Electrical design engineer UK: role, software and pay

What does the job involve day to day?

Most of the work is calculation and drawing. On a building services project you assess the power load, size cables and protective devices, lay out lighting and small power, and produce the schematics and layouts the contractor builds from. The Level 6 building services apprenticeship standard lists power load assessments, lighting calculations, equipment selection and schematic and layout drawings as the evidence a design engineer builds up. A 2026 Nottingham advert also asked for emergency lighting and fire alarm design, specifications, tender documents and Part L work.

You will not sit at a desk all year. Adverts ask design engineers to carry out site inspections, write reports and deal directly with clients and contractors. A building services apprenticeship at a London consultancy includes overseeing the design while it is built and commissioned. In defence work, BAE Systems wants its electrical design engineers to survey ships and keep power load charts, as well as producing drawings, cable routes and bills of materials.

Load calculations, single-line diagrams and the software

The core output is a distribution design that holds up against BS 7671: cable sizes, volt drop, fault loop impedance and protective device ratings, shown on a single-line schematic. Amtech, now sold by Trimble as ProDesign, is the package UK electricians mention most. IET forum users describe it as the market leader but expensive. Rival programs build the single-line diagram as you add circuits and can pass the design to inspectors for certification. NAPIT FastTest imports and exports ProDesign schematics.

Learn what the software is doing underneath. IET forum members regularly compare Amtech results with hand calculations from the On-Site Guide tables, and get different answers depending on the cable temperature the program assumes. If you cannot check a result by hand, you cannot defend it. For drawings, adverts ask for AutoCAD and increasingly Revit for 3D building models, plus lighting tools such as Dialux and Relux.

Moving from site to design

Plenty of designers started on the tools. One engineer profiled by the IET qualified as an apprentice electrician, picked up design work in his own contracting firm, took the City & Guilds 2391-20 design qualification and then joined a consultancy as an electrical designer. He later took a part-time, two-year HNC in electrical and electronic engineering to support an application for Incorporated Engineer registration.

Site experience gives you something graduates lack: you know what is buildable and what a containment route really looks like. The gap is usually maths, software and paperwork. The National Careers Service says you can start as an electrical engineering technician and train on the job to become an engineer. An HNC is the usual way to fill the theory gap while you keep earning.

Routes in without site experience

You can come in directly through education. The National Careers Service lists degrees in electrical or electronic engineering and building services engineering, or an HNC or HND at college before looking for a trainee engineer post. The Building services design engineer (degree) apprenticeship at Level 6 typically lasts 60 months. One London consultancy asked applicants for five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, plus A levels in maths and a physical science or a BTEC in engineering.

Pay

United Kingdom

£30,100–44,900

London

£34,500–51,600

South West

£31,100–46,400

Scotland

£30,300–45,300

Yorkshire and The Humber

£29,800–44,600

East

£29,500–44,000

South East

£29,300–43,700

North West

£29,000–43,300

North East

£27,600–41,200

GBP a year, before tax. Ranges run from the 25th to the 75th percentile for electrical design and CAD roles. They are based on ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, April 2026 (provisional), moved to 2026 with a wage index, and the regional figures are modelled. The category includes CAD and drafting staff, so experienced engineers often earn more: 2026 adverts offered up to £43,500 (BAE Systems, Portsmouth), £45,000 to £60,000 (Nottingham) and about £58,000 for a senior post. Refer to the Electrical Design & CAD salary guide for figures from live adverts.

What you need

Knowledge of BS 7671Building services design adverts ask for a working understanding of BS 7671 and related regulations, including emergency lighting and fire alarm design.
Maths and design skillsThe National Careers Service lists maths, engineering science, design skills and attention to detail as core needs for electrical engineers.
Design and CAD softwareEmployers ask for some mix of Amtech or Trimble ProDesign, AutoCAD, Revit, Dialux, Relux and Hevacomp. Revit is taught on building services design apprenticeships.
Formal qualificationCommon routes are an HNC or HND, a degree in electrical or building services engineering, or the Level 6 building services design engineer degree apprenticeship.
Professional registration (optional)EngTech, IEng and CEng are awarded through a licensed professional engineering institution such as the IET. The Engineering Council does not register people directly.
Driving licenceSite visits are part of the job, and some adverts list a full UK driving licence as essential.

How to get there

StartQualify on the tools or in collegeFinish an electrical apprenticeship, or take A levels, a BTEC or an HNC that leads into engineering.
After qualifyingLearn design to BS 7671Get confident with cable sizing, protective device selection and load assessment. One IET-profiled engineer took the City & Guilds 2391-20 design qualification at this stage.
2 years part-timeTake a part-time HNCAn HNC in electrical and electronic engineering fills the theory gap while you keep working.
Early design careerJoin a consultancy or contractor design teamStart as an electrical designer or junior design engineer, producing calculations, schematics and drawings under a senior engineer.
Once experiencedRegister as EngTech or IEngJoin a licensed institution such as the IET, which assesses your qualifications and experience against UK-SPEC.
Later careerSenior or lead design engineerLead projects from concept to completion, manage outside consultants and work towards CEng.

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Questions people ask

Do you need to be a qualified electrician to become an electrical design engineer?

No. The National Careers Service lists university, college and apprenticeship routes that do not need site time. Electricians who move into design do have the advantage of knowing what can be built.

Is Amtech the same as Trimble ProDesign?

Amtech was taken over by Trimble, and its current electrical design package is sold as ProDesign. Many UK electricians and job adverts still call it Amtech.

Do electrical design engineers use Revit?

Increasingly, yes. Building services design apprenticeships teach 3D modelling in Revit, and senior design adverts ask for AutoCAD or Revit skills.

Can you become an Incorporated Engineer without a degree?

Yes. One electrician profiled by the IET reached IEng after a part-time HNC and years of design experience, and later became chartered. You apply through a licensed institution, because the Engineering Council does not register people directly.

Do design engineers ever go on site?

Yes. Adverts include site inspections and reports, and some roles cover overseeing the design while it is built and commissioned. In defence work, the job can include ship surveys.

How much does an electrical design engineer earn?

Modelled figures for design and CAD roles put the UK median at £36,400, with the 75th percentile at £44,900. Experienced engineers often earn more: 2026 adverts ran from £43,500 up to about £60,000.

What does an electrical design engineer do in the UK?