Historical Trends in the UK Wind Energy Sector

The UK wind energy sector has undergone remarkable transformation over the past decade, with significant implications for employment, skills requirements, and workforce development.

This analysis examines the evolution of hiring trends from 2015 through 2025, highlighting the complex interplay between industry growth, government policy, and market dynamics.

Demand Dynamics in the UK Wind Energy Sector Employment

The UK wind energy sector has seen dramatic changes in its workforce needs since 2015.

What began as a nascent industry has evolved into a sophisticated sector requiring diverse technical and managerial expertise. The most sought-after roles have consistently included wind turbine technicians, electrical engineers, and project managers, but with increasing specialisation over time.

Offshore wind has particularly driven demand for specialised positions. High-voltage electrical technicians have become critically important as the sector has matured, alongside roles focused on substations and cable systems. Project management positions have grown increasingly complex, requiring professionals capable of coordinating massive offshore installations worth billions of pounds.

Digital transformation has further reshaped hiring needs. By 2025, employers increasingly seek candidates with expertise in data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and SCADA-related skills – competencies barely mentioned in 2015 job postings.

Salary Progression and Benchmarks

Compensation within the UK wind energy sector has seen steady growth, responding to increased demand for specialised talent.As of March 2025, the average salary for offshore wind positions stands at £57,698 annually, equating to approximately £4,381 monthly or £25.98 hourly. The range typically spans from £48,090 to £57,698, with significant regional variations.

According to Totaljobs, the average salary for Offshore Wind jobs is £57,500 as of February 2025.For the broader renewable energy sector, ITJobsWatch reports a median annual salary of £55,000 as of March 2025, with London consistently offering higher compensation packages at around £60,000.

Critical Hiring Challenges

The sector faces persistent workforce challenges that have evolved over the past decade. The most fundamental issue remains the widespread skills gap across technical disciplines.

As one industry leader noted, employers are “entering a period where we have a lot of competition for the same roles,” exacerbated by a “lack of skill and lack of people coming through the education system”.

This shortage is particularly acute in specialised areas including:

• High-voltage electrical engineering
• Offshore construction and maintenance
• Project management for large-scale developments
• Advanced digital skills including AI and data analytics

The recruitment landscape has been further complicated by external factors including Brexit, the pandemic, and changes to contractor tax regulations – what one HR professional described as a “perfect storm” affecting the UK’s labour market.

Policy-Driven Projections for Wind Energy Employment

Impact of UK’s Offshore Wind Targets

The UK government’s offshore wind targets have been central drivers of employment growth.

The ambition to achieve 50GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 has directly shaped workforce planning and recruitment strategies across the sector.

However, these targets have undergone significant revisions. The original 50GW target was briefly increased to 60GW before being adjusted to a range of 43-50GW by 2030, reflecting realistic assessments of supply chain constraints.

The UK currently has nearly 2,200 wind turbines across 35 offshore wind farms contributing 13% of the UK’s electricity needs.

Clean Power 2030 Action Plan Implications

The Labour government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan has reshaped the employment landscape through several key initiatives.

The plan outlines investments of £40 billion between 2025 and 2030, with significant portions dedicated to workforce development.

A particularly significant policy shift has been Labour’s decision to lift the ban on new onshore wind farms in England, which had constrained job growth in that subsector.

This regulatory change has triggered increased demand for positions including:

• Wind turbine technicians
• Project managers overseeing onshore developments
• Environmental consultants managing regulatory compliance
• Civil, electrical, and mechanical engineers

Future Workforce Projections

The most comprehensive industry analysis indicates the UK offshore wind sector will employ approximately 104,401 people by 2030, a dramatic increase from the 32,257 employed as of early 2023.

To achieve this growth trajectory, the industry needs to attract and retain approximately 10,000 new workers annually through 2030.

This growth will not be linear. A particularly sharp increase is expected in the short term, with workforce needs projected to reach 88,509 by 2026 – meaning over 56,000 new positions must be filled in just three years. This acceleration coincides with several major offshore wind farms entering construction phases simultaneously.

