Principal Engineer Salaries in United Kingdom

Updated 7 Dec 2023
Base Pay Range
£55K - £82K/yr
Average Base Pay

1,884 salaries

£58K

Low

£72K

Average

£94K

High

Additional Cash Compensation
Average£5,107Range£2,218 - £11,760
The average salary for Principal Engineer is £72,399 per year in the United Kingdom. The average additional cash compensation for a Principal Engineer in the United Kingdom is £5,107, with a range from £2,218 - £11,760. Salaries estimates are based on 1884 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Principal Engineer employees in United Kingdom.

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What is the salary trajectory for a Principal Engineer?

in United Kingdom

£72,399 /yr
Principal Engineer
£95,317 /yr
Senior Principal Engineer
£49,953 /yr
Distinguished Engineer
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the salary trajectory for a Principal Engineer?

Job TitleSalary
Principal Engineer£72,399 /yr
Senior Principal Engineer£95,317 /yr
Distinguished Engineer£49,953 /yr
What is the salary trajectory for a Principal Engineer?

in United Kingdom

£72,399 /yr
Principal Engineer
£95,317 /yr
Senior Principal Engineer
£49,953 /yr
Distinguished Engineer
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the salary trajectory for a Principal Engineer?

Job TitleSalary
Principal Engineer£72,399 /yr
Senior Principal Engineer£95,317 /yr
Distinguished Engineer£49,953 /yr

Salaries in United Kingdom

Location

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Average Base Salary in (GBP)

