PRICE GUIDE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH · 2026–2027
Network Engineer cost in the UK
£49–£79 per hour. Typically £69.
Contract network engineers in the UK are advertised at about £49–£79 an hour, with £69 the median hourly rate. Certifications, on-site or remote work, out-of-hours changes, project size and London rates move the hourly figure.
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HOW MUCH IT COSTS
How much does a network engineer cost in the UK?
| Low end | £49 | remote work outside London |
|---|---|---|
| Typical | £69 | what most people pay |
| High end | £79 | urgent or out-of-hours on-site work |
Locufy guide prices for 2026–2027. Updated 2026. A national range, not a quote — enter your town above for real prices from the agencies and freelancers near you.
What moves the price
- Certifications — Cisco, Juniper or Fortinet certified network engineers command higher hourly rates
- On-site or remote — on-site network work adds travel time and parking
- Out-of-hours changes — network changes made overnight or at weekends carry a premium
- Project or break-fix — a planned network installation is quoted differently from emergency fault-finding
- Security work — firewall and VPN configuration needs senior network engineering skills
- London and travel — network engineers in London charge above the UK median
WHAT YOU GET
What a network engineer visit includes
Takes: Small jobs take a few hours; office installs and upgrades can take several days. Not included: Network hardware, cabling installation, licences, out-of-hours uplifts and travel beyond the engineer's area are usually priced separately.
WHAT PEOPLE BOOK
Common network engineer jobs
KNOW THE PRICE? NOW SEE THE REAL ONES
Network Engineer near you, with prices shown
The agencies and freelancers that cover your area, nearest first, each with their price and one score from every review. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.
How to pay less
- Plan network changes in advance rather than paying out-of-hours emergency rates
- Buy recommended network hardware yourself if the engineer agrees to configure it
- Book a remote session for configuration work that does not need a site visit
Before you book
- Ask the network engineer about certifications and similar jobs they have done
- Agree hourly rate, minimum charge and any out-of-hours uplift in writing
- Check the work will keep your systems in line with Cyber Essentials if you rely on it
- Agree that the network engineer hands over admin passwords and documentation at the end
Network Engineer cost: questions people ask
UK contract adverts put network engineers at about £49–£79 an hour, with a median of £69. Remote work outside London sits lower, and urgent or out-of-hours work higher.
Small fixes take a few hours. A full office Wi-Fi or firewall project can take several days including planning and testing.
If you hire a contract network engineer through their own company, the off-payroll working rules (IR35) may apply. Medium and large clients must decide the status; small clients leave it to the contractor.
Much configuration can be done remotely once access is set up. Installing hardware and tracing physical faults usually needs a visit.
Hardware, cabling, licences, out-of-hours uplifts and long-distance travel are commonly separate. Ask for each to be listed on any network engineer quote you compare.
They are Locufy guide prices for the UK, based on published UK contract rate data for network engineers. They show the national range per hour, not a quote.
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