Study Engineering

BEng or BSc(Eng), 4 years (NQF 8), accredited by ECSA

Pay in South AfricaR600–790ka year · typical R700k · limited evidence Work abroad4.4 of 5best: Ireland, New Zealand AI outlookEvolvingAI changes parts of the daily work

Getting inVery highcompetition for places · 4 years

R58 870 to R89 780 first-year fees 24 bursaries list Engineering

School subjects: MathsPhysical Sciences requiredMaths Literacy not accepted

Entry details and typical minimums

English (home or first additional language) at level 4-5. Wits lists only English, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, so Engineering Graphics is not required there.

Typical minimums: Wits BSc(Eng) Mechanical: APS 42 with level 5 (60-69%) in English, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, level 6 preferred. Other universities vary; marks in the 70s are typical.

Sources: Wits Mechanical Engineering entry requirements · ECSA registration categories

Pay

Yearly gross pay, turned into rand at the exchange rate. The dot is the typical figure. How pay is measured

USAR1.4–2.3m
GermanyR1.2–1.8m
NetherlandsR1.1–1.9m
AustraliaR950k–1.9m
CanadaR1.0–1.6m
UKR940k–1.5m
IrelandR710k–1.8m^~
New ZealandR840k–1.6m
South AfricaR600–790k^~
UAER470–940k^~

~ limited evidence

Working abroad 4.4 of 5

Score out of 5. Tap a country for steps and visas.

AI outlook

EvolvingAI changes parts of the daily work

Site, plant and equipment work plus a registered engineer’s legal sign-off; design and analysis tasks are highly automatable.

Hands-on In-person care Licensed & accountable

How AI changes each field

Careers

Civil engineer
Structural engineer
Electrical engineer
Mechanical engineer
Chemical or process engineer
Mining engineer

Washington Accord (International Engineering Alliance)

ECSA-accredited BEng/BSc(Eng) degrees are accepted by the other 24 signatories as meeting the academic requirement for professional registration. It does not grant a licence, a visa or the right to practise: experience, exams and local registration still apply.

Where to study 8

First-year tuition, as published. My Matric Map can check your results against each of these. Tap a university for its entry requirements and dates. Compare study costs

Country by country: steps, exams, visas and pay sources

A four-year BEng/BSc(Eng) accredited by ECSA. The Washington Accord makes it one of SA's most portable degrees: the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and NZ accept the education (UK Chartered status also needs master's-level further learning); US state boards decide for themselves, usually after an NCEES credentials evaluation; Germany assesses it case by case, and in the Netherlands engineering is unregulated, so employers judge the degree.

Professional regulator: Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA)

Where it can take you

Engineering → Australia

Overall 5/5 · Excellent prospects

The Washington Accord pathway gives a fast skills assessment; engineers sit on the Core Skills list.

Recognition: 4/5 · Recognised, paperwork only. Mutual recognition or an assessment plus registration. No major exams.
Demand: High demand

Sources: Engineers Australia - migration skills assessment · Home Affairs - Core Skills Occupation List (PDF) · Consumer Affairs Victoria - professional engineers registration

Qualification and licensing guide

Pay, in rand at the exchange rate

Typical gross pay in each country, turned into rand at the exchange rate. Compare salaries switches between the exchange rate, buying power and after tax, and says how each works.

United States R1.4–2.3m2.6× SA

Germany R1.2–1.8m2.1× SA

Netherlands R1.1–1.9m^*2.1× SA

Australia R950k–1.9m^*1.9× SA

Canada R1.0–1.6m1.9× SA

United Kingdom R940k–1.5m1.7× SA

Ireland R710k–1.8m^*1.7× SA

New Zealand R840k–1.6m1.7× SA

South Africa R600–790k^*

United Arab Emirates R470–940k^*1.0× SA

South Africa · line: the South African figure · pay range · starting pay · hover or tap a bar for details · gross pay a year, low to high estimate; the bar ends at the typical figure · * weaker figure

