Salary guide · Construction & Trades
Construction & Trades: what the jobs pay
79 jobs, lowest paid first. Yearly ranges seen in real UK adverts in 2026, and the hourly rate on a 40 hour week.
| Job | A year | An hour, 40 hour week | Tickets or qualifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSCS labourer | £24,800 to £32,000 | about £11.92 to £15.38 | CSCS green card after the CITB health and safety test. About £60 all in and it is the card that gets you through the gate |
| Labourer | £24,800 to £32,000 | about £11.92 to £15.38 | CSCS card after the CITB test |
| Damp proofing technician | £25,000 to £33,000 | about £12.02 to £15.87 | None to start, CSRT qualification useful |
| Fencer | £25,000 to £34,000 | about £12.02 to £16.35 | CSCS card, Lantra fencing award useful |
| Hod carrier | £25,000 to £32,000 | about £12.02 to £15.38 | CSCS card |
| Insulation installer | £25,000 to £32,000 | about £12.02 to £15.38 | CSCS card, NVQ Level 2 insulation and building treatments useful |
| Thatcher | £25,000 to £35,000 | about £12.02 to £16.83 | None to start, apprenticeship common |
| Asbestos removal operative | £26,000 to £34,000 | about £12.50 to £16.35 | UKATA licensed asbestos removal training, face fit test, medical |
| Cabinet maker | £26,000 to £36,000 | about £12.50 to £17.31 | Completed apprenticeship or experience |
| Drainage engineer | £26,000 to £36,000 | about £12.50 to £17.31 | None to start, driving licence, confined space ticket useful |
| Floor layer | £26,000 to £38,000 | about £12.50 to £18.27 | Own tools for most work |
| Hire controller | £26,000 to £35,000 | about £12.50 to £16.83 | Knowing the kit |
| Mastic applicator | £26,000 to £36,000 | about £12.50 to £17.31 | CSCS card, NVQ Level 2 applied waterproof membranes useful, IPAF useful |
| Painter and decorator | £26,000 to £36,000 | about £12.50 to £17.31 | CSCS card, NVQ Level 2 |
| Traffic marshal and banksman | £26,000 to £34,000 | about £12.50 to £16.35 | CSCS card and a traffic marshal or slinger signaller ticket |
| Voids operative | £26,000 to £34,000 | about £12.50 to £16.35 | NVQ Level 2 in a trade, driving licence |
| Window fitter | £26,000 to £36,000 | about £12.50 to £17.31 | FENSA or CSCS for some contracts |
| Road surfacing operative | £27,000 to £36,000 | about £12.98 to £17.31 | CSCS card, NVQ Level 2 road building useful |
| Crusher operator | £28,000 to £38,000 | about £13.46 to £18.27 | CPCS or NPORS crusher card |
| Domestic appliance engineer | £28,000 to £38,000 | about £13.46 to £18.27 | A van and training usually provided |
| Groundworker | £28,000 to £38,000 | about £13.46 to £18.27 | CSCS card, CPCS or NPORS for plant |
| Highways operative | £28,000 to £38,000 | about £13.46 to £18.27 | NRSWA streetworks cards for the units you work on, plus CSCS |
| Kitchen fitter | £28,000 to £40,000 | about £13.46 to £19.23 | Own tools and van for self employed work |
| MEWP and scissor lift operator | £28,000 to £36,000 | about £13.46 to £17.31 | AN IPAF TICKET for the categories you use, 3a for scissors and 3b for booms, plus a CSCS card and a harness for the boom |
| Piling operative | £28,000 to £38,000 | about £13.46 to £18.27 | CSCS card, NVQ Level 2 piling operations useful |
| Stonemason | £28,000 to £40,000 | about £13.46 to £19.23 | CSCS |
| Ceiling fixer | £30,000 to £42,000 | about £14.42 to £20.19 | NVQ Level 2 interior systems, CSCS card |
| Concrete finisher | £30,000 to £42,000 | about £14.42 to £20.19 | CSCS card, NVQ Level 2 concrete operations useful |
| Demolition operative | £30,000 to £42,000 | about £14.42 to £20.19 | CCDO card rather than CSCS, and asbestos awareness |
| Dumper driver | £30,000 to £38,000 | about £14.42 to £18.27 | CPCS or NPORS ticket for the machine, plus a CSCS card |
| Leadworker | £30,000 to £42,000 | about £14.42 to £20.19 | CSCS card, NVQ Level 2 leadwork |
