A guide to infrastructure & energy salaries

Whether you want to be a geologist or an environmental consultant, there’s a wealth of opportunities in the infrastructure and energy sector. To give you an idea of how much you could earn as a graduate and beyond in this field, we’ve created a list of infrastructure and energy salaries paired with several different roles you could choose from.

Entry-level infrastructure & energy salaries

An Infrastructure Architect will work with business leaders to design, build and implement information systems. Ensuring all systems work, supporting new technologies and meeting business requirements are all part of the role. At entry-level, you can expect to make £35,000 - £46,000. Employers will look for at least an undergraduate degree in computer science, engineering or architecture. Graduate and postgraduate qualifications are relevant in some cases, but it’s as important to gain experience because it will take time to earn the role of Infrastructure Architect straight after university. Learn about the key skills you need for the infrastructure sector. 

The salary for a Project Manager depends entirely on what the role specifically manages. But as a junior project manager, expect to earn a starting salary of £29,000 depending on the organisation you’re employed by. The top leading graduate employers in energy and infrastructure may look for a Bachelors or Masters degree in a relevant subject for a Project Manager role. However, some smaller firms don’t look for degrees, they look for experience.

Environmental consultants are there to offer advice on environmental matters. You may be working on one specific area, including noise pollution, effects on agriculture or wildlife from new developments and the effect of waste management or recycling. As a graduate, you can expect a salary from £21,000 - £25,000, depending on your range of skills and years of experience. 

If you want to study the earth's possibilities...

As a geologist, your role is to study the materials that make up the earth. This would be a lot for one scientist, so you may specialise in studying earthquakes, flooding, planets or volcanoes. Roles in geology look for a degree in geology, or other science disciplines like chemistry, biology and physics. As a starting salary, you can expect to earn from £23,000 to £41,000 depending on if you’re self-employed or by an oil and gas company. Learn what you can do with a geology degree.

To get into solar engineering, employers look for a degree in disciplines including chemical engineering, computer software or industrial engineering. Work experience is also beneficial - usually, anything from 2-4 years experience is enough to earn you an entry-level role. As a solar engineer, you can make an average salary of £40,000 that will be lower for entry-level and the less experience you hold. To gain more experience, look at the latest Energy and Infrastructure internships.

As the world becomes more focused on sustainable and renewable energy uses, Energy Analysts are needed more by the day. A starting salary for an Energy Analyst begins at £21,000 and employers look for high-quality maths skills. It’s beneficial to hold a degree in a numerical or analytical discipline or have a wealth of experience in the field which is gained through shadowing or work experience. Centrica offers a popular commercial analyst internship perfect for students and graduates hoping to get experience in this area. Learn about top CV tips for the Energy sector.

Mid-level/senior infrastructure & energy salaries

As a mid-level or senior energy analyst day-to-day, you could be measuring energy efficiency, recommending improvements and developing energy models for a building. At mid-level, you can expect to earn roughly £45,000 as you become more experienced and move into senior roles. Read the three traits of a successful Energy Analyst.

As a Project Manager, you’ll spend your time managing staff, finalising design work and executing project proposals. In the energy and infrastructure sector, mid-level Project Managers can expect to be paid between £39,000 up to £60,000 at senior level. At mid or senior level, it’ll be expected that you have a wealth of experience. For example, for a renewable energy Project Manager role, employers may look for experience in plumbing, heating, electrical and project management.

Moving on to environmental consultants, who are offered a higher salary if they hold postgraduate qualifications, such as a Masters in sustainability and environmental management. If you’re employed by a consultancy, this will come with employee benefits like new work equipment - such as a laptop, courtesy car and a pension scheme. As a senior consultant with a plethora of experience, you can expect to earn from £43,000 - £62,000.

Lets focus on sustainable energy

There are many different engineering roles in the energy and infrastructure sector - but let’s take a Solar Engineer for example. A Solar Engineer works with customers, governments or businesses to design, plan and implement solar projects. A known example is solar panels, popular among homeowners and businesses who want to use a more sustainable source of energy. Senior positions like these can earn up to £54,000 depending on who you work for and what qualifications you have. Learn about the top firms to work for in the energy sector. 

For geology roles, junior to senior, you’ll need strong numerical and scientific analytical ability, knowledge of office programmes or specialised software and flexibility, as your role could require working in different working environments. It can be difficult to gain experience as a geologist, but gaining work experience in a similar area like data engineering can set you up with transferable skills to build up to this role. Once you gain that experience, your salary can rise to a whopping £120,000, depending on your specialist area and employer. 

Lastly, senior and mid-level infrastructure architects can expect to earn from £50,000 to £85,000 depending on your location of work and employer. But, employers will look for someone who can deal with responsibility and pressure, build relationships, have high-quality communication skills and can anticipate problems and solve them. Be prepared!