The honest guide to becoming an engineer in the UK

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Choose an engineering discipline

The main branches of engineering: what engineers in each one do, what they earn and how to get in.

Reviewed by the Born to Engineer editorial team ·

Here are 11 branches of engineering to compare. Almost all of their degrees ask for maths at A level,[1] and mechanical, civil and aerospace courses ask for physics too.[2]

Disciplines by interest

  • Aerospace engineering

    Design, test and support aircraft, satellites and spacecraft.

    A levels
    Maths, physics[3]
    Starting pay
    £25,000 to £35,000[4]

    Guide in progress

  • Automation engineering

    Program the robots and control systems that run factories, warehouses and plants.

    A levels
    Maths, physics
    Starting pay
    £25,000 to £30,000[5]

  • Biomedical engineering

    Build and look after the technology of healthcare, from joint replacements to scanners.

    A levels
    Maths, plus biology, chemistry or physics[6]
    Starting pay
    £32,073 to £39,043[7]

    Guide in progress

  • Chemical engineering

    Scale up chemical processes to make fuels, medicines, food and materials safely.

    A levels
    Maths, chemistry (some accept physics)[8]
    Starting pay
    £28,000 to £34,000[9]

    Guide in progress

  • Civil engineering

    Design and build the bridges, roads, railways, tunnels and water systems everyone relies on.

    A levels
    Maths, physics[10]
    Starting pay
    £26,000 to £35,000[11]

  • Electrical engineering

    Generate, move and control power: grids, motors, car charging and renewable energy.

    A levels
    Maths, usually physics[12]
    Starting pay
    £28,000 to £32,000[13]

  • Electronic engineering

    Design the circuits and chips inside phones, satellites, medical scanners and cars.

    A levels
    Maths, usually physics[12]
    Starting pay
    £25,000 to £33,000[14]

  • Manufacturing engineering

    Plan and improve how things are made, from production lines to 3D printing.

    A levels
    Maths, physics
    Starting pay
    £25,000 to £30,000[15]

    Guide in progress

  • Mechanical engineering

    Design machines with moving parts, from car engines and turbines to medical devices.

    A levels
    Maths, physics[16]
    Starting pay
    £26,000 to £30,000[17]

  • Software and systems engineering

    Build the software and connected systems that run products, services and infrastructure.

    A levels
    Usually maths[18]
    Starting pay
    £30,000 to £31,000[19]

    Guide in progress

  • Structural engineering

    Make sure buildings, bridges and stadiums stand up safely to loads, wind and time.

    A levels
    Maths, physics
    Starting pay
    Around £26,000[20]

    Guide in progress

Compare disciplines

Engineering disciplines compared. Starting pay is for graduates. Select a column heading to sort.
You might work on Where you'd work Worth knowing
Aerospace engineering Jet engines, wings, satellites, launch vehicles Maths, physics[3] £25,000 to £35,000[4] Design office, test facility Security clearance may be needed for defence and some space roles[21]
Automation engineering Robot arms, conveyor systems, sensors, control software Maths, physics £25,000 to £30,000[5] Factory, plant and office Not published
Biomedical engineering Artificial joints, prosthetics, MRI scanners, surgical robots Maths, plus biology, chemistry or physics[6] £32,073 to £39,043[7] Hospital, lab, manufacturer The NHS route is the Scientist Training Programme, which is competitive[22]
Chemical engineering Vaccines, hydrogen fuel, recycled plastics, chocolate Maths, chemistry (some accept physics)[8] £28,000 to £34,000[9] Lab, office or processing plant Shift work is common in processing and manufacturing
Civil engineering Bridges, railways, flood defences, water supply Maths, physics[10] £26,000 to £35,000[11] Office plus site visits, or on site[23] A long road to chartership, and an ICE-accredited degree matters
Electrical engineering Wind farms, the National Grid, electric motors, EV chargers Maths, usually physics[12] £28,000 to £32,000[13] Plant, lab, workshop, office Conditions can be "hot, dusty or cramped"[24]
Electronic engineering Circuit boards, chips, radio and sensors, satellites Maths, usually physics[12] £25,000 to £33,000[14] Lab, workshop, office Not published
Manufacturing engineering Production lines, 3D printing, quality testing, robots Maths, physics £25,000 to £30,000[15] Factory floor and office Not published
Mechanical engineering Engines, turbines, vehicles, medical devices Maths, physics[16] £26,000 to £30,000[17] Office, plant, workshop So broad you will still choose a specialism later
Software and systems engineering Apps, control systems, cloud services, cyber security Usually maths[18] £30,000 to £31,000[19] Office or remote Deadline crunches, and on-call rotas in some roles
Structural engineering Skyscrapers, stadiums, bridges, restoring old buildings Maths, physics Around £26,000[20] Design office, with site visits Not published

Still deciding

Keeping your options open

Keep maths and physics (or maths and chemistry for chemical engineering) and almost every branch stays open. Mechanical and general engineering degrees are the broadest, and some universities share a first year before you specialise.

NextChoose your subjectsThenChoose a route

Questions people ask

Which type of engineering is best?

There isn’t a single best branch. Civil, mechanical and electrical engineering are the largest in the UK, but the right one is the branch whose problems you’d enjoy working on. Many degrees share a common first year, so you can often switch.

Do I have to choose a discipline at 16?

No. Maths and physics A levels (or equivalents) keep almost every branch open. You choose when you apply for a degree or apprenticeship, usually in Year 13, and general engineering courses let you decide even later.

How much do engineers earn?

