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Electrical engineer : Salary and conditions

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

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Case studies

  • Range of typical starting salaries: £20,000 - £25,000.
  • Experienced or incorporated engineers can earn between £28,000 - £38,000.
  • A chartered electrical engineer can earn £40,000 - £50,000 or more.
  • Salaries vary considerably according to location, the size of the employing organisation and the nature of its business.
  • Working hours vary and are job-specific. You may need to work extra and unsocial hours to meet deadlines or resolve design difficulties. Some jobs offer flexible working.
  • You may be located in a production plant, workshop, office, laboratory, factory or on site, or possibly a mixture of several of these. Conditions may be hot, dusty or cramped, although most electrical engineers work in comfortable offices.
  • Jobs are available throughout the UK, with jobs in the manufacturing sectors concentrated in industrial areas.
  • Travel within the working day is common. Jobs in multinational organisations may involve overseas travel.
  • Women are still underrepresented in all areas of engineering, although the number of women working in SET (science, engineering and technology) is increasing and is now around 12%. Some firms and organisations, such as Women into Science, Engineering and Construction (WISE) , The UKRC  and Women's Engineering Society (WES) , actively encourage and promote the entry of women into engineering education, training and practice.
  • Self-employment and consultancy are possible after building up expertise and a reputation within the profession. It would be normal to hold chartered engineer status before entering consultancy work.
  • There are good opportunities for working overseas, particularly in the oil, petrochemical and power sectors, large consulting firms and large building contractors. This could be either an overseas posting with a multinational employer or by applying for a job based overseas.
 
AGCAS
Written by AGCAS editors
Date: 
August 2011
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