Site engineers/technicians look after the technical, organising and supervising side of construction projects – from new housing to multi-million pound roads and railways.
Salaries depend on location, employer and level of responsibility. Salaries and career options also improve with chartered status.
You need a good standard of GCSEs and A-levels (or equivalent) so you can study at degree level. You can start out without a degree or HNC/HND through a technical construction apprenticeship – or working in a position such as trainee technician while doing further study.
Employers such as construction companies and recruitment agencies in construction usually ask for a degree or HNC/HND in a construction-related or construction engineering discipline. The following subjects may increase your chances:
It’s important that your degree is accredited and meets the academic requirements of a relevant professional body. The main one in construction is the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), while in engineering the key professional bodies are the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE). Graduates with non-accredited or unrelated degrees must do a conversion course to upgrade their construction qualifications.
Pre-entry experience in construction or engineering is very useful and highly regarded by employers. Vacation or sandwich placements are good ways of gaining industry experience, particularly if your degree is not directly relevant to the role. Work experience also gives you a good understanding of the sector, the skills required and whether you’re suited to jobs in the construction industry.
There are also many postgraduate courses available in construction and engineering, designed for existing professionals in the industry. Chartered status can be acquired by registering with a professional institution such as the Chartered Institue of Building or any of those listed above.
Career trends and forecasts
1,580
additional staff needed
According to the latest Construction Skills Network research, the UK construction industry will need an additional 1,580 Construction Trades Supervisors (which includes site engineers/technicians) every year for the period 2016 - 2020. The highest demand for these construction industry jobs will be in the North East followed by Scotland, North West, Wales, West Midlands, South West, Yorkshire & Humber.
Check out the latest Site engineer/technician vacancies:
As these are external websites, the number of job vacancies related to your preferred job role may vary.
Check daily to see new opportunities as they are posted!
For information on job roles in Scotland please visit the Skills Development Scotland website My World of Work.
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