IT’S one of the UK’s most in-demand jobs and one of the best paid too. What is it? Engineering.
With over 180,000 vacancies posted each year, pay is up 5.7% in the last 12 months. Click the links below to find out how much you could earn
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- Engineer, Johnson Controls International, Nottingham
- Engineer, Kier Group, Poole
- Lift Engineer, Stannah, Gainsborough
Want to engineer a new career? Here’s all you need to know from Sun Jobs.
Engineer is quite a broad term – so what could I do in an engineering job?
Engineering is a catch-all term for someone who either invents, tests, designs or maintain something.
This can include machines, structures, gadgets, IT and data systems, infrastructure or power systems.
Jobs can range from nuclear engineers to structural engineers to IT systems engineers to lift engineers.
How much can I earn as an engineer?
This depends on the type of engineering you train to do.
While the Engineer magazine says the the mean average salary for a UK engineer has increased from £57k to £65k in the past twelve months, someone specialising in a highly-regulated industry like nuclear engineering will earn more than lift or structural engineer.
Graduate engineers can expect to earn from £26,500 in a first job but senior engineers with considerable experience of leading major projects can comfortably earn in excess of £100,000.
How do I become an engineer?
There are lots of different ways into engineering but again, it will depend on the type of role you want to do.
Entry routes include taking an apprenticeship, a degree apprenticeship or studying a relevant engineering degree.
You may also want to study a master’s degree in you chosen area and then apply for title of chartered engineer (CEng) from the Engineering Council.
The website This is Engineering has lots of helpful resources at this link.
Most roles will also ask for Grade 9-4 (A*-C) in maths, science and English at GCSE or equivalent, whichever route you take into engineering.
What about personality and skills?
Engineers create and manufacture the buildings we live in, the transport we travel on and the infrastructure we rely on, so certain skills are vital.
You need to be a problem solver, good with maths, precise and methodical in your work and to have an interest in science too.
Engineers usually work as part of a wider team so communication and teamwork skills are important.
If you want to progress up the career ladder, then work on your project management and wider management skills too.
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