Engineering recruitment in Scotland

The engineering market in Scotland

Aberdeen remains the UK's primary oil and gas engineering centre. Wood Group, Subsea7, TechnipFMC, and their supply chains employ process, mechanical, subsea, and project engineers across the full life cycle of North Sea assets, from development through late-life and decommissioning. The energy transition has added offshore wind engineering to the Aberdeen skill set, and the city is positioning itself as a hub for both conventional and renewable offshore energy.

Leonardo (formerly Selex ES) in Edinburgh and Livingston is one of Scotland's largest private sector engineering employers, recruiting across avionics, radar, electronic warfare, and defence electronics disciplines. Babcock at Rosyth employs marine and structural engineers on Royal Navy surface ship and submarine refuelling programmes. Both sites require SC clearance for some roles, which narrows the candidate field and creates premium salaries for cleared engineers.

Spirit AeroSystems at Prestwick in Ayrshire manufactures wing components and fuselage sections for commercial aircraft, employing manufacturing, quality, and structural engineering professionals. Rolls-Royce has operations in Inchinnan near Glasgow. Scotland's growing offshore wind sector, encompassing both established North Sea assets and newer Atlantic developments, is creating demand for electrical, environmental, and marine engineers across Inverness, Aberdeen, and Glasgow.

Salary benchmarks

Engineering salaries in Scotland vary significantly by sector. Aberdeen oil and gas employers pay at or above the UK average, with offshore allowances adding 15 to 25 per cent to base salary for roles requiring offshore rotations. Defence engineers at Leonardo and Babcock earn £42,000 to £65,000 at mid-level. Aerospace manufacturing at Spirit AeroSystems in Prestwick sits at £38,000 to £55,000. Edinburgh and Glasgow consultancy roles are competitive with their English equivalents.

Roles we fill in Scotland