Graduates and early-career engineers
Graduate engineering jobs: where your degree leads in Industry 4.0
An engineering degree, or a degree apprenticeship, opens 11 careers in advanced manufacturing below, from mechanical design to robotics and automation. Electrical engineer has the highest ONS median of them at £60,303; ONS does not publish graduate pay, so we show each group's lower quartile too (ONS ASHE 2025).
Updated
Pay ranges
ONS publishes pay by occupation group, not by years of experience, so there is no official graduate salary. The lower quartile is the closest guide the data gives to the lower end of each group.
| Career | Lower quartile | Median | Upper quartile | ONS group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical engineer | £39,125 | £51,110 | £62,237 | 2122 |
| Electrical engineer | £43,003 | £60,303 | £73,899 | 2123 |
| Electronics engineer | £44,943 | £52,518 | not published | 2124 |
| Manufacturing engineer | £39,642 | £47,946 | £58,754 | 2125 |
| Project engineer | £43,175 | £53,064 | £67,463 | 2127 |
| Quality engineer | £35,425 | £43,592 | £54,194 | 2481 |
| Automation engineer | £39,642 | £47,946 | £58,754 | 2125 |
| Robotics engineer | £39,653 | £48,776 | £61,717 | 2129 |
| Mechatronics engineer | £39,653 | £48,776 | £61,717 | 2129 |
| Additive manufacturing engineer | £39,653 | £48,776 | £61,717 | 2129 |
| Embedded software engineer | £42,289 | £56,914 | £75,794 | 2134 |
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Each figure covers the whole ONS unit group named by its code, not only the job title shown. ONS leaves a quartile out when the estimate is not reliable enough to publish.
The careers in detail
Core engineering roles
FromAn engineering degree or degree apprenticeshipToMechanical engineer
The broadest route for a mechanical, manufacturing or product design degree: design and development work on machines, parts and equipment.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Electro-mechanical engineer, level 6, typically 60 months
- Apprenticeship: Product design and development engineer (degree), level 6, typically 42 months
- Apprenticeship: Manufacturing engineer (degree), level 6, typically 42 months
- Degree usually needed: No
Live mechanical engineer jobsNational Careers Service profile
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2122 "Mechanical engineers (professional)", not only mechanical engineer roles.
FromAn engineering degree or degree apprenticeshipToElectrical engineer
Power, motor control and machine electrics, in factories, energy and infrastructure. The electrical side of automation starts here.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Electrical and electronic engineer (degree), level 6, typically 42 months
- Apprenticeship: Electro-mechanical engineer, level 6, typically 60 months
- Degree usually needed: No
Live electrical engineer jobsNational Careers Service profile
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2123 "Electrical engineers", not only electrical engineer roles.
FromAn engineering degree or degree apprenticeshipToElectronics engineer
Circuit boards, sensors and the electronics inside connected products, a natural fit for an electronic or electrical and electronic degree.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Electrical and electronic engineer (degree), level 6, typically 42 months
- Apprenticeship: Embedded electronic systems design and development engineer (degree), level 6, typically 36 months
- Apprenticeship: Product design and development engineer (degree), level 6, typically 42 months
- Degree usually needed: No
Live electronics engineer jobsNational Careers Service profile
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2124 "Electronics engineers (professional)", not only electronics engineer roles.
FromAn engineering degree or degree apprenticeshipToManufacturing engineer
How products are made and how to make them better: processes, tooling, new equipment and lean improvement.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Manufacturing engineer (degree), level 6, typically 42 months
- Apprenticeship: Engineering manufacturing technician, level 4, typically 42 months
- Degree usually needed: No
Live manufacturing engineer jobsNational Careers Service profile
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2125 "Production and process engineers", not only manufacturing engineer roles. ONS codes production, process and continuous improvement engineers to production and process engineers (2125). A manufacturing engineer working at technician level is coded to engineering technicians (3113), which pays less.
FromAn engineering degree or degree apprenticeshipToProject engineer
Delivering engineering projects such as new lines and equipment, a role that shows you a project from start to finish.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Product design and development engineer (degree), level 6, typically 42 months
- Degree usually needed: Yes
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2127 "Engineering project managers and project engineers", not only project engineer roles.
FromAn engineering degree or degree apprenticeshipToQuality engineer
Making sure products are made right first time, with statistics, root cause analysis and quality systems: a good fit if you like data and problem solving.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Engineering manufacturing technician, level 4, typically 42 months
- Degree usually needed: No
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2481 "Quality control and planning engineers", not only quality engineer roles. ONS codes professional quality engineers to quality control and planning engineers (2481). A quality engineer working at technician level is coded to quality assurance technicians (3115), which pays less.
