Engineering Recruitment

The cost of hiring an engineer through a recruitment agency depends on whether you are hiring for a permanent or a contract role. Because engineering is a highly specialised sector facing ongoing skills shortages in the UK, fees reflect the complexity and seniority of the position. 

For permanent engineering roles, agencies typically operate on a contingency basis (you only pay once a candidate successfully starts). Fees are calculated as a percentage of the candidate's agreed first-year annual starting salary.

If you are hiring interim or contract engineers to support specific projects, you don't pay an upfront percentage fee. Instead, the agency charges an hourly or daily rate that covers the contractor’s pay, statutory obligations and the agency’s operating margin.

If you’re looking to hire right now, get in touch so we can scope the role in more detail and agree on terms.

A recruitment agency gives you immediate access to a deep, pre-vetted engineering recruitment talent pool, the majority of whom are passive candidates currently employed and invisible to standard job adverts.

Rather than using HR Generalists to screen, our industry-expert consultants possess the technical literacy required to accurately vet complex skillsets and compliance standards.

This sector expertise allows us to save your hiring managers hours of administrative strain while matching your specific facility with the precise technical and cultural fit.

Take a look at our UK engineering recruitment consultant experts to find out who would be the most suitable to help you.

The average salary for engineers in the UK in 2026 is £40,864 per year, as reported by Indeed. If you would like to know the salaries for any specific roles, try our UK salary calculator.