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.

The gradireland Graduate Salary & Graduate Recruitment Trends Survey 2021 shows that graduate recruits in engineering can, on average, earn up to €36,666 in their first graduate job, this is up significantly on last year’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 Masters will have an impact on your earning potential.

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

• Average salary for an engineer with 1–2 years' experience: €33,000

• 79% of engineers received a salary increase in 2021, with 17% receiving an increase of 10% or more.

• Civil and building engineers had the highest percentage of increases, with 73% reporting a rise in pay. 71% Mechanical and manufacturing engineers reported a pay rise, along with 70% of electrical and electronic engineers and 69% in other engineering disciplines.

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

• Graduate engineers with over ten years of experience can expect to earn an average of €65,000.