Maintenance Engineer Salary in the East Midlands 

We’re back again with another update of our hiring insights.

We reviewed 306 Maintenance Engineer (not including facilities, field or fitter type roles) adverts over the course of Q4 2023 and Q1 2024 and uncovered some interesting things.

Use the links below to jump to an area of interest, or just scroll to see all!

Let’s start by going over the average advertised Maintenance Engineer salary for the East Midlands. 

Overview of Region – £42,552 

It’s similar to the last update, East Midlands came out on top in terms of the average overall salary, in comparison to the West Midlands and Warwickshire. However, our average is a whopping 7.7% more than what Indeed reports – which is mental!

This average is a small but significant 0.8% increase since the last report. The good news is it’s gone up in the last 6 months, but it should’ve been by more.

Remember though, this average includes Day Shifts, 32% of the data to be exact. These will naturally lower the average salary.

Here’s a bit more of an accurate breakdown: 

These fall just below the minimum that engineers expect. Realistically, I agree with engineers and think these averages should be higher. But they’re a pretty accurate representation of where the market is at the minute.  

Please note that 13% of the data is excluded from these totals as the shift type was not stated. So, they could sway these broken-down averages… 

Although, when you look at the common shifts, quite a few are paying below what engineers expect.   

This is disappointing. And it goes to show engineers aren’t moving for the averages we’ve pulled out from our data. It’s crazy to me that nearly half the Day Shifts pay below engineers’ expectations. The salary for days should be £40k at the bare minimum.

And the fact that nearly 60% are paying below expectations for 4 on 4 off, an incredibly common shift type. I would expect there to be a tangible benefit like a solid bonus structure in place to take them over the £45k mark.  

Electrical Maintenance Engineer Avg – £43,210

There seems to be an influx in demand for electrically biased engineers. With almost 32% of the adverts in this region seeking engineers with an elec bias. The understanding seems to be that it’s more likely for sparkies to be able to do a bit of mech than it is for fitters to do some elec. 

Let’s look at the average per shift and days to see how they compare:

These are pretty good. Definitely happy that the shift average is over £44k, this is what I’d expect. 

Mechanical Maintenance Engineer Avg – £41,725

Mech roles only made up 13% of the roles in this region. This is reflective of how I’m seeing the market to be honest.   

The breakdown of shift and days was similar to what Electrical Engineers can expect, though I’d have expected there to be a couple of grand between them: 

Multi-Skilled Maintenance Engineer Avg – £42,370

Multi-skilled roles made up a whopping 55% of the adverts in this region. It’s interesting that the salary average is sitting in the middle of the two biases. This is likely as you can turn your hand to either.  

The salary breakdown based on shift or days isn’t exactly what I’d expect though:  

This day’s average isn’t impressing me. Most engineers expect a chunky base salary so wouldn’t move for under £40k in this region. If there’s a good bonus structure, you’d be hitting that I suppose. So it depends on the other package details to whether roles are fillable at this salary.

We’ve had a look at the minimum average salary each of the biases could earn.

Now let’s talk Shifts…

Now, this probably won’t come as a surprise… 4 on 4 off (also known as continental) was the most demanded shift in the region. With nearly 27% of adverts hiring for this shift. Closely following this was Monday-Friday Days shifts. With 21% of adverts seeking talent to work this ‘more conventional’ working week. In fact, I‘ve noticed days roles becoming more popular. Some companies are dropping production and moving to a Mon-Fri range of a shift pattern as production is dropping. 

That’s the average salary for the most popular shifts. But what shifts pay the most on average in the East Midlands?

Let’s dive even further into these insights. Looking at the big 3 – Derby, Leicester and Nottingham.

Average Salary in Derby – £42,403 

Derby has seen a 2% increase from the previous research we did. Truthfully, I was expecting this to have risen a lot more because of the distribution/automation of companies in this area – these guys are known for paying well above the market rate.

But it’s gone up, and that’s a positive.

To see a snapshot of Derby in depth, head over to the blog. Here’s a quick overview:

This is just a snapshot. Learn more about the average Maintenance Engineer salary in Derby.

Average Salary in Leicester – £44,529 

Now, Leicester is interesting. This average shows a 1.6% increase since the previous 6 months. And according to our averages, it pays the highest in the East Midlands region. It isn’t what I expected but reflects our findings from last time.  

Let’s go through a couple of interesting points:

Of course, you want to see salaries go up and engineers get paid for the fantastic work they do. But jumps like these (and salaries like that days role) make it even harder to recruit – especially for SMEs. 

Check out the full report for Leicester by clicking the button below! 

Average Salary in Nottingham – £40,369

Last up is Nottingham. The area saw an unfortunate but small 1.2% decrease in the salary average compared to last time. This was very unexpected as there’s a few big boys in Nottingham. But here are some interesting pointers: 

Once again, this is just a snippet of the insights I collected. Check out the full area below 👇 

Future of Salaries in the East Midlands?

Good news: The average salaries in the East Midlands have risen again. I did expect them to be higher, but I do know that some clients like to put the salaries lower first to see what they can get, then increase it later.

In terms of what will happen in the future, salaries will continue to rise. Of course, many roles offer lots of overtime where engineers can increase their earnings. But they’re having to put in the extra work. The standard salary is almost always the first thing engineers see (and want) when looking for a new role.

The biggest surprise of them all was how the big 3 compare. With Leicester taking the gold, Derby with the silver, and bronze going to Nottingham. I thought Derby would claim the top spot because of the type of companies in the area- they have a lot of big names and even bigger distribution sites.

But, I pay this and still can’t hire people Dannie. 

If you’re a client and thinking “Great, I’m paying the average I should be able to hire engineers”, then I have a bit of a truth pill for you.

You’re going to struggle if you are paying the average. It’s the most competitive space to be. And likely won’t get you the good engineers who aren’t actively looking – the passive engineers.

Yes, you might have a competitor who pays less than you. But there are plenty who are paying more, offering more and doing more to attract engineers.

Something that we do as part of our services is review your package, to show you where you can improve and what you need to do to hire (along with the normal recruitment stuff).

If you’re struggling to hire and want some expert advice – with no fees attached – then contact me today!  

If you’re after a new opportunity – you should check out the Maintenance Engineer jobs we have in the East Midlands!

What to do next? 

This blog summarises the interesting points I gathered from our research. To see everything we found, including extra earning potential, the growth between quarters and more, download the guide today.

In the meantime, you should check out the Maintenance Engineer jobs we have in the East Midlands – we have new roles every day for you!