Emerging specialisations will reshape the talent landscape through 2030:

• Floating Offshore Wind: The UK’s ambition to deploy 5GW of floating offshore wind by 2030 has created demand for specialised roles in mooring systems, dynamic cable systems, and floating structure design.
• Grid Integration Specialists: As wind penetration increases, demand has grown for experts who can optimise wind energy systems for high-renewable grids, develop advanced control functions, and ensure grid stability.
• Cross-Sector Transfer Specialists: Facilitating workforce movement between traditional and renewable energy sectors has emerged as a specialised function, with professionals who can map skills pathways and design targeted training programs.

Sector Challenges Impacting Hiring

Grid Connection Bottlenecks

One of the most significant constraints on sector growth – and by extension employment – has been persistent grid connection delays.

As of late 2024, over 1,100 renewable energy projects remained stuck in grid connection queues, with the pipeline of contracted projects awaiting connections across England and Wales reaching a combined 176GW.

The situation has been exacerbated by the National Grid’s obligation to manage connection requests on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, limiting its ability to prioritise projects that are ready to proceed.

This has led to criticism of so-called “zombie projects” that hold connection queue positions without progressing to construction.

Scotland has been particularly affected, despite generating approximately 40% of the UK’s wind capacity. Grid delays have hampered many new projects, especially in the Highlands and offshore areas, with significant consequences for regional employment.

Workforce Transition Strategies

The renewable energy sector’s approach to workforce development has evolved considerably since 2015. Early strategies focused heavily on attracting new talent, but by 2025, there is increasing emphasis on facilitating transfers from adjacent industries, particularly oil and gas.

Research indicates that 90% of oil and gas industry workers possess skills transferable to future offshore renewable energy roles.

This recognition has led to structured transition programs, culminating in the Energy Skills Passport initiative scheduled for launch in January 2025. This joint effort between Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK creates a framework for identifying which qualifications and training standards are mutually recognised across sectors.

The transition challenge remains significant: the UK’s oil and gas sector currently supports over 200,000 jobs, while offshore wind employs 32,000.

Successfully bridging this gap requires not only skills mapping but also addressing cultural and operational differences between sectors.

Contract for Difference (CfD) Auction Impacts

The UK’s Contract for Difference auction mechanism, designed to provide revenue stability for renewable developers, has had mixed impacts on employment.

The scheme’s effectiveness has been undermined by design flaws, particularly evident in the fifth auction round (AR5) which failed to attract a single offshore wind bidder.

The primary issue was the maximum allowed strike price for offshore wind being set at £44/MWh (including grid connection costs), which industry experts deemed “much too low” given recent inflation in construction and materials costs. This contrasts with approaches in other European countries like France, which have implemented more effective indexing of price support mechanisms.

The consequences for employment have been substantial.

When Vattenfall suspended construction on the 1.4GW Norfolk Boreas project due to a 40% increase in costs, it directly impacted thousands of potential jobs. The failed AR5 auction put an estimated £10 billion of investment on hold, with corresponding effects on job creation.

Conclusion

The UK wind energy employment landscape has undergone remarkable transformation between 2015 and 2025. From a sector comprising primarily conventional engineering roles, it has evolved into a sophisticated industry requiring specialised technical expertise, digital capabilities, and cross-disciplinary competencies.

The industry faces a dramatic workforce expansion challenge, needing to more than triple its personnel by 2030. Success will require coordinated action across policy, education, and industry domains.

Key priorities include streamlining grid connections, reforming the CfD auction mechanism to better reflect economic realities, and implementing structured programs to facilitate workforce transitions from adjacent sectors.

The sector’s employment future remains fundamentally tied to policy consistency. The repeated adjustment of offshore wind targets creates planning challenges for both employers and educational institutions.

Nevertheless, wind energy employment offers one of the UK’s most promising pathways for creating skilled, well-compensated jobs while simultaneously advancing climate objectives.