.7%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 59,700 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £33,986 | £688.60 | £18.07 | £34,060 | £689.10 | £18.12 |
| 20th percentile | £39,412 | £813.00 | £20.51 | £39,573 | £819.10 | £20.51 |
| 25th percentile | £43,003 | £881.00 | £22.51 | £43,040 | £880.90 | £22.52 |
| 30th percentile | £47,592 | £933.60 | £23.49 | £47,467 | £935.70 | £23.56 |
| 40th percentile | £53,713 | £1,039.70 | £27.52 | £53,610 | £1,039.10 | £27.62 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £60,303 | £1,117.80 | £29.86 | £59,930 | £1,113.80 | £29.86 |
| 60th percentile | £63,959 | £1,195.00 | £32.22 | £63,661 | £1,180.60 | £32.82 |
| 70th percentile | £67,918 | £1,301.60 | £35.12 | £67,457 | £1,298.50 | £35.61 |
| 75th percentile | £73,899* | £1,405.70 | £36.04 | £73,049* | £1,384.80 | £36.36 |
| 80th percentile | £78,672* | £1,472.60 | £37.20* | £77,592* | £1,469.40 | £38.31* |
| Mean | £61,559 | £1,165.00 | £30.18 | £61,314 | £1,161.10 | £30.35 |
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 | £49,143 | £933.20 | £24.48 | £48,556 | £920.10 | 43 |
| 2022 revised | £50,250 | £961.70 | £25.04 | £50,302 | £961.50 | 43 |
| 2023 revised | £53,322 | £1,066.50 | £27.57 | £53,298 | £1,064.60 | 49 |
| 2024 revised | £58,735 | £1,109.10 | £29.45 | £57,817 | £1,097.10 | 45 |
| 2025 provisional | £60,303 | £1,117.80 | £29.86 | £59,930 | £1,113.80 | 36 |
Electrical engineers by region
UK: 59,700 (± 9,500), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What electrical engineers do
Electrical engineers undertake research and design, direct construction and manage the operation and maintenance of electrical equipment, power stations, building control systems and other electrical products and systems. (ONS SOC 2020, 2123)
Also covers: electrical design engineer, electrical engineer (professional), electrical surveyor, equipment engineer, power engineer, signal engineer (professional, railways), assistant engineer, branch engineer, charge engineer, chief engineer, control engineer, designer (electrical), distribution engineer, district engineer, electrical designer, electrical superintendent, first engineer and generating engineer (57 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Conceives and develops engineering designs from product ideas in electrical engineering
- Supervises, controls and monitors the operation of electrical generation, transmission and distribution systems
- Determines and specifies manufacturing methods of electrical systems
- Ensures that manufacture, operation and maintenance comply with design specifications and contractual arrangements
- Organises and establishes control systems to monitor the performance and safety of electrical assemblies and systems
Electrical engineers usually possess an accredited university degree or equivalent qualification. After qualifying, periods of appropriate training and experience are required before membership of a chartered engineering institution is attainable. Incorporated engineers possess an accredited university degree, BTEC/SQA award or an apprenticeship leading to an NVQ/SVQ at level 4. All routes are followed by periods of appropriate training and relevant experience.
Related
Engineering professionals (median £51,082) · Mechanical engineers (professional) · Electronics engineers (professional) · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026