North-South pay divide narrows for engineers

Engineers in the North of England (North West, Yorks & Humber and the North East) now earn on average eight per cent less than their Southern counterparts. Median pay for engineers in the North has risen by 9.9 per cent since 2009, from £34,091 to £37,455, compared to 8.3 per cent for engineers in the South (South West, South East, London and East of England), from £37,487 to £40,608.

In a statement, Brookson said that despite projects including Crossrail pushing up demand for railway engineers in London and the South East, engineers in the North have seen demand for their skills rise in sectors such as aerospace and automotive, which have benefitted from rising worker productivity and export-led growth.

Martin Hesketh, managing director of Brookson, said: “Demand for engineers in London and the South East tends to be dominated by mega projects such as Crossrail, which are publicly funded and focused on the domestic market. The North has seen a boom in the aerospace and automotive sectors, aided by the devaluation of the pound which has boosted exports.