Reed’s 2022 engineering and manufacturing salary guide uses data gathered from 6.6 million jobs posted to Reed.co.uk over the last three years, highlighting the key developments in the sector.
Here are the five regions in the UK that have seen the greatest growth in salaries:
1. South West – 5.9% salary growth
The South West has seen multiple new firms in the region developing innovative technology such as electric vehicles, electric aerospace, and battery technology. This could be one of the reasons that the South West has seen the highest growth in salaries.
Some roles that have seen notable increases in salaries are CNC programmers, which have grown by 4.4%, field service engineers, whose pay has increased by 2.9%, and electrical engineers, with salaries up by 4.2% this year.
2. Wales – 5.6% salary growth
Over the last 12 months, Wales has seen growth in industries using new technologies and become a leader in semi-conductor technology, as well as receiving increased investment in research and development, electronics, and medical devices.
This growth has been reflected in the salaries across the region, making it the second-highest-growing region in the UK. There has been a 14.8% growth in EHS manager salaries this year, with an expected average salary of £48,000 compared to £41,800 in 2021.
Production engineers should receive on average a 11.4% higher salary compared to last year, while maintenance managers now earn £40,200 on average compared to £37,900 in 2021.
3. North West – 5.1% salary growth
Across the North West, there has been a lot of movement in SMEs and many companies are now in a good position to rebound from the pandemic. “Businesses that previously had structures requiring them to have a shortlist of five candidates before they started interviewing are now disregarding this to hire more quickly. Once a hiring manager finds a suitable candidate for their role, they should not hesitate to make an offer – and ensure that it is competitive,” said Alexa Naylor, Regional Managing Director at Reed.
It appears that many companies in the region have been taking this approach based on local salary growth. Project engineers can now expect an average salary of £44,400 – which is 12.1% higher than in 2021. Electrical engineers have seen a 3% growth in salaries, and EHS manager salaries have increased by 12.5%.
4. Northern Ireland – 4.9% salary growth
Northern Ireland is known for its sophisticated and advanced engineering and manufacturing sector. In recent years, employment in the country’s manufacturing market has grown considerably and this year the region has seen a 4.9% increase in salaries.
Project managers can now earn 14.5% more than they did in 2021, with an average salary of £52,200. Salaries for production engineers have gone up by 4.5% this year, and quality managers can expect 12.7% growth in salaries, earning an average of £44,400 compared to £39,400 last year.
5. East Anglia – 4.6% salary growth
The engineering and manufacturing sector in East Anglia has experienced greater investment over the last year, such as Iberdrola’s huge offshore wind project and the possible expansion of nuclear power provision at Sizewell. The growth in investment has been reflected by the growth of salaries in the region, which have increased by 4.6% since 2021.
Engineering/technical directors can earn on average £83,900, compared to £72,500 in 2021 – this is a huge growth of 15.7%. Production engineers’ salaries have grown by 10.1%, and field service engineers have seen growth of 4.5%, with an average salary of £32,300.
For more information on salaries and benefits in the sector, download our free 2023 engineering and manufacturing salary guide here.
