Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing
Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing
Design Engineer
Turn ideas into real products, working with Greater Manchester's advanced manufacturing and engineering firms.
Design engineers develop new products and improve existing ones, using computer-aided design (CAD), modelling and testing to turn ideas into things that can be manufactured. Greater Manchester has a strong advanced manufacturing base, including Trafford Park, one of Europe’s largest industrial estates. Design engineers are needed in automotive, aerospace, electronics, renewables, construction products and medical technology.
Salary in Greater Manchester
- Average in Manchester: around £32,000 a year for mechanical design engineers, with most earning between £25,000 and £41,000
- UK range: from about £25,000 for new starters up to £55,000 for experienced engineers
- Lead design engineers and chartered engineers can earn more
Career path
- Getting started: CAD technician, engineering apprentice or junior design engineer, often while studying for an HNC or HND
- Design engineer: creating designs, building prototypes, testing products and solving technical problems
- Senior or lead design engineer: leading design projects and guiding other engineers
- Next steps: engineering project manager, consultant, or chartered status through a professional body such as the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED)
How to get started
An HNC or HND in mechanical, electrical or manufacturing engineering gives you the technical and CAD skills employers look for. Many design engineers start as apprentices and progress while they work. Use the View Courses button to see GMIoT courses linked to this career.
Salary figures are a guide, based on National Careers Service and PayScale data for 2025 to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, sector and experience.
Key Responsibilities
Design and manage the development of new products
Research and build prototypes using computer modelling
Produce designs using CAD and manufacturing software
Test products and analyse the results
Troubleshoot technical problems with designs
Write technical reports and product manuals
Skills Needed
- Engineering science and technology knowledge
- Design and CAD skills
- Maths
- Creative and analytical thinking
- Attention to detail
- Teamwork and communication