So, why only the UK then? Could be that it's cheap EU labour combined with an English-speaking society. Then again, you could work as an engineer without ever

So, why only the UK then? Could be that it's cheap EU labour combined with an English-speaking society. Then again, you could work as an engineer without ever having to speak the local language in the Netherlands and Germany as well (to some extent, not all companies are amenable to non-native language speakers but I suppose most modern tech companies are). What about Ireland? From cursory research engineering salaries there don't seem to be significantly different from continental Europe. My guess is it's more about the dominance of the banking sector and its business culture, which doesn't really value engineering. After all, in banking IT often still is a mere cost centre, a necessary means to run the 'real' business.