A person working in Engineering in Sri Lanka typically earns around 75,800 LKR per month. Salaries range from 24,000 LKR (lowest average) to 160,000 LKR (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Salaries vary drastically between different Engineering careers. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Acoustics Engineer | 78,000 LKR |
Assembly Engineering Technician | 61,300 LKR |
Assistant Chief Engineer | 89,300 LKR |
Associate Engineer | 70,800 LKR |
Autocad Operator | 49,800 LKR |
Automation Engineer | 87,700 LKR |
Avionic System Support Engineer | 79,500 LKR |
Biochemical Engineer | 75,000 LKR |
BMS Engineer | 77,500 LKR |
Bridge and Lock Tender | 46,700 LKR |
Broadcast Engineer | 83,300 LKR |
CAD Design Engineer | 84,500 LKR |
CAD Designer | 51,500 LKR |
CAE Engineer | 82,000 LKR |
Ceramics Engineer | 73,300 LKR |
Civil Engineer | 83,200 LKR |
Commissioning Engineer | 82,300 LKR |
Communications Engineer | 92,300 LKR |
Condition Monitoring Engineer | 69,000 LKR |
Contract Associate Engineer | 76,400 LKR |
Control Systems Engineer | 82,700 LKR |
Controls Engineer | 80,100 LKR |
Controls Software Engineer | 74,400 LKR |
Corrosion Engineer | 72,700 LKR |
Design Engineer | 82,800 LKR |
Drafter | 53,400 LKR |
Drafting Manager | 98,400 LKR |
Drilling Engineer | 79,100 LKR |
Electrical Draughtsman | 42,400 LKR |
Electrical Engineer | 89,700 LKR |
Electrical Engineering Manager | 118,000 LKR |
Electromechanical Engineering Technologist | 88,000 LKR |
Electromechanical Equipment Assembler | 43,100 LKR |
Energy Engineer | 86,600 LKR |
Engine Assembler | 38,800 LKR |
Engineer | 87,000 LKR |
Engineering Account Manager | 90,500 LKR |
Engineering Chief Designer | 94,400 LKR |
Engineering Consultant | 107,000 LKR |
Engineering Key Account Manager | 124,000 LKR |
Engineering Lab Technician | 75,100 LKR |
Engineering Planning Manager | 111,000 LKR |
Engineering Production Manager | 141,000 LKR |
Engineering Project Analyst | 93,700 LKR |
Engineering Project Coordinator | 94,600 LKR |
Engineering Project Director | 160,000 LKR |
Engineering Project Manager | 119,000 LKR |
Engineering Research and Development Manager | 139,000 LKR |
Engineering Safety Coordinator | 67,100 LKR |
Engineering Sales Manager | 108,000 LKR |
Engineering Technician | 65,800 LKR |
Engineering Technologist | 64,300 LKR |
Environmental Engineer | 81,000 LKR |
Equipment Engineer | 75,800 LKR |
Equipment Engineering Manager | 110,000 LKR |
Estimator | 72,100 LKR |
Fabrication Specialist | 58,700 LKR |
Fabricator | 37,900 LKR |
Facade Engineer | 76,800 LKR |
Fiber Analyst | 49,800 LKR |
Field Engineer | 87,000 LKR |
Field Engineering Manager | 142,000 LKR |
Fire Engineer | 84,100 LKR |
Fitter and Turner | 27,000 LKR |
Forestry Strategic Planner | 95,200 LKR |
Generation Engineer | 86,900 LKR |
Genetic Engineer | 90,500 LKR |
Geological Engineer | 84,900 LKR |
Geotechnical Engineer | 89,800 LKR |
Heavy Equipment Mechanic | 45,200 LKR |
Highway Engineer | 84,400 LKR |
HSE Professional | 78,700 LKR |
HVAC Engineer | 90,500 LKR |
HVAC Supervisor | 72,700 LKR |
Industrial Engineer | 82,200 LKR |
Industrial Engineering Technologist | 79,000 LKR |
Instrument Engineer | 77,800 LKR |
Instrumentation and Control Engineer | 77,800 LKR |
Instrumentation Engineer | 84,700 LKR |
Instrumentation Manager | 78,500 LKR |
Irrigation Engineer | 83,200 LKR |
Licensed Aircraft Engineer | 92,300 LKR |
Locomotive Engineer | 82,200 LKR |
Maintenance Engineer | 80,700 LKR |
Maintenance Fitter | 29,700 LKR |
Maintenance Manager | 82,100 LKR |
Manufacturing Engineer | 83,200 LKR |
Marine Engineer | 87,100 LKR |
Materials Engineer | 77,100 LKR |
Materials Researcher | 76,800 LKR |
Materials Technician | 60,800 LKR |
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer | 90,100 LKR |
Mechanical Design Engineer | 87,300 LKR |
Mechanical Designer | 71,000 LKR |
Mechanical Engineer | 84,100 LKR |
Mechanical Engineering Manager | 111,000 LKR |
Mechanical Inspector | 80,000 LKR |
Mechatronics Engineer | 88,700 LKR |
Mining Engineer | 78,500 LKR |
Oil and Petrochemical Engineer | 87,200 LKR |
Optical Engineer | 82,300 LKR |
Optical Instrument Assembler | 43,100 LKR |
PCB Assembler | 29,200 LKR |
Photonics Engineer | 90,800 LKR |
Photonics Technician | 74,300 LKR |
Pipeline Engineer | 78,200 LKR |
Piping Designer | 46,500 LKR |
Piping Engineer | 78,800 LKR |
Planning Engineer | 84,200 LKR |
Pressure Vessel Inspector | 37,700 LKR |
Principal Cost Engineer | 85,500 LKR |
Principal Engineer | 79,800 LKR |
Principal Support Engineer | 80,100 LKR |
Process Engineer | 79,400 LKR |
Process Operator | 50,500 LKR |
Product Development Engineer | 83,900 LKR |
Product Development Technician | 61,300 LKR |
Product Engineer | 84,200 LKR |
Product Safety Engineer | 77,900 LKR |
Production Engineer | 82,800 LKR |
Project Engineer | 85,900 LKR |
Proposal Manager | 107,000 LKR |
