What is the average Lift Engineer salary in the UK?
Here it is, straight-up insight into what the lift engineering job market has looked like over the past year (April 2024 – April 2025). I’ve pulled together the numbers from around 600 job ads (excluding any from Stirling Warrington – so no bias here), and I’m breaking it all down: salaries, regions, experience levels, perks, and what actually makes a job attractive in this lift industry right now.
Whether you’re an engineer thinking about your next move, or a manager wondering what to offer to keep your team together, this report’s for you.
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Average Lift Engineer Salary by role
| Role | Avg. Salary | Common Range | % of Ads |
| Lift Engineer (Standard) | £37,500 | £32,000 – £42,000 | 70% |
| Senior Lift Engineer | £45,000 | £40,000 – £50,000 | 15% |
| Lift Supervisor | £47,500 | £45,000 – £50,000 | 5% |
| Lift Engineering Manager | £50,000+ | £45,000 – £60,000+ | 10% |
The average Lift Engineer salary in the UK sits somewhere between £35k and £40k.
If you’ve got NVQ3 and 2-3 years of experience and you’re earnings are in the low £30ks, you’re underpaid.
I actually asked my LinkedIn network what they’d change about their current job. And a whopping 65% voted for salary, which gives the impression that the salaries offered to lift engineers in the UK misalign from their expectations.
Senior and lead roles are commanding 20-30% more than the standard. So if you’re taking on team responsibilities without a salary jump, I’d say it’s time to rethink that job.
Manager-level salaries start around £45k but can push over £60k depending on location and remit. But these roles are rare and competitive.
Lift Engineer Salary by Region
| Region | Avg. Salary | % of Jobs |
| London | £48,000 | 18% |
| South East | £44,000 | 16% |
| South West | £40,800 | 9% |
| North West | £41,300 | 8% |
| West Midlands | £39,100 | 7% |
| Yorkshire & Humber | £43,600 | 6% |
| East Midlands | £41,700 | 5% |
| East of England | £39,800 | 5% |
| North East | £42,800 | 3% |
| Wales | £43,100 | 4% |
London leads the way (no shock there) but it’s not just about cost of living. The majority of the roles I work on are London-based and several things all push the average salary up. Bigger contracts, higher demand, and more complex work.
Lift engineers in Yorkshire, Wales and the North East are earning more than you might expect. Whereas Midlands salaries are a bit behind the curve.
If you’re a company in the Midlands struggling to hire, this is probably why. Your competitors in the North and South are paying more for the same talent.
Extra impacts on salary
Pay isn’t just about job title or region. Roles that include call-out, overnight stays or walking routes (in London) usually offer more.
- Call-out rota: Expect 5-15% higher base, plus solid overtime. In London, OTE can hit £80k+
- Walking routes: Some London-based roles paying up to £48k for engineers without vans, covering routes on foot/public transport
- Overnight stays: National travel roles top out at the higher end of their salary bands and usually include extra perks (expenses, per diem, etc.)
If your role involves more inconvenience or extra hours, it should come with a better package.
Salary by Lift Type
| Sector | Avg. Salary | Typical Range | % of Roles |
| Domestic | £35,000 | £30,000 – £40,000 (OTE higher) | 10% |
| Commercial | £38,000 | £35,000 – £45,000 | 40% |
| Industrial | £40,000 | £35,000 – £45,000 | 5% |
| Mixed | £45,000 | £40,000 – £50,000 | 20% |
| Unspecified | £37,000 | £35,000 – £40,000 | 25% |
If you can cover work on various lift types, you’re in a strong position. Mixed roles are paying the most, because they need versatile, experienced engineers.
Domestic-only work pays a bit less base, but some of those roles come with commission – if you’re installing stairlifts and upselling, your OTE can be massive.
Commercial is the bread-and-butter of the industry and most roles fall here.
Industrial is a smaller market, but salaries are slightly stronger because of the heavy-duty nature of the work and the skills needed.
Benefits & Perks
Here’s what companies are offering on top of salary:
- Company van + fuel card | mentioned in 65% of ads
- Bonus schemes | in 50% of ads
- Enhanced holiday allowance | 70% ads
- Pension: a few go up to 10-12% | 60% of ads
- Private healthcare/cash plans | Seen in around 45% of roles
- Training/progression: Common, especially NVQ upgrades and manufacturer training | 40% of roles
If you’re hiring and you’re not offering at least a van, decent overtime, and a proper pension, you’re going to struggle to find strong talent AND risk losing your current team to competitors who are offering these.
These just go to show that salary isn’t necessarily the be all end all. Engineers are weighing up the whole package now. And sometimes, a slightly lower base salary gets accepted if the perks balance it out.
Summary
The UK lift engineering market has been busy and competitive over the last 12 months. Salaries are slowly creeping up, particularly in London and the South East, but there’s still a gap in the Midlands and other regions.
Engineers with solid experience and versatility (especially those comfortable with various lifts) are in high demand and being paid accordingly. The value of on-call work, travel, and shift patterns can’t be overlooked either. If you’re doing more, you should be earning more.
My advice for lift engineers looking for a new role:
- Know your worth. If you’ve got experience, versatility, and a good track record – you should be paid accordingly.
- Don’t just look at base salary. Weigh up the full package: van, paid travel time, overtime, holidays, pension, training.
- Don’t wait until you’re unhappy to start looking. The best time to explore is before you’re desperate. You can browse all of my lift industry vacancies here.
My advice for hiring managers:
- Benchmark your roles properly. If you’re offering £35k in an area where the going rate is £40k+, you’re going to struggle.
- Review what you’re offering regularly. Especially if you haven’t updated your package in a few years.
- The engineers who deliver consistent results aren’t short of options. Make sure you’re still a strong option for them.
Got questions? Or want help benchmarking your salaries or putting together a better package?
Drop me an email or a call – this is what I do every day.
ravin@stirlingwarrington.co.uk | 07949 074 423
