How to Hire Maintenance Engineers: A Guide for UK Manufacturers

by | Oct 14, 2026 | Engineering

Engineer in a blue hard hat and hi-vis vest in a manufacturing facility

EngineeringFor employers6 min read

How to Hire Maintenance Engineers: A Guide for UK Manufacturers

When a line goes down, every minute costs money. The engineer who gets it running again is worth fighting for. Here is how to find them, test them and keep them.

The short version
  • Be precise: electrical, mechanical or multi-skilled, and which control systems.
  • Benchmark pay honestly. Good engineers know their worth.
  • Test fault finding on your own kit, not just a CV.
  • Move fast and use temporary cover so the gap does not cost you output.

The market right now

Manufacturers are hiring more cautiously. Make UK’s latest Manufacturing Outlook shows the recruitment balance falling from +15% to +3% in a quarter. But that does not mean skilled people are easy to find. Recruiters still report a shortage of suitably skilled candidates, and temp vacancies in blue collar and engineering roles saw the strongest rise.

+3%manufacturing recruitment balance in Q3 2026, down from +15%Source 1
£37.6kaverage UK maintenance engineer base salarySource 3
26-monthhigh in temp wage growth as skills stay scarceSource 2

In short: fewer employers are hiring, but the ones who are all want the same experienced, multi-skilled engineers.

Female maintenance engineer in safety glasses working on a robotic arm
Automation skills are what most modern sites are fighting over.

Step 1: define the role properly

“Maintenance engineer required” tells candidates nothing. Spell it out:

  • Electrical, mechanical or multi-skilled?
  • Which PLCs and control systems: Siemens, Allen-Bradley, something else?
  • Reactive breakdowns, planned maintenance or improvement projects?
  • The shift pattern and any call-out rota.
  • The type of line: high-speed packaging, food, CNC, robotics.

Step 2: get the pay right

Published figures put the UK average at around £37,600 base, with most engineers between about £26,000 and £48,000. Multi-skilled engineers with PLC experience, and anyone working nights or continental shifts, sit at the top. If your rate is below the market, the best people will not even apply.

Total package counts

Shift allowance, overtime rates, call-out pay, training and a decent tool allowance all matter. Put them in the advert.

Step 3: test what matters

  • Walk them round the site and talk through a real breakdown you have had.
  • Run a short fault-finding exercise on your own equipment.
  • Ask about the last time they improved reliability, not just fixed something.
  • Have someone technical in the interview who can judge the answers.
Team of engineers in hi-vis laughing around a table
Engineers stay where they are respected, trained and well equipped.

Step 4: move fast

A good maintenance engineer will have more than one offer. Aim for first call to offer in days, not weeks. Every extra week is another week of overtime for your current crew or a line at risk.

Step 5: cover the gap

You do not have to run short while you recruit. Temporary or contract engineers can cover vacancies, sickness and planned shutdowns. Temp to perm also lets you see someone on your kit before you commit.

Step 6: keep them

  • Invest in training, especially PLC and automation.
  • Give them the tools and spares to do the job properly.
  • Review pay against the market every year.
  • Involve them in improvement work, not just firefighting.

Hiring across several sites or building a whole maintenance function? A recruiter based on your site can run it for you. See on-site engineering recruitment.

Why DROPP

Engineers who keep your lines running.

Finding good maintenance engineers is hard. Having a specialist on your side makes it a lot easier.

01Specialists, not generalistsWe recruit across engineering, haulage and industrial, so we understand your roles, your shifts and what good looks like.
02Nationwide coverageWe take bookings everywhere in the UK and have the capacity to support large, multi-site hiring campaigns.
03Compliance done before day oneRight to work, licences, cards, qualifications and site paperwork are checked and logged before anyone sets foot on your site.
04The right model for youTemporary, temp to perm, permanent or a recruiter based on your site who runs it all and manages your other agencies.
Need maintenance engineers?

Tell us the skills, the shifts and the site. We will find engineers who can keep your lines running.

Start a search

Hiring maintenance engineers: quick answers

Why is it hard to hire maintenance engineers?

Experienced multi-skilled maintenance engineers, especially those with PLC skills, are in short supply and rarely out of work for long. Recruiters report a lack of suitably skilled candidates, which is pushing pay up.

What should I pay a maintenance engineer?

Published figures put the UK average base salary at around £37,600, with most between about £26,000 and £48,000. Multi-skilled engineers with PLC experience and those on shifts sit at the top of the range.

How do I test a maintenance engineer before hiring?

Run a practical fault-finding exercise on your own equipment, or talk through a real breakdown your site has had. It shows how they think far better than a CV.

Can I get temporary maintenance cover?

Yes. Temporary or contract engineers can cover vacancies, sickness, planned shutdowns and project work while you recruit permanently.

More from DROPP
Sources
  1. The Manufacturer, on the Make UK and S&W Manufacturing Outlook (September 2026)
  2. KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs (August 2026)
  3. Payscale, Maintenance Engineer salary in the UK (June 2026)

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules and pay rates change, so check the current official guidance before you act on it.

Line down? Get the right engineer.

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