This discussion is locked.
You cannot post a reply to this discussion. If you have a question start a new discussion

Professionally registered engineers report higher earnings

Former Community Member
Former Community Member
Professionally registered engineers report higher earnings


"Average salaries are higher among professionally registered engineers in all areas of industry, according to a 2018 Salary Survey produced by The Engineer. The mean average salary among professionally registered respondents was over £8,000 a year higher."

https://www.theengineer.co.uk/professional-registration-engineer-salary/

Salary survey here


Moshe Waserman BEET, MCGI, CEng MBCS, MIET

 


  • The report appears to indicate that the salaries quoted in the Engineering Council salary survey are much higher.
  • Alasdair Coades' words are carefully chosen: "These responses suggest that professional registration can also boost earnings", although (based on what is shown here) even the word "suggest" is a bit strong for me. There is a correlation between mean increased earnings and professional registration in each level of seniority, but - all together now - "correlation does not imply causation".


    For example, let's say that for the first three years that an engineer works at a particular level of seniority they are ineligible for registration at the relevant level. This means that the mean for non-registered engineers would include three years of "juniority" of staff not included in the mean of registered engineers. (Not very well explained I'm afraid, hope that makes sense!)


    Or there's the fact that it tends to be older engineers who opt for registration, again this will skew the figures if a like-for-like sample of non-registered engineers has not been taken.


    Now, as you all know, I'm a great fan of registration and very happy to promote it for a range of reasons. But I've always been wary of suggesting that it will directly increase earning potential - and, unless there's more evidence here I don't think this helps make that case. (Indirectly registration may help by providing access to a wider range of jobs, or possibly jobs in more highly paid industries.) Meanwhile, the risk of raising false expectations (with a consequent backlash) is always very dangerous.


    To be fair: in his last job before he retired, when he went to work at a Polytechnic, my father did get some highly appreciated extra pay because he had previously been Chartered. Ironically, by then he'd resigned his institute membership (having changed his field). It's the closest I've ever come to hearing of a direct correlation and causation between registration and pay. I'd be interested to know if any roles today (this was over 40 years ago) offer such a bonus.


    So overall at face value this seems to me to be a potentially slightly naughty claim. But maybe the underlying data is better than it looks.


    But anyway the salary data alone is fascinating!


    Many thanks for the links Moshe smiley


    Cheers,


    Andy
  • Andy,

    I think perhaps even more complicated than that.

    For example, I currently work in a consultancy where the grading is Engineer/Senior Engineer/Consultant/Senior Consultant/Principal Consultant so someone describing themselves as a Senior Engineer is fairly junior and probably not registered yet. This will be compared with a Senior Engineer in a different business who may be quite senior and registered. Is this a good comparison of the added earnings of registration?

    My feeling on the survey results is it is more likely to be a causative relationship with the engineers who gain promotion/seniority/higher pay rises being more likely to be the ones who apply for and gain registration, rather than the other way round. I am with you on supporting registration but I agree that it is a disservice to try to persuade someone that they will be better paid if they are registered.

    Alasdair
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Well, do we know the sample size? 10s, 100s, or 1000s? And were there equal numbers of registered to non-registered engineers?


    There are many more non-registered compared to registered engineers in employment. So what about age range? What if they questioned say 10 senior registered engineers in the 40-50 age range, and 100 or more junior non-registered engineers in the 20-35 age range? 


    Some organisations provide london weighting pay on top of basic salaries.  All of these factors could have an added effect to skew the results in favour of registered engineers, who just might all happen to be based in London. wink


    In my experience, I have observed that highly skilled, but fixed job roles, tends to result in lower salaries compared to earnings of those who have multiple roles or responsibilities. That's another factor that might explain, why one engineer is paid more than another.
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Mehmood,

    Here is some additional info:

    Quoting the report:


    . "With 2,864 engineers taking part this year, from 11 different sectors, we have analysed the results to find out which industries and regions have the highest salaries, how large the gender imbalance within the profession is, and how satisfied respondents feel by their chosen career."


