The UK's official graduate careers website

Login to My Prospects

Not a member yet? Join now
 
 

Control and instrumentation engineer : Salary and conditions

More in this section

  1. Job description
  2. Salary and conditions
  3. Entry requirements
  4. Training
  5. Career development
  6. Employers and vacancy …
  7. Related jobs

Print all pages in this section

Case studies

  • Typical starting salaries range from £18,000 to £27,000.
  • Salaries for those with several years' experience range from £30,000 to £40,000.
  • Salaries for those at senior level (with 10-15 years' experience) from £40,000 - £65,000 and for directors in the nuclear sector, £60,000 - £100,000+. Salaries in the oil and gas sector are generally higher at between £70,000 and £80,000 for an experienced engineer.
  • Salary levels vary according to the size of organisation, industry sector and geographical location.
  • Irregular working hours may be normal for control and instrumentation engineers (CI engineers), who need to be on-call or on standby to deal with faults which occur at the plant or site. Additional overtime payments, or alternatively an on-call allowance, may be incorporated into the annual salary.
  • Work may be based in an office, laboratory or factory, depending on the nature of the organisation.
  • Visiting clients and working on-site is a common aspect of the work.
  • Some positions may carry high levels of responsibility and may be stressful, particularly at a very senior level, where accountability lies directly with the CI engineer. Similarly, CI engineers often have to work under pressure, to tight deadlines and within budget.
  • Part-time work may be possible. Self-employment may also be an option with considerable experience, although this is most likely to be in consultancy or contract work.
  • There are far fewer women than men working in CI engineering, as in the engineering sector in general, which stands currently at just 7% (data source: The UKRC ). However, organisations such as the the UKRC are aiming to redress this imbalance.
  • There is a general skills shortage in engineering disciplines. Coupled with the continued growth of sectors such as power generation and renewable energy research, there are currently many opportunities for CI engineers.
  • Positions are available across the UK and opportunities to work overseas are widely available, particularly within the oil and gas industry or with global pharmaceutical and manufacturing companies. Some locations may be remote or hostile, particularly within the oil and gas sector, but greatly increased salaries and a range of benefits are often used to attract employees and contractors to these areas.
 
AGCAS
Written by Andrea Gregory, AGCAS
Date: 
November 2010
© Copyright AGCAS & Graduate Prospects Ltd | Disclaimer
 
 
 

This website is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with CSS enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets if you are able to do so.