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Rewards in Building Services

Published on: 11 Jun 2015

Pay and conditions in the construction engineering professions are excellent .  Expect to earn a minimum of around £25k as soon as you graduate. An experienced Chartered Engineer can expect to be on  £60k+ and rising.

Construction and engineering projects are under way worldwide, and  demand for building services engineers outstrips supply. Experts in sustainable energy systems are particularly in demand. This means that once you are qualified, it should be easy to find a well paid job just about anywhere.

The UK has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To meet this target, it's estimated that 12,000 more low carbon design and construction specialists will be needed each year. This translates to a promising career for you in building services engineering. The government department responsible for delivering carbon savings and ensuring the UK leads the world as a successful and sustainable low carbon economy is the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Go to their website to read about how these plans are taking shape. 

Do you want to set up your own business? In many branches of building services engineering you really can be your own boss. Many building services engineers work for huge international companies that are household names. But many others work in small partnerships of two to a dozen practitioners, specialising in building services design, operation and maintenance, installation or in one particular aspect like lighting, fire safety or building automation. Your skills will be valued worldwide.

People who work in research and development (R&D) roles in the government, universities and private firms are world-class experts on sustainable technologies, and new discoveries are being made every day. Could you become one of these highly-paid experts? Visit the Royal Academy of Engineering's website to check out some recent developments in low carbon science, engineering  and technology. 

As a CIBSE member you can build yourself a truly international career - our members work in all corners of the globe. One UK firm of consulting engineers currently has 10 major projects in China alone, ranging from Terminal 3 at Beijing Airport to Dongtan Eco-City at Shanghai. At 75% the size of Manhattan, Dongtan will be the world's first sustainable city based on carbon-neutral designs.

It's not all about financial rewards. Having a successful and well paid career is important. But added to that, as a building services engineer you'll be creating something real and lasting, and helping to save the planet.