Engineering Salaries in the UK 2026: What the ONS Data Shows

• Median gross annual earnings for full-time UK employees were £40,911 in April 2026, up 4.5% on April 2025, according to provisional ONS figures.
• Pay growth differs by region and occupation group. London led regional growth in weekly full-time earnings at 8.2%, while the East Midlands (4.0%) and North West (4.1%) were lowest.
• The ONS publishes pay by occupation and by region in its Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) tables, which employers can use as a starting point for salary bands.
• Published averages are a baseline. Offers that win engineers also reflect current demand, location and the full package.

What the 2026 ONS earnings data shows

The Office for National Statistics published Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 on 22 October 2026. The estimates are provisional. They give a clear reference point for anyone setting or reviewing engineering pay.

The headline figure

Median gross annual earnings for full-time employees who had been in their job for at least a year were £40,911 in April 2026, compared with £39,157 in April 2025. That is an increase of 4.5%. It covers all occupations, so it is a measure of the wider market rather than of engineering pay in particular. A salary band that has not moved since the previous review is likely to have fallen behind that general trend.

Differences by occupation group

The ONS reports growth in weekly full-time earnings by occupation group. Managers, directors and senior officials rose by 6.7%, a rise the ONS says is partly explained by a larger achieved sample of chief executives and senior officials. Elementary occupations rose by 4.7% and process, plant and machine operatives by 4.1%. These are group-level figures. They do not describe individual engineering job titles, so use them as context, not as a pay award guide.

Differences by region

Regional growth in weekly full-time earnings also varied. London had the highest growth at 8.2%. The East Midlands (4.0%) and the North West (4.1%) had the smallest increases. An employer in Leeds, Nottingham or Manchester competes in a different labour market from one in London, and a single national benchmark will describe neither well.

Why out-of-date salary bands cost you candidates

A salary band is usually set at the last review and then used until the next one. In a market where pay is moving, that gap shows up at offer stage.

Offers anchored to old data

A candidate who receives an offer based on last year's figures is likely to decline it, ask for more, or take it to their current employer. Either way, the time spent on the search is lost and the vacancy stays open. Engineers also talk to each other, and a weak offer can shape how a candidate describes your business to peers.

Counter-offers and scarce skills

In disciplines where specific skills are scarce, such as automation, precision machining, high-voltage electrical work or process engineering on regulated sites, candidates often hold more than one conversation at a time. A below-market offer gives them a reason to accept a counter-offer or a competing approach. Accurate pay positioning at the briefing stage reduces that risk.

The knock-on effect on your team

While a role stays open, its work moves to the rest of the team. Overtime rises, quality can slip and the engineers covering the gap start to look at their own options. Fixing the salary band is usually quicker and cheaper than managing those consequences.

How to benchmark an engineering role using ONS data

The headline median is only a starting point. The ASHE tables break pay down by occupation and by region, which is closer to what an engineering employer needs.

1. Find the occupation. ASHE Table 14 reports earnings by standard occupational classification. Choose the code closest to the role, because engineering professionals, production managers and plant operatives sit in different categories with different pay distributions.
2. Look at the spread, not just the average. Where the table gives percentiles, compare the lower quartile, the median and the upper quartile. The median is less distorted by a few very high earners than the mean.
3. Check the region. ASHE Table 15 reports earnings by region and occupation. Use it to see how pay in your area compares with the national picture.
4. Look beyond base pay. ONS figures are gross earnings. Pension, shift premiums, on-call payments and progression can matter as much as base salary, particularly in shift-based manufacturing.
5. Review regularly. ASHE is published once a year and describes April of that year. Check your bands against it annually and test them against the offers and feedback you receive in live hiring.

What ONS data cannot tell you

ONS data gives a reliable, public baseline. It does not tell you what a controls engineer with a specific PLC platform is asking for today, or what a senior process engineer from a regulated site expects at offer stage. That comes from active conversations with candidates. A specialist engineering recruiter who speaks to engineers every week can tell you where the market is moving before the next annual release does.

Reducing the risk of a failed hire

Accurate pay positioning lowers the chance of a hire leaving early, but it cannot remove it. YP Recruitment backs its placements with a 12-week guarantee: if a placed candidate leaves within 12 weeks, we offer either a free replacement or a partial rebate. Combined with a realistic salary brief at the start, that limits your exposure if a placement does not work out.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median full-time wage according to the 2026 ONS data

Median gross annual earnings for full-time employees across the UK were £40,911 in April 2026, up 4.5% from £39,157 in April 2025. The figures are provisional and cover all occupations.

How do regional pay differences affect engineering pay

Growth in weekly full-time earnings varied by region, from 8.2% in London to 4.0% in the East Midlands and 4.1% in the North West. Setting bands by region gives a more realistic picture than applying one national figure to every site.

Which ONS tables should employers use for salary benchmarking

ASHE Table 14 reports earnings by occupation and ASHE Table 15 reports earnings by region and occupation. Together they give a baseline by role type and location.

Why do published averages not always secure technical candidates

Published figures describe April of the survey year and cover many people in each occupation. Candidates for in-demand technical roles compare your offer with current alternatives, so the package needs to reflect today's market as well as the published baseline.

Setting engineering pay with confidence

To talk through a salary band for an engineering vacancy, contact the YP Recruitment team. You can also read about our engineering recruitment service or the UK engineering skills shortage in 2026.

Source: Office for National Statistics, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026, released 22 October 2026 (provisional).

To work out where your own pay and hiring plans stand, use our free engineering talent plan canvas and the employer proposition and role briefing pack. All of our free hiring resources are in one place.