Engineers use maths, science and technology to create things and solve problems. Read our guide on how to become an engineer to find out more.
Updated: 05 Sept 2025
Engineering is applied to most parts of everyday life, including travel, communications, housing and other buildings, work facilities, sport, leisure and entertainment, and the environment. Engineers work across a range of industries and help design, invent, build, maintain and restore various structures, equipment, systems and processes. As an engineer, you’ll need to keep to your employer or client’s project timeline and budget, delivering the specific brief that’s been presented. Engineers need to be innovative and are given a lot of responsibility, meaning the job role is highly thought of and often well paid.
As an engineer, your main responsibilities will depend on what type of engineer you are. For instance, a civil engineer’s main tasks will focus on designing and building structures and infrastructure, whereas an electrical engineer will be concerned with electrical systems and machinery.
In general, an engineer’s main work duties can include:
Drawing up plans and designs
Performing quality control tests
Using maths and science skills to find solutions to problems
Overseeing construction projects
Checking equipment, products and infrastructure
Overseeing creations from design stage through to production
Choosing appropriate materials
Calculating timeframes and budgets
Ensuring health and safety procedures are met
Completing health and safety documents
There are lots of different types of engineers, like mechanical engineers, civil engineers, chemical engineers, electrical engineers and software engineers. Each field of engineering will present different work environments and challenges. For example, you may spend most of your time in the office, or frequently visiting construction and project sites. Also, you may work in a sector that means what you do is quite repetitive, or your work could vary on a day-to-day basis.
Engineering work is usually challenging and complex, meaning you’ll often have to work hard to find solutions. Because of this the job can involve a lot of creativity and problem solving. Engineers work both individually and as part of a team, meaning you’ll need to be good at independent working and cooperation.
Due to the nature of the role, you’ll often have to work long hours, sometimes during evenings and weekends, in fairly formal and serious work environments. Depending on what you do in engineering, you may also hold a great deal of responsibility, both in terms of project completion and health and safety. Because of this, engineering positions are usually well-paid and highly respected.
It can be a rewarding career, as you’ll see your designs come to life and what you do can make a significant difference to the world, so job satisfaction is often high. You may need to travel as part of your role, within the UK and sometimes abroad, and you could become self-employed eventually, working on a freelance or consultancy basis.
To have a successful engineering career you’ll need lots of practical and technical skills that can be applied to problem solving, designing, creating and analysing. These skills include:
Communication
Team working and independent working
Knowledge of your specific industry
Maths and science competency
Analytical capabilities
Knowledge of engineering software
IT proficiency
Ability to work under pressure
Creativity
Attention to detail
Innovation
What you’ll earn as an engineer depends on factors like the type of engineer you are, how much experience you’ve got, who you work for and where you’re located.
Indeed Salaries estimates that the average salary for an engineer in the UK is around £34,000 per year, while Reed states that salaries average £40,000 and can be as much as £100,000.
To become an engineer, you’ll need to gain the required engineering qualifications. There are various routes you can take to earn these.
Engineering degrees
The most common way to become a qualified engineer is to do an engineering degree at uni. To get onto a degree course at one of the UK’s best engineering universities, you’ll need excellent A-level results. Most courses will state that you need to have studied maths and physics, or another science, at A-level. Depending on the uni, the grade requirements will likely range from A*A*A*–BBB. It should be noted that most unis will also accept alternative qualifications to A-levels.
To get a job in engineering, you’ll usually need a uni degree in an engineering or technology-related subject, for example, mechanical engineering, electronic engineering or general engineering. You can also sometimes get into the field having studied subjects like the sciences, maths or IT. In these cases, it may be necessary to do a conversion course after your studies.
Many engineering degrees include a placement year, giving students valuable work experience, and/or an inbuilt master’s qualification. You’ll be able to find plenty of further study opportunities which allow you to deepen your subject knowledge or specialise in a certain area. It should be noted that if you want to become a Chartered Engineer, you’ll need a Master of Engineering (MEng) degree or an Engineering Doctorate (EngD), which is accredited by a relevant professional institution. Relevant professional bodies include the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the Engineering Council, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).
Most engineering degrees take four to five years to complete. Once you’ve graduated, you’ll be able to find employment and start working towards your professional qualifications. These qualifications can often be completed while in employment.
Work placements and internships
It’s also a good idea to get work experience alongside your studies, as this will help you stand out to employers. As stated, this will often be included as part of your degree programme, but it won’t hurt to look for extra experience, for example, by doing a summer internship. Completing a work placement or internship will often lead to permanent jobs for graduates.
Large organisations tend to offer paid internships and industrial placements, while smaller firms may offer different types of opportunities, for example, work shadowing or short work experience placements.
Engineering apprenticeships
These are for students who don’t go to uni and instead allow participants to apply their practical skills directly to a work environment. Should you choose this route, you’ll complete a National Diploma in engineering or an engineering-related subject. At the same time, you’ll get paid on-the-job training at a relevant firm. This gives you the chance to experience the working world earlier while getting paid, being trained and working towards your diploma. Large organisations like KPMG, Network Rail and the RAF offer these kinds of experiences.
To be offered a place on an engineering apprenticeship, you’ll usually need a minimum of five GCSEs, including good grades in maths, science and IT. Sometimes you’ll need to have studied A-levels (or equivalent qualification) as well. Engineering apprenticeships usually take between two to five years to complete.
Once complete, you’ll be able to work towards becoming a Chartered Engineer by taking the relevant qualifications.
Want to find out which universities offer amazing engineering courses? Check out the top five unis on the Complete University Guide's Engineering Subject League Table...