Industry 4.0 roles
Automation, robotics, 3D printing and embedded systems: the connected, data-driven side of production.
FromAn engineering, computing or science degreeToAutomation engineer
Programming and commissioning the control systems behind automated lines. Suits mechatronics, electrical and control engineering graduates.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Control systems engineer (degree), level 6, typically 42 months
- Degree usually needed: Yes
Live automation engineer jobsNational Careers Service profile
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2125 "Production and process engineers", not only automation engineer roles. ONS codes professional automation and control engineers with production and process engineers (2125), so the pay figure covers that whole group. The National Careers Service lists automation engineer as another name for a robotics engineer.
FromAn engineering, computing or science degreeToRobotics engineer
Designing and programming robot cells. The National Careers Service lists degrees in robotics, mechatronics, mechanical or electronics engineering, computer science or maths.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Robotics engineer - degree, level 6, typically 48 months
- Apprenticeship: Electro-mechanical engineer, level 6, typically 60 months
- Apprenticeship: Advanced robotics engineer, level 7, typically 36 months
- Degree usually needed: Yes
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2129 "Engineering professionals n.e.c.", not only robotics engineer roles. ONS codes robotics engineers to engineering professionals not elsewhere classified (2129), a broad group, so the pay figure covers all of it.
FromAn engineering, computing or science degreeToMechatronics engineer
Machines that combine mechanical, electrical and control engineering, for graduates who do not want to pick one.
- Way in
- Apprenticeship: Electro-mechanical engineer, level 6, typically 60 months
- Apprenticeship: Robotics engineer - degree, level 6, typically 48 months
- Degree usually needed: Yes
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2129 "Engineering professionals n.e.c.", not only mechatronics engineer roles. ONS codes mechatronics engineers to engineering professionals not elsewhere classified (2129), a broad group, so the pay figure covers all of it.
FromAn engineering, computing or science degreeToAdditive manufacturing engineer
Designing for 3D printing and running the process, for mechanical, materials or product design graduates.
- Way in
- Degree usually needed: Yes
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2129 "Engineering professionals n.e.c.", not only additive manufacturing engineer roles. ONS codes additive manufacturing and 3D printing engineers to engineering professionals not elsewhere classified (2129), a broad group, so the pay figure covers all of it.
FromAn engineering, computing or science degreeToEmbedded software engineer
Software for devices, controllers and IoT products, for electronics, computing or software graduates who like working close to the hardware.
- Way in
- Degree usually needed: No
Source: ONS ASHE 2025, Table 14.7a, published . Full-time median, UK. Covers the whole ONS unit group 2134 "Programmers and software development professionals", not only embedded software engineer roles. ONS codes embedded software engineers with all programmers and software development professionals (2134), so the pay figure covers that whole group.
Degree apprenticeships
Paid jobs that include a degree or equivalent. Your employer and training provider must not ask you to pay for the training (GOV.UK).
| Apprenticeship | Level | Typical length | Leads to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embedded electronic systems design and development engineer (degree) | 6 | 36 months | electronics engineer |
| Control systems engineer (degree) | 6 | 42 months | automation engineer |
| Electrical and electronic engineer (degree) | 6 | 42 months | electrical engineer, electronics engineer |
| Manufacturing engineer (degree) | 6 | 42 months | mechanical engineer, manufacturing engineer |
| Product design and development engineer (degree) | 6 | 42 months | mechanical engineer, electronics engineer, project engineer |
| Robotics engineer - degree | 6 | 48 months | robotics engineer, mechatronics engineer |
| Electro-mechanical engineer | 6 | 60 months | mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, robotics engineer, mechatronics engineer |
| Advanced robotics engineer | 7 | 36 months | robotics engineer |
Source: Skills England, apprenticeship standards approved for delivery, published retrieved 29 September 2026. Standards apply in England. Typical lengths are Skills England's figures; relevant experience can shorten them.
Chartered and incorporated engineers
ONS describes the entry routes for professional mechanical engineers like this:
Professional mechanical engineers usually possess an accredited university degree. After qualifying, periods of appropriate training and experience are required before membership of a chartered engineering institution is attainable. Incorporated engineers possess an accredited university degree, BTEC/SQA award or an apprenticeship leading to an NVQ/SVQ at level 4, followed by periods of training and relevant experience.
Source: ONS, SOC 2020 Volume 1, unit group 2122 Mechanical engineers (professional), published retrieved 28 September 2026.
