Engineering is a vast sector, and the range of jobs available is huge. Further details on each subsector are below.
Starting salaries for graduate trainee engineers compare favourably with salaries for other graduate jobs. Only medicine, dentistry and veterinary science were higher (Source: Engineering UK). The highest starting salaries are typically found in multi-national corporations. Ongoing earnings are comparable to those in other professions and, according to the Engineering Council, engineers enjoy better remuneration than accountants and solicitors and are well represented on company boards.
Civil engineering & construction
A high proportion of civil engineers are employed by engineering consultancies such as Atkins and Arup, which work on global projects delivering highways, bridges, railways, buildings and other structures. Trainees usually begin their career in design, and progress to managing projects, liaising with clients and architects and supervising contractors.
Graduate opportunities also exist within construction and property development companies and civil engineering contractors, utility and transport infrastructure companies, and government agencies and departments. More information is available from sites such as the Institution of Civil Engineers .
See the Prospects website for information on specific roles in civil engineering:
Biomedical engineering
A biomedical engineer (sometimes referred to under the broader title of ‘clinical engineer’) works with other healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, therapists and technicians. Biomedical engineers may be called upon in a wide range of capacities: to design instruments, devices and software, to bring together knowledge from many technical sources to develop new procedures, or to conduct research needed to solve clinical problems.
In this field there is continual change and creation of new areas due to rapid advancement in technology. However, some of the well-established areas within the field are: bioinstrumentation, biomaterials, biomechanics, cellular, tissue and genetic engineering, clinical engineering, medical imaging, orthopaedic surgery, rehabilitation engineering, and systems physiology. Biomedical engineers are employed in universities, industry, hospitals, and research facilities of educational and medical institutions. For advice on roles in university research please consult our information on Academic careers.
The Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) is the professional body for medical engineers in the UK. Although they have been heavily involved in supporting professional training, the new ‘Modernising Scientific Careers’ initiative by the Department of Health is bringing with it some changes to career routes for clinical engineers.
See the Prospects website for biomedical engineering pages for more specific information on careers in biomedical engineering.
Energy & engineering
Energy Future provide training videos on the Energy Industry. The decline in UK oil and gas production and the current focus on climate change are placing increasing importance on reducing carbon emissions and finding new energy sources.
See our separate information on the Energy sector as well as Prospects’ webpages on Energy for more detailed information specifically around each of these roles.
Electronics & engineering
The electronics industry can be broadly divided into two types of organisations: component manufacturers, who make integrated circuits and semi-conductors (e.g. Intel) and original equipment manufacturers, who produce whole products such as televisions and mobile phones (e.g. Samsung, Huawei, Apple, IBM, Sony Hewlett-Packard).
There are also design consultancies and in-house divisions within major manufacturers. The telecommunications industry is booming, and also provides plenty of career options for engineers. Engineering roles include R&D, installation and maintenance.
See the Prospects’ website’s electronics engineering pages (and the related jobs tab) for further information on these typical job titles:
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineers work in any field that involves the development of industrial processes: food and drink, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, agrochemicals, petrochemicals, energy and extraction industries. Large employers include BASF, DOW and DuPont. Roles include: process engineers, who design, install and commission manufacturing plants, environmental engineers, who work to minimise and manage the environmental problems, and roles in research and development (R&D). More information is available from the Institute of Chemical Engineers website.
See the Prospects website’s chemical engineering pages (and the related jobs tab) for further information on these typical job titles:
Aerospace & defence engineering
The UK aerospace industry is the largest in Europe. The aerospace sector consists of a small number of major global players (BAE Systems, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Also Boeing, Lockhead-Martin, UTC), some large suppliers (GKN, Cobham, Messier-Dowty), some large engineering service providers (Babcock International) and numerous small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who typically provide a specialist product or service.
The industry serves the needs of both civil and military aviation. Engineers may be involved in structures and systems, flight physics and testing, processes, manufacturing, operations and planning, or in research into novel materials and technologies. The Ministry of Defence runs the Defence Science and Engineering Group, in which engineers are employed on projects devising equipment to face new threats as they emerge.
Opportunities also exist for engineers in the Armed Forces to develop and maintain equipment and to liaise with suppliers of new technology. Regiments with a particular focus on engineering are the Royal Engineers, Royal Signals and Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
More information is available from the website of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
See the Prospects website (and the related jobs tab) for further information on:
Automotive engineering
The UK hosts more car manufacturing companies than anywhere else in the world – from global giants, such as Honda, Nissan and Toyota, to prestige and motor sports brands, such as Bentley, Williams and Lotus. Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover brands are entirely manufactured in the UK and 80% of the cars are exported. As a consequence there are outstanding opportunities for engineers to work in manufacturing and production engineering, as well as in design and development roles. If you are interested in this sector, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ website has the latest news and an industry directory.
See the Prospects website (and the related jobs tab) for further information on:
