Engineering graduate salaries

Engineering is an industry with well-defined progression routes in terms of roles and salaries, so let’s see what the average remuneration is, and what salaries are on offer in the sector.

gradireland research shows that graduate recruits in engineering, on average, earn around €36,500 in their first graduate job in 2024. This has gone up significantly from 2022’s figure of €31,954. No matter what sector of engineering you hope to focus on in your career, salaries increase as you gather experience.

Like most other professions, graduate jobs start out with plenty of scope for development, improvement and subsequent salary increases as you develop your career and gain more specialised expertise in engineering.

For certain roles in the engineering industry, a postgraduate qualification is a specific requirement. When it comes to these roles, having completed a PhD or master’s degree will have an impact on your earning potential.

Below is a selection of engineering salary data from a survey by industry specialists Engineers Ireland.

• Average salary for an engineer with 1–2 years’ experience: €38,000

• 79% of engineers received a salary increase last year, with 38% receiving an increase of more than 5%.

• Engineers in the public sector had the highest percentage of increases, with 92% reporting a rise in pay. 82% of electric and electronic engineers reported a pay rise, along with 81% of energy and utilities engineers.

• Chartered engineers can expect to earn €5,000 - €10,000 more than those without professional titles.

• Graduate engineers with 11-15 years of experience can expect to earn an average of €65,000.