Engineering project managers and project engineers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time engineering project managers and project engineers in the UK earned a median £53,064 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 36% more than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That ranks 45th of 382 occupations on this measure.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £43,175 and £67,463.
Median full-time pay: women £49,867 a year, men £53,134 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 70,000 employee jobs, 97% full-time.
From £43,268 in 2021, the median is up 22.6%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 79,700 people in this line of work, 20% of them in South East.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £35,680 | £724.00 | £18.58 | £34,918 | £708.80 | £18.45 |
| 20th percentile | £40,967 | £804.90 | £20.58 | £40,215 | £789.70 | £20.44 |
| 25th percentile | £43,175 | £853.20 | £22.05 | £42,911 | £849.90 | £21.83 |
| 30th percentile | £45,949 | £883.70 | £23.11 | £45,626 | £877.20 | £23.10 |
| 40th percentile | £49,789 | £959.30 | £24.79 | £49,013 | £952.70 | £24.88 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £53,064 | £1,027.30 | £26.64 | £52,451 | £1,015.70 | £26.77 |
| 60th percentile | £58,237 | £1,140.00 | £29.09 | £57,768 | £1,122.20 | £29.27 |
| 70th percentile | £63,890 | £1,246.20 | £32.18 | £63,410 | £1,238.30 | £32.18 |
| 75th percentile | £67,463 | £1,316.50 | £33.78 | £66,671 | £1,310.30 | £33.78 |
| 80th percentile | £70,618* | £1,350.00 | £35.65 | £70,364* | £1,347.40 | £35.65 |
| Mean | £57,516 | £1,100.80 | £28.25 | £56,925 | £1,090.80 | £28.35 |
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 | £43,268 | £834.80 | £21.80 | £42,634 | £815.40 | 88 |
| 2022 revised | £45,879 | £903.50 | £23.28 | £45,483 | £901.90 | 79 |
| 2023 revised | £48,853 | £956.10 | £24.65 | £48,354 | £940.80 | 89 |
| 2024 revised | £51,911 | £980.20 | £25.71 | £51,210 | £977.70 | 83 |
| 2025 provisional | £53,064 | £1,027.30 | £26.64 | £52,451 | £1,015.70 | 70 |
Engineering project managers and project engineers by region
UK: 79,700 (± 10,900), April 2025 to March 2026. 9 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 15,900* | ± 5,000 |
| North West | 10,400* | ± 3,900 |
| Scotland | 8,900* | ± 3,400 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What engineering project managers and project engineers do
Engineering project managers and project engineers schedule, manage and oversee engineering projects for quality of work, timeliness and completion within budget, plan, design and specify materials and equipment for the project and create necessary technical drawings. (ONS SOC 2020, 2127)
Also covers: contracts manager (manufacturing), project engineer, project manager (manufacturing), contract manager, contracts manager, project controller, project lead, project leader, project manager, projects engineer, electrical project engineer, engineering project manager, mechanical project engineer, project engineer (aerospace), project engineering manager, projects engineer (aerospace) and project engineer (oil & natural gas).
- Draws up budgets and timescales for new engineering projects based on clients’ requirements
- Briefs project team, contractors and suppliers
- Assembles information for invoicing at the end of projects
- Plans work schedules for engineering projects based on prior discussion with client and contractors
- Regularly inspects and monitors progress and quality of work, ensures legal requirements are met
- Identifies defects in work and proposes corrections
Engineering project managers and project engineers usually possess an accredited university degree. 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) · Aerospace engineers · Production and process engineers · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026