The top 10 engineering jobs for the year ahead

Trends currently impacting the engineering labour market are in keeping with a pattern that we’re seeing more broadly – quickly-evolving skills demands, economic tempestuousness, and a new government are setting the tone for what looks to be another eventful year. While Labour’s recent budget is creating ripples of concern for many businesses, significant investments in manufacturing, clean energy, and skills development promise to lay the groundwork for a thriving engineering industry and strong hiring plans.

Whether it’s piloting the use of digital twins, leveraging on the potential of artificial intelligence and robotics, or factoring in the growing importance of sustainable design and energy use, organisations operating in the engineering sector will be facing a number of challenges and opportunities over the coming year – and they’ll need the right skills to meet them.

In compiling our annual Hays Salary & Recruiting Trends guide we analyse over 10,000 salaries using information gathered from job listings, job offers and candidate registrations across our UK office network. This, combined with our survey – which this year received just under 400 responses from professionals working in the engineering and manufacturing sectors – presents a highly comprehensive picture of salaries, recruiting trends and insights.

From this research comes three key questions:

• What’s causing salary inflation?
• Which roles are in highest demand?
• Will pay inflation continue?

Skills shortages in engineering continue apace

There looks to be no imminent let up on the talent shortages that have defined the engineering sector in recent years, with the overwhelming majority (98%) of employers saying they have faced a lack of the right skills over the past 12 months – almost no change from last year and the year before. As a result, salaries are projected to rise for the most in-demand roles in engineering (are you being paid the right salary?) as employers look to secure the skills they need to meet organisational objectives.

Specialist engineering roles in high demand

82% of engineering employers increased their employees’ pay over the last 12 months, and salaries within the industry overall rose by 4.1% over the past year – a greater increase than last year (3.6%). Upward salary momentum is also set to continue over the coming year, with 79% of employers intending to give their employees a pay rise in 2025.

Certain engineering professionals are likely to be particularly sought after by employers in the year to come, with a combination of increased activity and skills shortages driving this demand. Organisations looking to reconcile the requirements of both electronics engineering and programming are keen to secure the dual skillsets of embedded software engineers, whilst advancements in renewable energy technologies are driving demand for electrical engineers.

The ‘great dissatisfaction’ poses a threat

Growing employee concerns around career prospects are likely to intensify pressure on engineering employers when it comes to talent retention in the coming year. Just over a third (34%) of professionals say they’re dissatisfied with their current role, with a lack of career progression opportunities (45%) cited as the main reason for this. Over half (51%), meanwhile, plan to find a new role in the coming year.

A lack of future opportunities has also frog leapt salary and benefits packages as the most prolific reason for wanting to leave a job, with 41% of engineering staff citing it as their biggest incentive to move in comparison to only 16% last year. If employers want to avoid a ‘great resignation’ akin to the phenomenon we saw post-Covid, then providing employees with clear visibility of their future career path at your organisation – even if you cannot currently offer a pay rise – will be vital.

Meanwhile, professionals keen to secure a new opportunity will be pleased to know that hiring plans in engineering may be stronger than they anticipate. Over three quarters (76%) of employers say they plan to recruit in the coming 12 months, so if you’re feeling frustrated by a lack of upward mobility at your organisation, keeping an eye out for new vacancies and ensuring your CV reflects any newly-acquired skills or experience will put you in a good position to find a role that provides you with the progression you need.

Check out the UK Salary & Recruiting Trends 2025 guide for a more detailed look at the industry insights and salary trends that will define the engineering and manufacturing sector in the year ahead.