Advertised pay · updated 4 October 2026

Planner vs Design Engineer: advertised pay

Planner roles are advertised higher: a median £60,000 against £52,500 for Design Engineer, a gap of 14% (n=233 and n=205 respectively).

Planner, median advertised salary£60,000advertised · 233 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026 Design Engineer, median advertised salary£52,500advertised · 205 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

Planner

Lowest advertised£13,800advertised · the lowest of 233 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
25th percentile£35,000advertised · a quarter of 233 adverts are below · 04 Oct 2026
Median£60,000advertised · half of 233 adverts are below · 04 Oct 2026
75th percentile£82,500advertised · three quarters of 233 adverts are below · 04 Oct 2026
Highest advertised£290,000advertised · the highest of 233 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£35,000 – £82,500advertised · 233 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026

Lowest to highest£13,800 – £290,000advertised · 233 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026

Adverts stating pay233 of 30576% of live adverts · 04 Oct 2026

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

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	Planner median	Design Engineer median	Basis
Bristol	£76,250	£55,000	advertised · 6 / 7 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
Manchester	£53,750	£46,500	advertised · 10 / 7 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
London	£36,509	£65,550	advertised · 46 / 17 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026

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

Planner by level

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

GraduateFewer than 5 adverts state pay.3 of 3 live adverts state pay · 04 Oct 2026
Junior£35,000advertised · 9 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
Mid-levelFewer than 5 adverts state pay.2 of 2 live adverts state pay · 04 Oct 2026
Senior£80,000advertised · 55 adverts stating pay · 04 Oct 2026
Lead£86,250advertised · 16 adverts stating 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.

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.

Where next

New Planner and Design Engineer adverts by email, weekly

Get new UK civil engineering jobs by email

Weekly and free. Unsubscribe in one click from any email.

Email me new UK civil engineering jobs matching this search. I understand civilengineeringjobs.co.uk introduces candidates to our job partner and does not employ anyone, and that I can unsubscribe in one click from any email. We email a confirmation link first and send nothing until you click it. See the privacy notice.