Country	Typical gross pay	Range and starting pay	Occupation and source
South Africa	ZAR 695 000 Middle of the advertised range 2026	ZAR 600 000 to 790 000 salary survey range, 2026 · Pnet 2026 Job Market Trends Report salary guide (advertised CTC/month), as published by IT-Online · low confidence · Pnet advertised CTC range x12. Public OSD Engineer Gr A gross = R831k-R887k.	Civil Engineer (Pnet Architecture & Engineering sector) Pnet 2026 Job Market Trends Report salary guide (advertised CTC/month), as published by IT-Online · Advertised CTC R50,000-R65,833/mth x12 = R600k-R790k. CTC treated as gross (no split published). PayScale civil eng median R388k (n=463) is far lower. PRIVATE sector, where most graduates work. Public-service gross equivalent R859,000.
United Kingdom	GBP 51 366 Median 2025	GBP 39 802 to 65 000 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a Annual pay - Gross, full-time · SOC 2121 Civil engineers, full-time, April 2025 (p10 32,149). Starting GBP 29 000 Graduate civil engineer, first job after the degree, 2026 · National Careers Service job profile: civil-engineer ('Starter' salary) · NCS starter 29,000; experienced 63,000. Chartership (CEng) usually 4+ years later.	SOC2020 2121 Civil engineers ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a Annual pay - Gross, full-time · Median gross annual pay, full-time employees, April 2025. CV 5.7%.
Ireland	EUR 59 167 Middle of the advertised range 2026	EUR 35 000 to 90 000 salary survey range, 2026 · Morgan McKinley Ireland Salary Guide 2026 (permanent salaries) · low confidence · Civil Engineer, lowest to highest figure across 0-3/3-5/5+ yrs and 5 cities (same source as typical). No official Irish occupational percentiles. MM 0-3 yrs: 35,000-50,000. Starting EUR 36 140 First year after an honours (L8) degree, graduate engineer, 2023 · CSO Higher Education Outcomes, table HEO12 Graduate Earnings (NFQ Level 8, 2022 graduates, year 1): Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction · EUR695/wk x52. Median, earned 2023. Broad field of study; includes part-time workers, so understates full-time pay.	Civil Engineer Morgan McKinley Ireland Salary Guide 2026 (permanent salaries) · Midpoint of each published band (0-3/3-5/5+ yrs) averaged over bands and the 5 listed cities. Full range EUR35,000-90,000. No Irish official occupational pay statistics exist.
Netherlands	EUR 71 760 Median 2025	EUR 54 704 to 92 144 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · CBS StatLine 86355NED Werknemers; uurloon en beroep (p25/p75 gross hourly) · BRC 2014 0712 Ingenieurs (geen elektrotechniek), employees, 2025: p25 26.30/h, p75 44.30/h x2080, excl. holiday pay (as typical). Starting EUR 50 544 New wo-master graduate, 1 year after leaving university, 2024 · CBS StatLine 83815NED Uitstromers ho; uurloon na verlaten onderwijs (median, cohort 2022/'23, 1 yr after leaving) · Wo-master 'Techniek': median 24.30/h x2080, Oct 2024, employees. Hbo-bachelor Techniek: 21.77/h (45,282).	BRC 2014 0712 Ingenieurs (geen elektrotechniek) CBS StatLine 86355NED Werknemers; uurloon en beroep · Median gross hourly x2080 (40h x52). Hourly excl. holiday pay, NL full-time ~36-38h; errors largely offset. Combined engineering-professionals group; civil engineers sit here.
Germany	EUR 72 456 Median 2025	EUR 59 184 to 87 888 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · BA Entgeltatlas (Beschaeftigungsstatistik), Stichtag 31.12.2025, Vollzeit, all ages, Germany · KldB 31104, monthly p25-p75 x12. Typical figure sits inside. Starting EUR 49 494 Newly graduated (Bachelor/FH) civil engineer in municipal service, TVoeD E10 Stufe 1, 2026 · TVoeD/VKA Entgelttabelle 2026 (valid 1 May 2026-31 Mar 2027); EGO VKA Teil A II.3 (engineers = E10) · Public-sector entry only; private construction firms vary. Master-level posts (E13 Stufe 1) 58,813. Excludes annual Jahressonderzahlung.	KldB 2010 31104 Berufe in der Bauplanung & -überwachung (ohne Spezialisierung) - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten BA Entgeltatlas (Beschäftigungsstatistik), Stichtag 31.12.2025 · Median monthly gross full-time x12. Employees in social insurance only (no self-employed/Beamte); capped at 8,050 EUR/mo. Civil engineers (Bauingenieur=31104). n=48,207.
