Automotive Engineer
Also advertised as: automotive designer, Automotive Engineer, Automotive Test Engineer, bus production process engineer, car production process engineer, coach designer
Designs and tests vehicle systems from engines to electric powertrains.
What the job involves
Automotive engineers develop the systems that make vehicles perform, from combustion engines to battery packs and driver assistance electronics. You work through design, simulation and physical testing cycles, often under tight cost and timing targets set by vehicle programmes. The sector is shifting fast towards electrification, which is reshaping the skills in demand.
Typical responsibilities
- Design and simulate vehicle systems or components
- Plan and run physical test programmes
- Analyse test data against performance targets
- Work with suppliers on component development
- Support vehicle launch and production readiness
Common employers
- Vehicle manufacturers
- Tier 1 automotive suppliers
- Motorsport teams
- Battery and EV technology firms
- Engineering consultancies
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£26,000 – £32,000 a year
With experience
£40,000 – £58,000 a year
Typical hours
37-40 hours, with peaks around vehicle launches
Working environment
Office, test track and workshop
Remote working
hybrid
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- CAD and simulation tools
- Vehicle systems knowledge
- Data analysis
- Project coordination
- Problem solving under deadline
Transferable skills you may already have
- Technical curiosity about how things work
- Working to tight programme timelines
- Cross-functional teamwork
Requirements employers ask for
- CAD and simulation tools
- Vehicle systems knowledge
- Data analysis
- Project coordination
- Problem solving under deadline
- BEng or MEng in automotive, mechanical or electrical engineering
- engineering processes
- adjust engineering designs
- execute feasibility study
- technical drawings
- production processes
- assess financial viability
- engineering principles
- approve engineering design
- quality standards
- automotive engineering
- manufacturing processes
- perform scientific research
Useful but not essential
- Technical curiosity about how things work
- Working to tight programme timelines
- Cross-functional teamwork
- Incorporated or Chartered Engineer status
- Experience with electric vehicle systems
- record test data
- design principles
- CAE software
- design electromechanical systems
- electronics
- electromechanics
- build a product's physical model
- create a product's virtual model
Helpful qualifications
- Incorporated or Chartered Engineer status
- Experience with electric vehicle systems
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Automotive Engineer (Degree, Level 6)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Mathematics
- Related subject: Physics
- Related subject: Design and technology
Where this career can lead
next
Senior Automotive Engineer
next
Programme Engineer
next
Chief Engineer
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Fast-growing electric vehicle sector
- Tangible, high-profile products
- Good variety between design and hands-on testing
What people find hard
- Programme deadlines can be intense
- Industry restructuring affects some employers
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a automotive engineer?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. required
- How much does a automotive engineer earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £26,000 to £32,000 a year, rising towards £58,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Technical curiosity about how things work, Working to tight programme timelines, Cross-functional teamwork.
Related careers
Electrical Engineer
Designs and tests electrical systems, circuits and power distribution.
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Designs, tests and certifies components and systems for aircraft or spacecraft.
CAD Technician
Produces detailed technical drawings and models from engineers' designs.
Mechanical Engineer
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Structural Engineer
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 16 September 2026.
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