What is the average civil engineering salary?

What is a civil engineer salary UK?

The pay for a civil engineer ranges drastically depending on experience and the job at hand. Entry-level civil engineers can expect to earn a basic starting salary of around £24,000 but, as they progress through their career and become more advanced, they could be looking at an annual wage of up to £80,000. Different types of civil engineers are often paid different salaries, so as well as experience, the specialism of civil engineering is also a salary-deciding factor.

We have a wealth of industry knowledge spanning several sectors and can aid you in finding out what other people in this position are getting paid and whether the proposed salary is appropriate.

What is a civil engineer?

Even as an entry-level candidate, a role as a civil engineer is considered to be largely well paid, but the salary most definitely reflects the level of work required. Civil engineering is a complex job, but it is one that is essential to every society.

A civil engineer is a person who is involved in the planning of buildings and other construction projects such as bridges. They do a range of tasks, including figuring out the logistics of a build to see if the architectural plans are feasible, developing CAD (Computer-Aided Design) blueprints, working out the environmental impact of a project, and reporting on the progress of a build to the overarching project authority.

Civil engineers work on a building site and sometimes in an office, and they may be expected to work outside of normal Monday-Friday 9-5 hours. Whilst on site, they may be expected to wear protective clothing like a high-visibility vest, protective boots and a hard hat.

How to become a civil engineer

A civil engineer is a skilled job that requires specific qualifications to be completed. The most common route people take to get into civil engineering is by doing a degree. There are many forms of civil engineering, such as structural engineering which trains a person to work on buildings and bridges etc. Another type of civil engineering is coastal engineering which looks at a building near the coast or extending a coastline through fake harbours etc. Many universities will offer students the chance to specialise in a certain type of engineering.

It is possible for a person to get into the civil engineering field without going to university; one such way is by obtaining a higher national certificate/diploma (HNC/HND) at college. A standard college course might offer a person a level three diploma/certification, but a civil engineering one is typically a level four or a level five due to the requirements expected of a person going into this career. A person might need to complete a level three diploma before they can progress to the level four or level five that is required.

The final route to becoming a civil engineer is by doing an apprenticeship for which you will need at least four or five GCSEs.

Who can become a civil engineer?

Civil engineering isn’t for everyone, which is why specialised qualifications are needed. A strong scientific capability is required, as well as excellent methodical thinking, attention to detail, comprehensive computer skills, basic construction knowledge and good mathematical ability.

Employing a civil engineer

If you’re an employer looking to hire a civil engineer but are unsure as to how much of a salary you should be offering, look no further than Paydata. The spectrum of how much a civil engineer can expect to be paid varies hugely which can make it hard for employers to know how much of a salary to offer. Setting out a salary that is below the industry average could deter candidates; it’s important to keep on top of competitive salaries if you’re going to be in with a chance of hiring the right person for the job.

We offer a comprehensive salary benchmarking service to help you gain a reliable insight into how much employers within your job sector typically pay. This will help you see how your company ranks against others in terms of employee salaries and benefits, giving you all the information you need to make your company a more competitive place to work.

Our civil engineering survey membership offers up-to-date data regarding best market practice and industry trends in relation to what other companies in your sector are offering. It is important that you remain aware of what other people are offering employees in similar roles. Underpaying employees can lower morale and increase staff turnover. Other companies might even poach your employees with offers of higher pay, and this could see you lose your best talent.

Signing up to our industry salary surveys will allow you to keep an eye on what your employees could be earning, on average, elsewhere. We also offer HR and reward support which encompasses a full job description service, organising payroll and general data analysis of things like terms and conditions. All of this can help you attract the best civil engineers, improve staff retention and provide a fulfilling and rewarding place for your employees to work.

Get in touch

To find out more about how we can help you in terms of determining a civil engineering salary, please get in touch with us.