Engineering graduates enjoy strong prospects, study finds

Nearly two-thirds of engineering and technology graduates land a job in the engineering industry, a study has found.

Using the latest data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) to explore engineering and technology graduates’ activity 15 months on from graduation, Engineering Graduate Outcomes looks at who graduated with an engineering and technology degree, how many are employed and what jobs they are going into, and how relevant their qualification was to their job.

Encouragingly, engineers were significantly more likely to agree that their degree was relevant to their job than non-engineering graduates. Longer term career prospects also look promising as engineers were significantly more likely to agree that they feel “on track” with their plans for the future compared to non-engineers.

Salary prospects are also good, with graduates in engineering occupations tending to earn more money than graduates in non-engineering occupations. Most engineering graduates said they were on a salary of between £25,000 to £30,000, or higher.

Key findings

• Engineering and technology graduates are more likely to be in work than graduates in other subjects
• More than two-thirds of engineering and technology graduates went on to work in engineering and technology jobs, but this is higher for men than women
• Graduates working in engineering and technology roles are earning more than graduates in other jobs
• Engineering and technology graduates are more likely to think their degree was relevant to their job, and to feel “on track” with plans for the future
• Women, those from a lower socio-economic background, and Black/Black British young people continue to be underrepresented in engineering and technology degrees.

Dr Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive at EngineeringUK, said: "Engineering and technology is a critical industry in the UK with a growing and exciting range of job opportunities – which makes it a popular degree subject choice. Our report highlights that engineering graduates can look forward to strong employability prospects, competitive salaries and can hit the ground running with their career ambitions shortly after graduating.

"While higher education is the most common route into the sector, there are of course excellent technical and vocational routes – such as apprenticeships and T Levels – making it an accessible career choice for all young people."