Range

MBDA
4.5

MBDA

Principal Engineer

£52,536

 /yr
Range: £45K - £72K
109 salaries
See 110 salaries from all locations

£45K

£72K

£44,500 - £72,138 Range

WSP
3.7

WSP

Principal Engineer

£53,235

 /yr
Range: £44K - £76K
88 salaries
See 91 salaries from all locations

£44K

£76K

£43,500 - £76,354 Range

AECOM
3.8

AECOM

Principal Engineer

£56,700

 /yr
Range: £44K - £78K
67 salaries
See 71 salaries from all locations

£44K

£78K

£44,136 - £77,648 Range

BAE Systems
4

BAE Systems

Principal Engineer

£55,181

 /yr
Range: £46K - £69K
57 salaries
See 58 salaries from all locations

£46K

£69K

£45,527 - £68,993 Range

Arm
4.4

Arm

Principal Engineer

£119,769

 /yr
Range: £76K - £269K
55 salaries
See 55 salaries from all locations

£76K

£269K

£75,546 - £269,456 Range

Atkins
4

Atkins

Principal Engineer

£66,839

 /yr
Range: £51K - £84K
44 salaries
See 45 salaries from all locations

£51K

£84K

£50,555 - £84,208 Range

Cambridge Consultants
4.5

Cambridge Consultants

Principal Engineer

£65,893

 /yr
Range: £55K - £91K
43 salaries
See 45 salaries from all locations

£55K

£91K

£54,604 - £90,527 Range

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Jacobs
4

Jacobs

Principal Engineer

£58,581

 /yr
Range: £47K - £78K
39 salaries
See 40 salaries from all locations

£47K

£78K

£46,801 - £77,547 Range

Ricardo
3.7

Ricardo

Principal Engineer

£62,706

 /yr
Range: £53K - £82K
38 salaries
See 38 salaries from all locations

£53K

£82K

£53,448 - £82,103 Range

Mott MacDonald
4.1

Mott MacDonald

Principal Engineer

£64,631

 /yr
Range: £54K - £96K
32 salaries
See 33 salaries from all locations

£54K

£96K

£54,219 - £96,238 Range

Hoare Lea
3.8

Hoare Lea

Principal Engineer

£53,368

 /yr
Range: £43K - £62K
30 salaries
See 30 salaries from all locations

£43K

£62K

£43,376 - £61,810 Range

Arcadis
4.3

Arcadis

Principal Engineer

£60,951

 /yr
Range: £52K - £82K
29 salaries
See 30 salaries from all locations

£52K

£82K

£52,004 - £81,980 Range

Leonardo
3.9

Leonardo

Principal Engineer

£55,182

 /yr
Range: £42K - £65K
26 salaries
See 27 salaries from all locations

£42K

£65K

£42,303 - £65,000 Range

McLaren Group
3.3

McLaren Group

Principal Engineer

£73,686

 /yr
Range: £60K - £100K
19 salaries
See 19 salaries from all locations

£60K

£100K

£60,211 - £100,214 Range

Babcock International Group
3.6

Babcock International Group

Principal Engineer

£63,909

 /yr
Range: £54K - £76K
19 salaries
See 19 salaries from all locations

£54K

£76K

£53,601 - £75,907 Range

Jaguar Land Rover
3.9

Jaguar Land Rover

Principal Engineer

£58,103

 /yr
Range: £47K - £76K
19 salaries
See 19 salaries from all locations

£47K

£76K

£46,775 - £76,055 Range

JCB
3.9

JCB

Principal Engineer

£62,366

 /yr
Range: £30K - £113K
16 salaries
See 16 salaries from all locations

£30K

£113K

£29,963 - £113,337 Range

Cundall
4

Cundall

Principal Engineer

£66,807

 /yr
Range: £52K - £89K
15 salaries
See 16 salaries from all locations

£52K

£89K

£52,161 - £89,254 Range

Ramboll
4.1

Ramboll

Principal Engineer

£54,904

 /yr
Range: £50K - £64K
15 salaries
See 15 salaries from all locations

£50K

£64K

£50,424 - £64,085 Range

Dyson
3

Dyson

Principal Engineer

£85,427

 /yr
Range: £78K - £100K
15 salaries
See 15 salaries from all locations

£78K

£100K

£78,067 - £99,782 Range

Download as data table

Principal Engineer Salaries

Job TitleSalary
Principal Engineer salaries - 109 salaries reported£52,536/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 88 salaries reported£53,235/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 67 salaries reported£56,700/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 57 salaries reported£55,181/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 55 salaries reported£119,769/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 44 salaries reported£66,839/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 43 salaries reported£65,893/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 39 salaries reported£58,581/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 38 salaries reported£62,706/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 32 salaries reported£64,631/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 30 salaries reported£53,368/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 29 salaries reported£60,951/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 26 salaries reported£55,182/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 19 salaries reported£73,686/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 19 salaries reported£63,909/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 19 salaries reported£58,103/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 16 salaries reported£62,366/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 15 salaries reported£66,807/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 15 salaries reported£54,904/yr
Principal Engineer salaries - 15 salaries reported£85,427/yr
Viewing 1 - 10 of 12,703

Frequently asked questions about a Principal Engineer salaries

The average salary for a Principal Engineer is £72,399 per year in United Kingdom. Salaries estimates are based on 1884 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Principal Engineer employees in United Kingdom.

The highest salary for a Principal Engineer in United Kingdom is £93,557 per year.

The lowest salary for a Principal Engineer in United Kingdom is £57,576 per year.

Experience is gold as a principal engineer and will have an impact on your salary. If you don’t have a lot, you can help accelerate the process by pursuing higher education such as a postgraduate degree. Work towards acquiring relevant certified training and mastering in-demand skills in your field. Another way to increase your value is to earn experience managing multiple projects at once, or alternatively, one complex project. Demonstrating your experience managing complex projects can increase your earning potential. Consider volunteering for challenging projects or leading teams to demonstrate your ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.

You may also consider working for a larger company with more resources to allocate to higher salaries and greater opportunities for career growth.

Many potential employers will base their offer on your previous salary, so it's important to be honest about your earnings when applying.

Ensure you do your homework first by researching principal engineer jobs in the area. Use this data and be prepared to justify your salary request with examples of your previous experience and excellent performance. By providing specific examples of your value, you will stand out and increase your chances of securing the salary you deserve.

About 66.02% of Principal Engineer professionals feel satisfied with their salary, according to anonymous Glassdoor ratings. An additional £5,107 in potential pay per year, among other factors, can qualify the annual pay of a Principal Engineer in United Kingdom as a good salary.

Principal Engineer professionals in United Kingdom have a wide total pay range, between £47,493 and £122,389 depending on experience, with an estimated total pay of £72,399 following the average career path of a Principal Engineer.

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