The entry text is much the same for electrical, electronics, production and process, and project engineers. In short: you can start work as a graduate engineer, and chartered status comes after further training and experience.
Finding graduate roles
- Search for graduate, trainee and junior versions of the job you want, and for graduate schemes.
- Work experience counts. The National Careers Service says internships, placements and vacation schemes during your course can give you an advantage when you apply for jobs or graduate training schemes.
- Put your projects on your CV in detail: the software, tools and methods you used are the skills our matching, and employers, look for.
Source: National Careers Service, Electrical engineer and Mechanical engineer, published retrieved 29 September 2026.
Common questions
Short answers, each with its source. Pay figures are ONS ASHE 2025 full-time figures unless stated.
What do graduate engineers earn in the UK?
ONS does not publish pay by years of experience in this table, so there is no official graduate figure. For the 11 careers here, the lower quartile, the point a quarter of full-time employees in each group earn less than, runs from £35,425 to £44,943 (ONS ASHE 2025). Medians cover everyone in the group, so they are not starting salaries.
Which engineering jobs pay the most?
Of the careers here, electrical engineer has the highest ONS full-time median, £60,303 (ONS ASHE 2025). Pay varies a great deal by employer, sector and place, and ONS figures cover whole occupation groups.
Can I become an engineer without a degree?
Yes. ONS notes that incorporated engineers can qualify with a degree, a BTEC or SQA award, or an apprenticeship leading to a level 4 qualification. Degree apprenticeships are another way: you work and are paid while you earn the degree, and GOV.UK says your employer and training provider must not ask you to pay for the training.
What is a degree apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship at level 6 or 7 that includes a degree or equivalent. For example, Skills England's Robotics engineer - degree standard is level 6 and typically takes 48 months. The table on this page lists every degree-level standard linked to these careers. They apply in England.
Is a mechanical engineering degree useful for robotics?
Yes. The National Careers Service lists degrees in artificial intelligence and robotics, mechatronics, robotics engineering, mechanical or electronics engineering, and computer science or maths as routes into robotics engineering.
Do I need to be chartered to work as an engineer?
No, not to start. ONS says that after qualifying, periods of appropriate training and experience are needed before membership of a chartered engineering institution, so chartered status comes later in a career.
How do I find graduate engineering jobs?
Search for graduate, trainee and junior titles in the field you want, and look at graduate schemes. The National Careers Service says work experience during your course, such as internships, placements and vacation schemes, can give you an advantage when applying for jobs or graduate training schemes. Upload your CV and we score live adverts against the skills you have, including your degree projects.
What is Industry 4.0?
The name for bringing connected, data-driven technology into production: robots and automated lines, 3D printing, sensors that report how machines run, and software, including AI, that uses the data. Graduates design, program and improve those systems.
How we worked this out
Pay is the median gross annual pay for full-time employees in the UK from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional, Table 14.7a, published 23 October 2025). It covers the tax year ending 5 April 2025, for employees who had been in the same job for more than a year. A median is the midpoint for everyone in the job, from new starters to people with decades behind them, so it is not a starting salary.
ONS does not publish pay by years of experience in ASHE Table 14, so this page shows each group's lower quartile, median and upper quartile rather than a graduate figure. Each career is placed in the SOC 2020 unit group the ONS coding index gives for its title.
- Each job is matched to an ONS SOC 2020 unit group using the ONS coding index. Where several jobs share a group, the figure covers all of them, and the card says so.
- ONS does not publish a figure when the estimate is too uncertain (a coefficient of variation over 20%) or could identify people. We say "not published" rather than fill the gap.
- ASHE counts employees only. It says nothing about self-employed earnings, such as private tutoring or consultancy.
- "Degree usually needed" is our judgement from the entry routes that ONS and the National Careers Service describe. "No" means a documented route exists below degree level, not that nobody in the job has a degree.
- Apprenticeships are Skills England standards approved for delivery on 29 September 2026. They apply in England. Durations are Skills England's typical figures, and relevant experience can shorten them.
- ONS publishes ASHE 2026 on 22 October 2026. We will update these figures when it does.
Sources
- ONS, Earnings and hours worked, occupation by four-digit SOC: ASHE Table 14 (2025 provisional), published 23 October 2025.
- ONS, SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups, retrieved 28 September 2026.
- National Careers Service, Mechanical engineer, retrieved 29 September 2026.
- National Careers Service, Electrical engineer, retrieved 29 September 2026.
- National Careers Service, Robotics engineer, retrieved 29 September 2026.
- Skills England, apprenticeship standards, retrieved 29 September 2026.
- GOV.UK, Become an apprentice, checked 28 September 2026.