Purchasing Engineer | 77,100 LKR |
Quality Assurance Engineer | 80,800 LKR |
Rail Engineer | 82,500 LKR |
Robotics Engineer | 91,700 LKR |
Robotics Technician | 66,700 LKR |
Safety Engineer | 82,100 LKR |
Safety Inspector | 65,800 LKR |
Safety Manager | 93,500 LKR |
Safety Officer | 41,200 LKR |
Sales Engineer | 91,900 LKR |
Scheduling Engineer | 78,200 LKR |
Service Engineer | 88,400 LKR |
Solar Engineer | 85,100 LKR |
Staff Engineer | 82,700 LKR |
Static Equipment Engineer | 79,100 LKR |
Stationary Engineer | 73,600 LKR |
Stress Engineer | 74,400 LKR |
Structural Analysis Engineer | 78,800 LKR |
Structural Designer | 70,300 LKR |
Structural Engineer | 79,100 LKR |
Structural Technician | 52,000 LKR |
Supply Chain Specialist | 80,400 LKR |
Surveyor | 63,200 LKR |
Technical Affairs Officer | 42,600 LKR |
Technical Assistant | 43,100 LKR |
Technical Engineer | 71,500 LKR |
Technical Support Engineer | 69,000 LKR |
Tender Engineer | 75,800 LKR |
Test Development Engineer | 78,100 LKR |
Transportation Engineer | 78,200 LKR |
Validation Engineer | 74,600 LKR |
Verification Engineer | 79,500 LKR |
Wastewater Engineer | 84,600 LKR |
Wind Energy Engineer | 81,500 LKR |
Wind Energy Operations Manager | 107,000 LKR |
Work Planner | 56,100 LKR |
Engineering salaries in Sri Lanka range from 24,000 LKR per month (minimum average salary) to 160,000 LKR per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
The median salary is 77,300 LKR per month, which means that half (50%) of people working in Engineering are earning less than 77,300 LKR while the other half are earning more than 77,300 LKR. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of people working in Engineering are earning less than 45,600 LKR while 75% of them are earning more than 45,600 LKR. Also from the diagram, 75% of people working in Engineering are earning less than 121,000 LKR while 25% are earning more than 121,000 LKR.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher the wage.
Generally speaking, employees having experience from two to five years earn on average 32% more than freshers and juniors across all industries and disciplines.
Professionals with experience of more than five years tend to earn on average 36% more than those with five years or less of work experience.
As you hit the ten years mark, the salary increases by 21% and an additional 14% for those who have crossed the 15 years mark.
Those figures are presented as guidelines only. The numbers become more significant if you consider one job title at a time.
It is well known that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We compared the salaries of professionals at the same level but with different college degrees levels across many jobs, below are our findings.
Workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level.
Employees who earned a Bachelor's Degree earn 24% more than those who only managed to attain a cerificate or diploma.
Professionals who attained a Master's Degree are awarded salaries that are 29% more than those with a Bachelor's Degree.
Finally, PhD holders earn 23% more than Master's Degree holders on average while doing the same job.
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Sri Lanka costs anywhere from 449,000 Sri Lanka Rupee(s) to 1,350,000 Sri Lanka Rupee(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support this tactic. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
The decision really depends on your situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if you can afford the costs of higher education then the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male employees in Sri Lanka who work in Engineering earn 10% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 78,700 LKR | |
Female | -9% | 71,300 LKR |
Engineering professionals in Sri Lanka are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 16 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 17 months.
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
Banking | 6% | |
Energy | 3% | |
Information Technology | 9% | |
Healthcare | 6% | |
Travel | 3% | |
Construction | 9% | |
Education | 6% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Sri Lanka for the year 2022. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
Engineering is considered to be a moderate bonus-based field due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
48% of surveyed staff in Engineering reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 52% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 6% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 52% | |
No Bonus | 48% |
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
The average salary for Engineering is 16% less than that of All Jobs.
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Sri Lanka earn 8% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 86,000 LKR | |
Public Sector | +8% | 92,500 LKR |