JOBS & CAREERS SPRING 2018 - 297

for under-19s and those in their first year. Pay can rise
to £60,000 with experience, and chartered engineers in
specialist roles can earn significantly more than that.

Manufacturing/production engineer
Manufacturing has been a backbone of the British economy
since the Industrial Revolution, and nowadays it covers
factory creation of everything from food to chemicals,
and accounts for 10% of the country's output.
Manufacturing engineers are often required at the
beginning of a product's life cycle, working with a range of
colleagues and external contacts to ensure a product can
be made efficiently. You could be working on production
of a Formula One car or a critical health treatment.
What qualifications do I need? Maths and physics are
important subjects for getting a grounding in some of the
skills needed by manufacturing engineers. Degrees are
available in manufacturing systems engineering, electrical
or electronic engineering, production engineering and other
relevant areas. You can also enter at trainee level with an
engineering HND, or take a degree-level apprenticeship.
How much can I earn? A graduate engineer can expect to
earn £26,000 a year in an entry-level position. With experience
and more responsibility salaries can rise, with aerospace
manufacturing engineers paid an average base salary of £40,000.

Civil/structural engineer
Civil engineers help to plan and manage construction projects.
Often they work on public infrastructure schemes to improve
road, rail, water and energy networks, but they can also have a
crucial role to play on private house- and office-building jobs.
Structural engineers also work in the construction industry,
ensuring the built environment is safe and sturdy. Both roles
2 9 6 /// J O B S & C A R E E R S

The government has named
2018 the Year of Engineering,
indicating how seriously it is
taking the need for fresh talent
involve drawing up and understanding
physical and virtual blueprints, and
communicating problems and solutions
to others involved in a project.
What qualifications do I need? To
become a chartered structural or civil
engineer, you would normally need an
accredited engineering degree followed by
a significant period of industry experience
and professional training. However, you
don't have to become chartered and there
are solid routes into these roles through
apprenticeships and local training courses.
How much can I earn? Starting salaries
are around £20,000 but that can double
with training and experience, and double
again with chartered status and senior
roles. Opportunities exist to work overseas,
which can be even more lucrative.

Electrical engineer
As an electrical engineer you help design,
develop and maintain electrical systems
in buildings and vehicles, as well as in rail



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