SOC 2020 · 3113
Engineering technicians
Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations from
Skilled Worker
Shortage list only
Below the usual skill level, but listed.
Salary floor
£42,500
The going rate, £42,500, is the higher of the two.
Shortage lists
Temporary Shortage List
Listed roles carry their own restrictions — check GOV.UK.
Shortage list conditions
Temporary Shortage List: all jobs in this code. Certificate of sponsorship must be issued before 31 Dec 2026.
Shortage-list jobs are below the usual skill level, so employers face restrictions such as no dependants and no salary discount. Check GOV.UK for the current conditions.
Salary the job must pay
A Skilled Worker job must pay at least the higher of the general threshold and the going rate for its occupation code.
Going rate (standard)
£42,500
General threshold
£41,700
Visa thresholds from
Minimum for this role
£42,500
Home Office going rates from
New entrants and some other cases can use 70% of the going rate, £33,400, subject to the lower general threshold of £33,400.
What this occupation actually pays
ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, full-time gross annual pay.
- UK pay for this occupation
- Going rate£42,500
- General threshold£41,700
View these figures as a table
| Percentile | Pay |
|---|---|
| 10th | £27,854 |
| 25th | £35,086 |
| 50th | £44,843 |
| 75th | £55,963 |
| Going rate | £42,500 |
| General threshold | £41,700 |
| Region | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 2025 | £27,854 | £35,086 | £44,843 | £55,963 | — |
| East 2025 | — | — | £44,402 | — | — |
| East Midlands 2025 | — | — | £41,923 | — | — |
| London 2025 | — | — | £54,713 | — | — |
| North East 2025 | — | — | £42,234 | — |
Job titles in this code
What the work involves
Engineering technicians perform a variety of technical support functions to assist engineers with the design, development, operation, installation and maintenance of engineering systems and constructions.
Typical tasks
plans and prepares work and test schedules based on specifications and drawings
sets up equipment, undertakes tests, takes readings, performs calculations and records and interprets data
prepares estimates of materials, equipment and labour required for engineering projects
diagnoses and detects faults and implements procedures to maintain efficient operation of systems and equipment
inspects completed aircraft maintenance work to certify that it meets standards and the aircraft is ready for operation;
visits and advises clients on the use and servicing of mechanical and chemical engineering products and services
provides health and safety inductions and adheres to health and safety procedures
completes documentation such as project records, safety reports
carries out stock takes
Entry routes and qualifications
Entrants to training usually possess GCSEs/S grades. Vocational training consists either of full-time study for a BTEC/SQA award followed by two years on-the-job training, or an apprenticeship leading to a qualification at level 3 or 4. An NVQ/SVQ in Aircraft Engineering Maintenance at level 3 plus further professional qualifications are required to become a licensed aircraft engineer.