Electronics Engineer Jobs in the UK

A hardware-first guide for graduates: the circuit, FPGA, RF and semiconductor paths that make up UK electronics engineering, SOC 2124 going-rate facts, and live electronics vacancies ranked for relevance. Electronics engineering in the UK is a specialist, hardware-first career that is easy to confuse with software or electrical power work in job adverts. The core roles design circuits, boards, programmable logic and radio systems, and the main employer clusters are semiconductor and IP design houses, defence and aerospace electronics, telecoms equipment and network operators, automotive electronics, medical devices and a large number of hardware start-ups. Recruiters look for hands-on evidence — a board you designed and brought up, an FPGA project with test benches, an RF measurement you can explain — because the discipline cannot be faked in interview. The IET accredits degrees and supports chartership, and several UK universities and companies form a recognised RF and silicon design community.

• Official occupation code: SOC 2124 — Electronics engineers.
• Listed as an eligible occupation for the Skilled Worker route. This occupation is currently listed as eligible for the Skilled Worker route. Individual eligibility also depends on factors including the specific job, salary, employer sponsorship and applicable immigration rules.
• Skilled Worker going rate for occupation 2124: £52,000 standard. General salary threshold: £41,700. New entrant (70% column), where eligible: £36,400. Source: GOV.UK, Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations.
• Graduate suitability: Moderate to high. Semiconductor design houses, defence electronics, telecoms equipment vendors, automotive electronics and a strong cluster of UK hardware start-ups all recruit graduates, though cohorts are smaller than in software and many defence roles need clearance.
• Design analogue, digital and mixed-signal circuits and take them through schematic capture, PCB layout and bring-up
• Develop FPGA and digital logic in VHDL or Verilog and verify it in simulation and on hardware
• Design RF front-ends, antennas and microwave subsystems for radar, satellite and wireless products
• Plan, design and optimise telecommunications networks and radio access systems
• Skills employers test: Analogue and digital circuit design, including power supplies and signal integrity, Schematic capture, PCB layout and design for manufacture and test, FPGA development in VHDL or Verilog with simulation and timing closure, RF and microwave fundamentals: S-parameters, matching, antennas and link budgets, Embedded interfaces: SPI, I2C, UART, USB, Ethernet and DDR.
• Progression: Graduate Electronics Engineer → Electronics, Hardware or FPGA Engineer → Senior Engineer / Chartered Engineer → Principal or Lead Hardware Engineer → Chief Engineer, Hardware Manager or Technical Director.
• Occupation code 2124 covers professional electronics, telecommunications and broadcast engineers. Embedded software engineers are usually classified under 2134, power and electrical design engineers under 2123, and telecoms installers, riggers and field technicians at different skill levels; these are excluded from the matches shown here.
• Official information last checked 2026-09-10. We provide educational guidance and university application support. We do not provide legal, visa, or immigration advice.

Can electronics engineers get a UK Skilled Worker visa?

Occupation code 2124 is listed as eligible for the Skilled Worker route, so an electronics or telecommunications engineering job at a licensed sponsor can support an application if the salary meets the applicable requirement and the other rules are met. Sponsorship of any given vacancy is the employer's decision.

What SOC code covers electronics and telecommunications engineers?

SOC 2020 code 2124, "Electronics engineers". The published related titles include telecommunications engineers and broadcast engineers at professional level.

What salary does an electronics engineer need for a Skilled Worker visa?

Normally the higher of the general threshold (£41,700) and the occupation going rate. For code 2124 the published standard going rate is £52,000. A qualifying new entrant may instead be assessed against the 70% column of £36,400, subject to the new-entrant general threshold of £33,400 and all other requirements. A separate transitional rate of £41,200 applies only in specific circumstances. Confirm current figures on GOV.UK.

What is the difference between an electronics engineer and an electrical engineer?

Electronics engineers design circuits, boards, chips, radio and telecoms systems at low power and signal level. Electrical engineers design power generation, distribution, machines and building electrical systems. They are separate occupation codes (2124 and 2123) with different going rates.

Can international graduates work in UK defence electronics?

Often not immediately. Many defence electronics roles require UK security clearance, which generally depends on a period of UK residence, and some are limited by export-control rules. Commercial semiconductor, telecoms, automotive and medical device employers rarely carry those restrictions.

Which UK employers hire graduate electronics engineers?

Semiconductor and IP design companies, defence and aerospace electronics firms, telecoms operators and equipment vendors, automotive electronics suppliers, medical device makers and hardware start-ups. Whether a vacancy is sponsored is separate from whether the employer holds a licence.