Leeds has emerged as one of the UK’s leading cities for sustainability engineering jobs, with 232 roles identified in new research and salaries estimated to be almost £9,000 higher than the city-wide median.

Research from precision engineering specialist Accu analysed UK job postings to identify where sustainability engineering roles are most prevalent and where workers can command the biggest salary premiums.

Leeds ranks sixth nationally for the number of sustainability engineering opportunities, with 232 roles and an estimated median salary of £46,338.

That compares with a median salary of £37,348 across all jobs in the city, while the median salary for engineering roles stands at £44,724.

Sustainability engineering positions account for 1.97% of all jobs in Leeds and 16.03% of its engineering jobs.

Bristol leads outside London

Nationally, London has the largest number of sustainability engineering roles, with 1,157 positions identified.

Outside the capital, Bristol leads with 417 roles from 13,870 total jobs. Sustainability engineering positions account for 3.01% of all jobs in the city and 17.02% of its 2,450 engineering roles.

Bristol’s estimated median sustainability engineering salary of £49,438 is £9,940 higher than its overall median salary of £39,498, representing a 25.2% premium.

Manchester follows Bristol with 396 sustainability engineering roles, while Birmingham has 324. Sustainability engineering salaries in the two cities are estimated to be 25.9% and 20.2% above their respective city-wide medians.

Glasgow ranks fifth nationally with 244 roles, followed by Leeds with 232 and Edinburgh with 183.

Among the cities in the top 10, Edinburgh has the highest proportion of sustainability engineering roles within its engineering workforce, at 18.21%, followed by Birmingham at 17.22% and Bristol at 17.02%.

Warrington, which ranks eighth by number of roles, has a particularly high concentration, with sustainability engineering accounting for 22.35% of its engineering jobs.

Salary premiums for sustainability skills

The research also found substantial differences between sustainability engineering salaries and the wider jobs market.

Stockport records the largest salary premium, with sustainability engineering salaries estimated at 56.4% above the city’s overall median. Brighton follows at 53.2%, with St Albans at 51.0%.

Sustainability engineering also pays more than engineering jobs overall in many locations. High Wycombe records the largest premium at 29.5%, followed by Stockport at 21.9% and Brighton at 15.7%.

In Leeds, the estimated median sustainability engineering salary of £46,338 is 3.6% higher than the £44,724 median for engineering jobs generally.

Sustainability engineering's growing share

Looking at sustainability engineering as a proportion of local engineering workforces, Epsom ranks first, with 29.90% of its 97 engineering jobs classified as sustainability engineering.

Stockport follows at 24.43%, while Chesterfield stands at 23.29%. Warrington and Basingstoke also have particularly high concentrations, at 22.35% and 22.33% respectively.

Alastair Morris, Managing Director at Accu, said: “Sustainability is becoming increasingly important across almost every area of engineering, from manufacturing and construction through to energy, transport and product development.

“Bristol's position at the top of the rankings outside London shows just how significant the city has become for engineers looking to work on more sustainable technologies and projects.

“What is particularly interesting is the salary premium attached to these roles. Businesses are clearly placing a high value on engineers who can combine technical expertise with an understanding of sustainability.

“As the UK continues to invest in the transition towards a more sustainable economy, we expect demand for engineers with these skills to continue growing. For people considering an engineering career, sustainability could offer an increasingly attractive combination of job opportunities and earning potential.”