    "It’s worth reminding ourselves just how important the UK’s engineering sector is to the economy: 19 per cent of the total UK workforce is in the sector, generating 23 per cent, or £1.23 trillion, for UK PLC. In a sector that demands 124,000 new hires a year while managing a skills gap of 59,000, employers are seeking our experience at CBSbutler to help them meet their growth ambitions and retain their existing workforce. Their employees, on the other hand, are naturally keen to ensure their rare skills are being rewarded and recognised appropriately. This survey should help educate all of these important stakeholders"

    https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/centaur-wp/theengineer/prod/content/uploads/2018/06/18100816/2018-Salary-Survey.pdf
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Im not sure how relevant my experience will be as its just one anecdotal example, but last year I had applied to a well known engineering firm for a job.


    All went well, and the interviewers said they were happy with my interview and we're happy to employ me - albeit with one sticking point regarding salary, I was not IEng or CEng so could not offer my asking salary, only a lower salary (around ten thousand a year less).


    Whilst the bosses had some control over salaries within the branch of the company, they were restricted to bands they could offer, which depended upon a variety of things, including Engineering Council membership. They said if I wanted my asking salary, id need to get either IEng or CEng for them to agree to it due to this. They were happy for me to decline the job offer, and come back anytime once I've obtained either (which im towards the end process of).


    I know this is just one example, and many people will not have experienced anything like this, but it certainly does happen. And even if it doesn't directly get you a higher salary like my experience had, it certainly would help you either get a job at all when the market is tough, and gives you a little more leeway on trying to negotiate a higher pay. Their may be no direct evidence that EC registration gets you a higher pay, but I personally believe your better off with it than without it when fighting for a higher pay.
  • Hi Lee,


    That's really interesting - particularly given the sums of money involved. Obviously we all have to be careful in what we post here about specific cases, but is there anything you're able to post about what sort of role in which industry this was?


    Thanks,


    Andy

  • Lee Berrey:

     Their may be no direct evidence that EC registration gets you a higher pay, but I personally believe your better off with it than without it when fighting for a higher pay.




    I forgot to add - I think this sentence is really well put! And also probably true for getting your CV through the sorting stage.


    And although I have come across recruiting managers that really don't like to see it (the ones that see us all as old-boys-club stick-in-the-muds who should be pensioned off) I don't think even they would actually reject a good CV which had CEng / IEng on. So on balance my feeling it's either going to help (possibly quite a lot) or be neutral.


    Any more stories / experiences from anyone would be very welcome!


    Thanks,


    Andy

  • Andy,

    Not really my experience but something I heard back in the dim and distant past when I was newly Chartered, where one CEng wrote in (I can't remember where to now) that he had stopped putting CEng on his CV when applying for jobs because the prospective employers assumed his salary expectations would be higher than for a non-Chartered Engineer, significantly reducing his chance of getting to interview. Same issue in relation to earnings but the opposite result in terms of "employability".

    Alasdair
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member

    Andy Millar:


     


    Lee Berrey:

     Their may be no direct evidence that EC registration gets you a higher pay, but I personally believe your better off with it than without it when fighting for a higher pay.




    I forgot to add - I think this sentence is really well put! And also probably true for getting your CV through the sorting stage.


    And although I have come across recruiting managers that really don't like to see it (the ones that see us all as old-boys-club stick-in-the-muds who should be pensioned off) I don't think even they would actually reject a good CV which had CEng / IEng on. So on balance my feeling it's either going to help (possibly quite a lot) or be neutral.


    Any more stories / experiences from anyone would be very welcome!


    Thanks,


    Andy


     






    Andy,


    The post was an electrical designer/engineer (mostly building services and infrastructure). The vast majority of the companies work was either infrastructure design, or working with architects. Where I live, many firms are joint architects and engineers under one roof - and they have a strong preference, sometimes mandatory requirement, for EC registration at IEng or CEng level.


    I was unaware of this whilst working with my current employer for the past 9 years, until last year I decided to look outside to see what was around and learnt about this the hard way. Thankfully im only 30, and im hoping to have obtained IEng before I turn 31 and can start looking for outside opportunities.


    Lee.