Advertised pay · updated 4 October 2026

Design Engineer vs Civil Engineer: advertised pay

Design Engineer roles are advertised higher: a median £52,500 against £50,625 for Civil Engineer, a gap of 4% (n=205 and n=154 respectively).

Design Engineer, median advertised salary£52,500advertised · 205 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026 Civil Engineer, median advertised salary£50,625advertised · 154 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026

The two samples are different sets of adverts from different employers, so a gap between them is a gap in what is being advertised.

Advertised, not paid: these are the salaries employers stated in live job adverts. They are not a survey of what people are paid, and this site neither sets nor guarantees any rate.

How each one spreads

Design Engineer

Lowest advertised£25,000advertised · the lowest of 205 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
25th percentile£42,500advertised · a quarter of 205 adverts are below · 04 Oct 2026
Median£52,500advertised · half of 205 adverts are below · 04 Oct 2026
75th percentile£67,500advertised · three quarters of 205 adverts are below · 04 Oct 2026
Highest advertised£166,750advertised · the highest of 205 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026

Five measured points from the adverts that state pay. Nothing is drawn between them, because the shape in between has not been measured.

Middle half of adverts£42,500 – £67,500advertised · 205 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026

Lowest to highest£25,000 – £166,750advertised · 205 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026

Adverts stating pay205 of 26079% of live adverts · 04 Oct 2026

Civil Engineer

Lowest advertised£27,000advertised · the lowest of 154 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
25th percentile£42,500advertised · a quarter of 154 adverts are below · 04 Oct 2026
Median£50,625advertised · half of 154 adverts are below · 04 Oct 2026
75th percentile£59,438advertised · three quarters of 154 adverts are below · 04 Oct 2026
Highest advertised£277,500advertised · the highest of 154 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026

Five measured points from the adverts that state pay. Nothing is drawn between them, because the shape in between has not been measured.

Middle half of adverts£42,500 – £59,438advertised · 154 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026

Lowest to highest£27,000 – £277,500advertised · 154 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026

Adverts stating pay154 of 18782% of live adverts · 04 Oct 2026

Cities where both are advertised

Only cities with at least five adverts stating pay for both roles. A city left out has too thin a sample on one side, not lower pay.

City	Design Engineer median	Civil Engineer median	Basis
London	£65,550	£58,750	advertised · 17 / 14 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
Bristol	£55,000	£48,750	advertised · 7 / 8 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
Birmingham	£50,750	£43,000	advertised · 6 / 6 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
Manchester	£46,500	£53,750	advertised · 7 / 12 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026

Each city’s figures are its own latest snapshots, the ones its city pay pages print.

Design Engineer by level

Median advertised salary at each level for Design Engineer roles across the UK, on one scale from zero.

Graduate£29,000advertised · 5 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
JuniorFewer than 5 adverts state pay.3 of 5 live adverts state pay · 04 Oct 2026
Senior£65,000advertised · 25 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
Lead£70,000advertised · 15 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
Head ofFewer than 5 adverts state pay.2 of 2 live adverts state pay · 04 Oct 2026

The level comes from the words in the advert title. An advert that does not say its level counts towards the overall figure and no level.

Most recent snapshot here: 4 October 2026.

Civil Engineer by level

Median advertised salary at each level for Civil Engineer roles across the UK, on one scale from zero.

Graduate£30,000advertised · 19 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
JuniorFewer than 5 adverts state pay.1 of 2 live adverts states pay · 04 Oct 2026
Senior£55,000advertised · 44 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
Lead£57,500advertised · 22 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
Head ofFewer than 5 adverts state pay.1 of 1 live advert states pay · 04 Oct 2026

The level comes from the words in the advert title. An advert that does not say its level counts towards the overall figure and no level.

Most recent snapshot here: 4 October 2026.

Where next

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