Engineering Project Manager Recruitment
Engineering Project Manager recruitment at PMagency focuses on organisations delivering technically complex projects where design, manufacture and delivery must align. We work with engineering led businesses across the UK including manufacturers, consultancies and specialist contractors operating in highly regulated or precision driven environments.
Clients typically engage us when engineering projects overrun due to poor coordination between design and production, unclear ownership or weak stakeholder communication. Engineering Project Management requires professionals who can operate confidently between technical teams, commercial functions and senior leadership. Our insight is informed by the PMagency Annual Salary Survey, now in its 14th year, tracking long term hiring trends across the UK engineering sector.
Roles we recruit for and 2026 salary insight
Junior Project Manager (2026 average salary £41,200)
Salaries increased by 4.3% compared with 2025 as engineering businesses invest in delivery support to protect senior technical resource. Junior Project Managers typically support planning, documentation and coordination between engineering and production teams. Hybrid working stands at 46%, reflecting a mix of office, site and factory based activity.Project Manager (2026 average salary £61,700)
Up 4.8% year on year, driven by demand for professionals who understand both technical delivery and commercial constraints. Project Managers are responsible for end to end delivery across engineering programmes, often managing design, manufacture and installation phases. PRINCE2 and PMP deliver an average salary uplift of 9% in engineering environments, particularly where client and regulatory reporting is required.Senior Project Manager (2026 average salary £77,900)
A 5.0% increase on 2025, reflecting pressure on complex, multi discipline projects. Senior Project Managers lead high value engineering programmes with significant technical and commercial risk. Hybrid working reduces to 38% due to the need for close engagement with delivery teams.Programme Manager (2026 average salary £94,600)
Salaries rose by 4.7% year on year, particularly within capital investment, automation and infrastructure programmes. Programme Managers oversee interdependent engineering projects and are often accountable for delivery across multiple sites or facilities.Head of Project Management (2026 average salary £110,400)
Up 4.5% on last year, with demand strongest in engineering organisations scaling delivery capability or integrating new technologies. These roles define governance, assurance and delivery frameworks aligned to engineering workflows.
Regionally, demand for Engineering Project Managers is strongest in the South East, Midlands, North West and Scotland. The South East commands a salary premium of approximately 8% above the UK average, while the Midlands and North West sit close to the national midpoint but have seen faster growth of around 5.1% year on year due to investment in manufacturing and infrastructure. Scotland has experienced above average demand within energy and renewables, driving salaries around 4% higher than the national average.
According to PMagency Annual Salary Survey data, Engineering Project Management salaries have increased by 28% over the past five years, outperforming the wider Project Management market. 66% of Engineering Project Managers receive employer funded training, most commonly PRINCE2, PMP or sector specific safety and compliance qualifications. Certified professionals earn on average 10% more than non-certified peers, with the strongest uplift seen in regulated and technically complex environments. Retention is most closely linked to delivery realism, technical support and workload balance rather than flexible working, which remains secondary to site and production requirements.
