Chemical engineering pay dips but gender gap closes among young
20 Dec 2018
Chemical engineering salaries dropped slightly over the last year in Britain but there are signs that the gender pay gap is closing among younger employees.
The Institution of Chemical Engineers' (IChemE) UK Salary Survey 2018 reports that the median salary was down from £55,000 in 2017 to £54,000 in 2018.
Among the early career cohort of those under 25, salaries have stayed level at £30,000, although for those who graduated in 2018 the level has fallen from £30,000 to £28,600.
And while the gender pay differential for 45-49 year olds is a hefty £27,500 in favour of men, at the early career level the sexes are equal.
It’s encouraging to see that the average salary for under-25s is holding steady and remains the same for both male and female engineers
Tara Wilson, head of communications at IChemE
Head of communications at IChemE Tara Wilson, said:
“The decrease in UK chemical engineering salaries is too small to draw accurate conclusions from at this stage, but it provides a baseline for us to monitor when we conduct the survey again next year.
“In terms of the next generation, it’s encouraging to see that the average salary for under-25s is holding steady and remains the same for both male and female engineers. What’s more the trends in industry sector show a significant uplift in salaries within emerging sectors such as biochemical engineering and fuel cells technology. It’s evidence of how the profession is adapting to our changing world.”
Among the notable findings, the report also reveals:
- Those working in finance and risk sectors earn the highest median pay (£90,000)
- In process, the highest earning sectors are fuel cell tech (£80,000) and paper/packaging ((£77,500)
- Chartered chemical engineers earn more than non-chartered
- London has the highest regional median salary (£70,000), followed by the South East (£67,500)
- The South West has the lowest median salary (£41,300)
