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Automotive engineer Opportunities

Automotive engineer

Automotive engineers design, test and build cars, vans, lorries, buses and motorbikes.

Salary

£26,000 - £48,000

Typical hours

37 to 39 a week (between 8am and 6pm)

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What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • maths knowledge
  • knowledge of engineering science and technology
  • design skills and knowledge
  • knowledge of physics
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • complex problem-solving skills
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to work well with others
  • to have a thorough understanding of computer systems and applications

How to become Automotive engineer

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship

University

You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in automotive engineering.

Employers will often accept related subjects, such as:

  • manufacturing engineering
  • mechanical engineering
  • electrical or electronic engineering
  • design engineering
  • software engineering
  • sustainable automotive engineering

Many universities offer courses that combine a degree with a postgraduate master's engineering (MEng) qualification.

Choosing a course that includes an internship or industry placement can give you an advantage when looking for jobs. It can also help if you want to join a company's graduate training scheme.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including maths and a science for a degree

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Apprenticeship

You could apply for a place on a degree apprenticeship scheme, with a vehicle manufacturer, for example:

  • Manufacturing Engineer Level 6
  • Product Design and Development Engineer Level 6

These take around 4 to 5 years to complete and combine on-the-job training with university study.

If you already have a degree in a science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) subject, you may be able to do a Postgraduate Engineer Level 7 Apprenticeship with an automotive employer.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
  • a degree in a relevant subject

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Career tips

Keeping up to date with developments in vehicle technology and manufacture could help you with applications and interviews. Trends include:

  • the shift to electric vehicles, and research into alternative fuels
  • digital design and manufacturing of parts by 3D printing
  • research into semi-autonomous and self-driving vehicles
  • connectivity within and between vehicles, and traffic management systems

Further information

You can find out more about careers in the automotive industry through:

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

You might work in design, development or production on:

  • body, chassis and engine systems
  • electrical and electronic instrumentation and controls
  • thermodynamics, aerodynamics and fluid mechanics
  • zero emission fuel technologies

You could:

  • develop new exterior and interior design concepts
  • test ideas using simulations, virtual reality (VR) and physical models
  • research the environmental impact of different designs
  • modify machine tools and processes to improve production
  • assess components' strengths, weaknesses, performance and safety
  • monitor quality, costs and production schedules

Working environment

You could work in an office, at a research facility or at a manufacturing plant.

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