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Last updated: 5 April 2024
How much do structural engineers earn?
The ever-growing construction industry means structural engineers are in constant demand, but how much do structural engineers earn? In this guide, we look at figures for the average structural engineer salary in the UK, as well as the breakdown for the average structural engineer salary based on level of experience.
Whether you're beginning your career in structural engineering as an apprentice, you’re an established self-employed structural engineer, or you run your own structural engineering company – this guide is for you.
How much money does a structural engineer make in the UK? Keep reading to find out.
How much do structural engineers earn in the UK?
| Level | Per hour | Per day | Per year | Business Costs* | Approximate Take Home Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | £12.50 | £100 | £21,950 | £0 | £18,420 |
| Newly Qualified | £17 | £136 | £29,850 | £0 | £23,790 |
| Employed | £24 | £192 | £49,920 | £0 | £37,930 |
| Sole Trader | £45 | £360 | £66,380 | £8,297 | £46,240 |
| Business Owner (ltd company) | £49 | £392 | £72,280 | £12,648 | £46,790 |
| *includes estimated costs for business expenses such as vehicle, tools, insurance, fuel etc | |||||
| Last updated: May 2024 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now | |||||
The average structural engineer starting salary is around £21,950 for an apprentice. At the other end of the scale, the average structural engineer wage for a structural engineering limited company owner is somewhere in the region of £72,280.
The exact structural engineer salary you can earn will depend on your qualifications, skills, experience, and where you’re based – as well as the size and complexity of the structural engineering jobs you take on.
Find out more about starting your own structural engineering business.
How much does a structural engineer earn a year?
Here are the average figures for how much money a structural engineer can make in the UK:
Apprentice structural engineer – £21,950 (£18,420 take home) per year
Graduate structural engineer salary – £29,850 (£23,790 take home) per year
Employed structural engineer – £49,920 (£37,930 take home) per year
Sole trader structural engineer – £66,380 (£46,240 take home) per year
Structural engineering company owner – £72,280 (£46,790 take home) per year
Structural engineer salary per month
Based on the above yearly figures for the average structural engineer salary, we’ve calculated the average structural engineer wage per month in the UK:
Apprentice engineer salary – £2,167 per month
Graduate structural engineer salary – £2,946 per month
Employed engineer salary – £4,160 per month
Sole trader engineer salary – £7,800 per month
Structural engineering limited company owner – £8,493 per month
How much money does a structural engineer make per week?
Here’s how much money you could make per week as a structural engineer in the UK:
Apprentice structural engineer – £500 per week
Graduate structural engineer salary – £680 per week
Employed structural engineer – £960 per week
Sole trader structural engineer – £1,800 per week
Structural engineering limited company owner – £1,960 per week
Structural engineer salary per day
If you’re wondering how much you’ll earn per day as a structural engineer, here are the average day rates based on the average structural engineer salary per level of experience:
Apprentice engineer salary – £100 per day
Graduate structural engineer salary – £136 per day
Employed engineer salary – £192 per day
Sole trader engineer salary – £360 per day
Structural engineering limited company owner – £392 per day
Average structural engineer salary per hour
The average hourly rates of a structural engineer in the UK are:
Apprentice engineer salary – £12.50 per hour
Graduate structural engineer salary – £17 per hour
Employed engineer salary – £24 per hour
Sole trader engineer salary – £45 per hour
Structural engineering limited company owner – £49 per hour
How to start a structural engineering firm
Demand for civil and structural engineering expertise is growing rapidly, making now a great time to start your own structural engineering business. Homeowners, developers, builders, and architects are all looking for solutions to their built environment problems. Here, we'll look at how to start a
How much money does a self-employed structural engineer make?
When you’re looking at earning potential, starting your own structural engineering business as a self-employed structural engineer can massively boost how much money you can make.
As a sole trader with your own structural engineering business, you could be earning on average:
Hourly rate – £45 per hour
Day rate – £360 per day
Yearly salary – £66,380 per year
Annual take-home pay – £46,240 per year
Is structural engineering profitable?
When running your own structural engineering business, the revenue and profit you generate will depend on a number of factors – such as the size of your business, the amount of work you do, and how profitable each of your structural engineering jobs are.
To give you a rough idea of how much you could make, we’ve put together some estimates for structural engineering business revenue and profit figures.
Structural engineering firm revenue
Here are some figures for the average structural engineering business revenue in the UK:
Sole trader structural engineer – £66,380 per year
Structural engineering limited company – £72,280 per year
Structural engineering firm profit
To work out your profit as a structural engineering business, whether as a sole trader or a limited company, you need to factor in the costs for running your business - such as your work vehicle, fuel, materials, tools and insurance, etc.
If you employ people, it's important to factor in any staff wages as part of your business's running costs.
After deducting your annual business costs, a self-employed structural engineer can expect their structural engineering business profit (i.e. their take-home salary) to be somewhere in the region of £46,240 as a sole trader.
If you’re operating as a limited company, you’re looking at an average structural engineering business profit of around £46,790.
Want tips to expand your structural engineering business? Check out our guide on how to grow your business:
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How to make your structural engineering business more profitable
As the owner of a structural engineering business, you want to generate a profit – but how can you make your business more profitable?
We’ve put together our top tips to make your structural engineering business more profitable:
Make sure you're charging enough to cover your outgoings (including tools, materials, insurance, marketing, wages, fuel etc)
Focus on the jobs that make you the most money and require you to spend the least (for tools, materials, etc)
Limit how far you travel to avoid vehicle and fuel costs eating into your profits
Minimise your outgoings by trying to have no or as little debt as possible
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Get your business name out there through marketing (your website, customer reviews and SEO)
Provide the best customer experience to all your customers to build a strong reputation and win more work through word of mouth
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FAQs
Are structural engineers paid well in the UK?
Structural engineers are generally considered to be fairly well-paid in the UK. The average structural engineer salary ranges from £21,950 as an apprentice up to around £72,280 as a limited company owner.
What is the highest paid structural engineer?
As a structural engineer, the more experience you have and the more senior you are the more you can earn. Senior structural engineers will be paid more than junior structural engineers.
You can also increase your earning potential by starting your own structural engineering business – either as a sole trader or as a limited company owner.
Associate structural engineer salary
The average annual salary for an associate structural engineer is around £29,850 per year. This assumes that you have an engineering degree but are not yet chartered.
Chartered structural engineer salary
When you become a chartered structural engineer, you can expect your salary to start at somewhere in the region of £40,000per year.
Senior structural engineer salary
If you’re working as a senior structural engineer, you can expect to earn a salary of around £49,920 per year.
Principal structural engineer salary
Once you’ve achieved a certain level you may progress to becoming a principal structural engineer. At that level, you’re likely to earn a salary around £60,000per year.
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