Automotive Engineer

Typical Salary

£20,000 To £45,000

Typical Hours

39 to 41 a week

evenings on shifts

How To Become a Automotive Engineer

You can get into this job through:

a university course
an apprenticeship

College / University

You’ll usually need a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree, before joining a company training scheme.

mechanical engineering
electrical or electronic engineering
design engineering
manufacturing engineering
automotive engineering

at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree

between 1 and 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a higher national diploma or degree

Apprenticeship

The following apprenticeships may be relevant:

Manufacturing engineer degree apprenticeship
Product design and development engineer degree apprenticeship

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

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

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
analytical thinking skills
the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
thinking and reasoning skills
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

You might work on:

body, chassis and engine systems
electrical and electronic instrumentation and control systems
thermodynamics, aerodynamics and fluid mechanics
fuel technology and emissions

You could work in:

design, to turn ideas into blueprints for development and testing, taking into account safety, cost-effectiveness, environmental impact and look
development to build and test prototypes using computer simulations and physical models to assess components' strengths, weaknesses, performance and safety
production to plan the production run, including redesigning machine tools, equipment and processes to make new parts, monitoring costs and production schedules, and overseeing quality control

Working Environment

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

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can find out more about careers in the automotive industry through Autocity and Your Future in Automotive and The IMI (Institute of the Motor Industry).

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.