Mechanical Engineer Salary
Official ONS earnings for the UK, covering 55,000 jobs.
Median salary
£50,594
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 9% change on the previous year
Full-time only
£51,110
Mean
£54,255
Jobs measured
55,000
What a typical mechanical engineer takes home
On the median of £50,594, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£3,325
Take-home a year
£39,902
Income Tax
£7,670
National Insurance
£3,022
What most mechanical engineers actually earn
Half of mechanical engineers earn between £38,491 and £62,290. Earning above £62,290 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of mechanical engineers earn less than this.
Mechanical Engineer salary by region
7 of 11 GB regions have a published figure for this occupation.
| Region | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| London | £57,850 | £60,123 |
| East | £51,905 | £57,194 |
| South West | £51,657 | £49,389 |
| South East | £48,248 | £55,107 |
| West Midlands | £44,874 | £59,011 |
| Wales | £44,386 | £51,635 |
| Scotland | £38,478 | £45,668 |
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Mechanical engineers
- SOC 2020 code
- 2122
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Mechanical Engineer salary FAQs
What is the average Mechanical Engineer salary in the UK?
The median is £50,594 a year and the mean is £54,255, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; full-time employees alone have a median of £51,110.
How much does a mechanical engineer earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £24.76 excluding overtime, or £24.46 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only.
What is a good Mechanical Engineer salary?
Half of mechanical engineers earn between £38,491 and £62,290. Anything above £62,290 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a mechanical engineer?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of mechanical engineers earn under £31,785 and the lowest quarter under £38,491 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Has mechanical engineer pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +9.0% for this occupation in the UK. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many mechanical engineers are there in the UK?
ASHE counts around 55,000 employee jobs in “Mechanical engineers” (SOC 2122) in the UK. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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