Mechanical engineer Salary and conditions

• Range of typical starting salaries: £20,000 - £28,000, with the average around £22,000.
• Mid-level salaries for lead/principle engineers with several years experience: £35,000 - £50,000.
• Range of typical salaries at senior level/with experience, e.g. after 10 - 15 years in the role: £40,000 - £55,000 plus.
• Salaries vary from company to company and some sectors attract higher salaries, according to demand. Final salaries may be affected by hours of work.
• Working hours typically include regular extra hours, but not usually weekends or shifts.
• The work is mainly office-based with regular visits to plants, factories, workshop or building sites. Factory production areas can be noisy.
• Self-employment and freelance work are possible for qualified engineers with a good track record and experience. Short-term contract or consulting work is also possible, often arranged through agencies.
• Fewer women than men are becoming chartered engineers (CEng). The number has risen over the past few years but the percentage of women engineers in the UK continues to be lower than in other European countries. Some firms and organisations, such as WISE (Women into Science, Engineering and Construction) , actively encourage female entrants to the profession. Women's Engineering Society (WES)  runs student groups in some universities.
• Opportunities are usually available in towns and cities that have a strong manufacturing or research base, or in regions where there is a local facility that supports specialist engineering.
• Work is often to deadlines, particularly in consultancy work.
• Dress code can vary from a suit and tie for office-based work to a hard hat and overalls when working on site.
• Travel within a working day is frequent. Absence from home at night and overseas work or travel may be required, depending on the employer and nature of the business. There are many opportunities to work abroad, particularly throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. It is possible to gain professional recognition in other European countries and chartered engineers can apply for European engineer status (Eur Ing).