Structural engineer : Salary and conditions

• Salaries for new graduate trainees are in the region of £23,000 to £32,000.
• The range of typical salaries at senior level/with experience (e.g. after 10-15 years in the role) is from £40,000 to £70,000. The higher end of the scale is reached by those who have chartered status.
• Some companies offer additional benefits such as a company car and private health insurance.
• Working hours are generally nine to five, Monday to Friday, with the possibility of occasional evening and weekend work.
• The work is office-based with occasional visits to construction sites to visit other professionals working on a project or clients or to measure progress of a building project.
• Self-employment is possible as the building of a structure involves projects which are put out to tender. Some structural engineers work on a contract basis (and become known as ‘contract engineers’) and some set up their own consultancies.
• Career breaks are possible once you are qualified. If you have membership with The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) it will help you to stay up to date with progressions in the industry and will aid with finding work again.
• Jobs are available throughout the UK. However, most are concentrated in and around cities.
• Structural engineers dress appropriately for the office but adapt their attire for site visits, which may include wearing certain safety clothes.
• Approximately 85% of engineering graduates are men meaning that women are underrepresented in engineering careers. Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WiSET)  aim to redress this imbalance.
• This is an extremely important job; the public is dependent on the skills of structural engineers for their safety.
• Travel within a working day is common as sites are often local to an engineer's place of work. However, working away from home on a project is possible from time to time especially for senior structural engineers and project managers.
• Engineering consultants can work on projects anywhere in the world including during large-scale natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis.

Salary figures are intended as a guide only.