New graduates usually start on £25,000 to £35,000, depending on the branch.[11] Biomedical engineers in the NHS start on £32,073 to £39,043 (Band 5),[7] software graduates on £30,000 to £31,000[19] and chemical engineers on £28,000 to £34,000.[9] Pay rises with experience and chartered status: chartered chemical engineers earn a median £93,000.[25]

Which engineering discipline pays the most?

At the start, biomedical roles in the NHS (Band 5, from £32,073)[7] and software (£30,000 to £31,000)[19] are among the highest. Over a career, chartership matters more than the branch: IChemE puts chartered chemical engineers' median pay at £93,000, against £49,950 for those not chartered.[25]

Can I study engineering without physics?

For some branches, yes. Chemical engineering asks for maths and chemistry (some universities accept physics instead),[8] biomedical engineering takes maths plus biology, chemistry or physics,[6] and software courses usually ask for maths.[18] Civil, mechanical and aerospace degrees usually want maths and physics.[16]

Which engineering suits someone who likes biology or chemistry?

Biomedical engineering, with maths plus biology, chemistry or physics, works on joint replacements, scanners and surgical robots.[6] Chemical engineering, with maths and chemistry, scales up processes to make medicines, fuels, food and materials.[8]

What if I pick the wrong one?

You can usually change. Mechanical and general engineering are the broadest degrees, some universities share a first year across branches, and the maths and physics behind them overlap. Changing early, before you specialise at work, costs the least.

Sources

25 sources

  1. Russell Group (Informed Choices)

    Engineering (general) | Informed Choices

    This subject is usually essential Mathematics

    Checked 14 October 2026

  2. Imperial College London

    Aeronautical Engineering MEng (2027 entry)

    A/A* in Physics (A* is required if applying with three A-levels. At least an A is required if applying with four A-levels)

    Checked 14 October 2026

  3. The University of Manchester

    MEng Aerospace Engineering (2027 entry)

    A-level A*AA in any order, including Mathematics, Physics, and one other subject.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  4. Prospects

    How to become an aerospace engineer | Salary, skills, requirements

    Starting salaries for aerospace engineers range from £25,000 to £35,000.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  5. Prospects

    Control and instrumentation engineer

    Starting salaries for graduates entering control and instrumentation engineering range from £25,000 to £30,000.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  6. University of Southampton

    BEng Biomedical Engineering

    A-levels AAA including mathematics and either biology, chemistry or physics

    Checked 14 October 2026

  7. NHS Employers · 6 Aug 2026

    Pay scales for 2026/27

    Band 5 £32,073 2 £34,592 2 £39,043 Band 6 £39,959 2 £42,170 3 £48,117 Band 7 £49,387 2 £51,932 3 £56,515

    Checked 14 October 2026

  8. The University of Manchester

    BEng Chemical Engineering (2027 entry)

    A-level AAA including Mathematics and either Chemistry or Physics

    Checked 14 October 2026

  9. Prospects

    Chemical engineer

    Chemical engineering graduates earn £28,000 to £34,000.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  10. The University of Manchester

    BEng Civil Engineering (2027 entry)

    A-level AAA including Mathematics, Physics, and one other subject

    Checked 14 October 2026

  11. Prospects

    How to become a consulting civil engineer | Salary, skills, requirements

    Graduate consulting civil engineers typically earn £26,000 to £35,000.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  12. The University of Manchester

    BEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering (2027 entry)

    A-level offer A*AA including Mathematics and either Physics, Electronics, Further Mathematics, Chemistry or Computer Science.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  13. Prospects

    Electrical engineer

    Graduate starting salaries are usually between £28,000 and £32,000.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  14. Prospects

    Electronics engineer

    Starting salaries for electronics engineers are around £25,000 to £33,000.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  15. Prospects

    Manufacturing engineer

    Manufacturing engineers can expect to start on salaries in the region of £25,000 to £30,000.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  16. The University of Manchester

    BEng Mechanical Engineering (2027 entry)

    A-level A*A*A in Mathematics, Physics, and one other subject. We are willing to consider applicants without Physics if they have studied Further Mathematics; applications will be considered on a case by case basis.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  17. Prospects

    Mechanical engineer

    Starting salaries for mechanical engineers, including those on graduate training schemes, typically range between £26,000 and £30,000.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  18. The University of Manchester

    BSc Computer Science (2027 entry)

    A-level A*AA including A* in Mathematics, and a minimum of one science subject from the following list: Computer Science, Further Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, or Physics.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  19. Prospects

    Software engineer

    Typical graduate software engineer salaries average £30,000 to £31,000 a year.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  20. Prospects

    How to become a structural engineer | Salary, skills, qualifications

    You'll usually start on around £26,000 as a graduate structural engineer.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  21. Prospects

    How to become an aerospace engineer | Salary, skills, requirements

    For roles in defence and some space-related areas, security clearance may be required, depending on the employer and the nature of the work.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  22. Prospects

    How to become a biomedical engineer | Salary, skills, requirements

    If you wish to work in the NHS you'll need to enter through the NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP).

    Checked 14 October 2026

  23. Prospects

    Becoming a contracting civil engineer | Salary, skills, requirements

    You'll usually work 40 to 42 hours a week, but site deadlines, weather conditions, deliveries and safety requirements can mean early starts, late finishes or occasional weekend work.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  24. Prospects

    Electrical engineer

    Depending on the location, conditions can be hot, dusty or cramped.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  25. IChemE (Institution of Chemical Engineers)

    How Much Do Chemical Engineers Earn? – Salary Insight

    Chartered status is the key factor impacting salaries, with Chartered engineers earning 86% more than their non-chartered peers (annual median salary of £93,000 vs £49,950).

    Checked 14 October 2026