United States	USD 100 840 Median 2025	USD 79 930 to 129 680 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · BLS OEWS May 2025 national (via BLS Public Data API) · OEWS May 2025 national annual 25th/75th percentile for SOC 17-2051; p10 $68,240, p90 $163,220; not top-coded. Starting USD 69 400 1 year after a bachelor's in civil engineering (CIP 14.08), pre-licensure EIT stage, 2022 · College Scorecard field-of-study data (Jun 2026 release), EARN_MDN_1YR · Grad-weighted median of program medians, earnings 1 yr after completion (2018-20 grads, CY2020-21, 2022 $; working & not enrolled, incl. part-time). NACE Winter 2026 projects $81,198 average for all engineering bachelor's (employer projection, mean).	17-2051 Civil Engineers BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 national · OEWS national median annual wage, May 2025.
Canada	CAD 101 005 Median 2024	CAD 79 997 to 124 571 25th to 75th percentile, 2024 · Job Bank wage data 2025 release (LFS 2023-2024), national quartiles · Job Bank Q1/Q3 hourly C$38.46/C$59.89 x2080, NOC 21300, LFS 2023-24. Low/high (~p10/p90): C$66,560/C$150,010. Starting CAD 80 300 2 years after a bachelor's in engineering (all disciplines), typically EIT stage before P.Eng licensure, 2024 · Statistics Canada Table 37-10-0281 (ELMLP), graduates two years after graduation · Median employment income 2 yrs after graduation (2022 grads, measured 2024, 2024 $); excludes full-time students, includes part-time/part-year workers. Civil-only figure not published; all-engineering median.	21300 Civil engineers Job Bank wage data (open data), Labour Force Survey · National median hourly wage C$48.56 x 2080 h. Job Bank/LFS reference period 2023-2024, published 19 Nov 2025.
Australia	AUD 115 284 Median 2025	AUD 82 700 to 167 300 25th to 75th percentile, estimated from tax statistics (includes part-time), 2024 · ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24, Individuals Table 14A (occupation unit group x taxable income range); medians from Table 15B · low confidence · p25/p75 interpolated from 5 taxable-income bands (linear density matched to band means). Includes part-time/part-year earners and non-wage income; 2023-24 dollars, not uprated. Starting AUD 81 000 About 4 months after completing the bachelor's degree, full-time employed domestic graduates, 2025 · QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025 national report tables: median full-time salary, undergraduates, by 45 study areas ('Engineering - civil') · Civil engineering grads, 2025 survey (2024: 77,500). Other engineering fields 78,300-90,000.	Civil Engineering Professionals (ANZSCO 2332) ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025 (customised report), via JSA Occupation Profiles · Median $2217/wk x52; FT non-managerial adult-rate employees, before tax. Group also covers geotechnical/structural/transport engineers and quantity surveyors; no 6-digit earnings published.
New Zealand	NZD 112 000 Median 2026	NZD 81 000 to 154 000 careers service range, 2026 · Tahatu Career Navigator job profile: Civil engineer ('most common' pay range) · Tahatu 'most common' band (full published range 63,000-207,000); Stats NZ IDI/Census + IR data, percentiles not defined, no vintage stated. Starting NZD 69 000 Graduate engineer, year 1 after the bachelor's degree, 2026 · Tahatu Career Navigator study page 'Bachelors degrees in other civil engineering (BE(Hons), BEngTech)': median employed income 1 year after completion (Stats NZ IDI + IR) · Published in $ thousands; vintage not stated; includes part-year/part-time earners. Year-1 p25-p75 66k-74k; structural engineering cluster 72k. Year 5 median 93k.	Civil engineer Tahatu Career Navigator (Ministry of Education / Tertiary Education Commission careers service) · Published range $63,000-$207,000, most common $81,000-$154,000. From Stats NZ Census/IDI + Inland Revenue data; no vintage stated (year = year observed).
United Arab Emirates	AED 144 000 Middle of the advertised range 2025	AED 96 000 to 192 000 salary survey range, 2025 · Cooper Fitch UAE Salary Guide 2025 (recruiter employer survey) · low confidence · Same CF row as typical (civil eng, manufacturing table): AED 8k-16k/mth x12, fixed pay incl. allowances. No graduate row; no official starting figure.	Civil Engineer (Manufacturing table) Cooper Fitch UAE Salary Guide 2025 (recruiter employer survey) · Recruiter survey, not official. AED 8,000-16,000/month x12, fixed pay incl. allowances, excl. bonus. Only civil-engineer row sits in a manufacturing table.

General information, not immigration or legal advice. Researched 2026-10-07.