| Pipelayer | £30,000 to £40,000 | about £14.42 to £19.23 | CSCS card, NVQ Level 2 groundworks useful, confined space ticket useful |
| Plasterer | £30,000 to £42,000 | about £14.42 to £20.19 | CSCS card, NVQ Level 2 |
| Rigger | £30,000 to £45,000 | about £14.42 to £21.63 | CPCS or NPORS slinger signaller |
| Roller driver | £30,000 to £38,000 | about £14.42 to £18.27 | CPCS or NPORS roller ticket, plus a CSCS card, and streetworks tickets for the road jobs |
| Roofer | £30,000 to £42,000 | about £14.42 to £20.19 | CSCS card, and a working at height ticket for some sites |
| Rope access technician | £30,000 to £45,000 | about £14.42 to £21.63 | IRATA Level 1 to 3 certification |
| Shopfitter | £30,000 to £42,000 | about £14.42 to £20.19 | NVQ Level 2 or 3 carpentry or shopfitting, CSCS card |
| Steel erector | £30,000 to £42,000 | about £14.42 to £20.19 | CSCS, IPAF and harness training |
| Tiler | £30,000 to £42,000 | about £14.42 to £20.19 | CSCS card, and your own tools |
| Vacuum excavator operator | £30,000 to £40,000 | about £14.42 to £19.23 | NPORS or CPCS vacuum excavator card, HGV Class 2 licence often asked for |
| Bricklayer | £32,000 to £45,000 | about £15.38 to £21.63 | CSCS card, NVQ Level 2 for the blue card |
| Carpenter | £32,000 to £45,000 | about £15.38 to £21.63 | CSCS card, NVQ Level 2 or 3 |
| Concrete pump operator | £32,000 to £44,000 | about £15.38 to £21.15 | CPCS or NPORS concrete pump card, HGV licence for truck mounted pumps |
| Curtain wall installer | £32,000 to £45,000 | about £15.38 to £21.63 | NVQ Level 2 or 3 curtain walling, CSCS card, IPAF often asked for |
| Dryliner | £32,000 to £45,000 | about £15.38 to £21.63 | CSCS card. A gold card if you have the NVQ |
| Ductwork installer | £32,000 to £42,000 | about £15.38 to £20.19 | NVQ Level 2 or 3 ductwork installation, CSCS or JIB card |
| Plant operator | £32,000 to £45,000 | about £15.38 to £21.63 | CPCS or NPORS ticket for each machine |
| Plumber | £32,000 to £45,000 | about £15.38 to £21.63 | NVQ Level 2 or 3, Gas Safe for gas work |
| Refrigeration and air conditioning engineer | £32,000 to £48,000 | about £15.38 to £23.08 | F-gas certificate |
| Road planer operator | £32,000 to £45,000 | about £15.38 to £21.63 | CPCS or NPORS planer card |
| Scaffolder | £32,000 to £45,000 | about £15.38 to £21.63 | CISRS card, Part 1 and Part 2 |
| Sprinkler fitter | £32,000 to £45,000 | about £15.38 to £21.63 | NVQ Level 2 or 3 sprinkler installation, CSCS card |
| Telehandler driver | £32,000 to £42,000 | about £15.38 to £20.19 | CPCS or NPORS telehandler ticket, plus a CSCS card |
| Thermal insulation engineer | £32,000 to £45,000 | about £15.38 to £21.63 | CSCS or TICA card, NVQ Level 2 thermal insulation |
| Tunnel operative | £32,000 to £48,000 | about £15.38 to £23.08 | CSCS card, NVQ Level 2 tunnelling operations, medical |
| Wheel loader operator | £32,000 to £42,000 | about £15.38 to £20.19 | CPCS or NPORS ticket for the loading shovel, plus a CSCS card |
| Backhoe loader operator | £33,000 to £44,000 | about £15.87 to £21.15 | CPCS or NPORS for the backhoe loader, plus a CSCS card |
| Bulldozer operator | £33,000 to £45,000 | about £15.87 to £21.63 | CPCS or NPORS dozer card |
| Electrician | £33,000 to £48,000 | about £15.87 to £23.08 | NVQ Level 3, AM2, 18th Edition, ECS card |
| Joiner | £33,000 to £45,000 | about £15.87 to £21.63 | CSCS card, and your own hand tools |
| Grader operator | £34,000 to £46,000 | about £16.35 to £22.12 | CPCS or NPORS grader card |
| Estimator | £35,000 to £55,000 | about £16.83 to £26.44 | A construction or engineering background |
| Lift engineer | £35,000 to £50,000 | about £16.83 to £24.04 | NVQ Level 3 in lift and escalator installation or maintenance, ECS or CSCS card |
| 360 excavator operator | £36,000 to £50,000 | about £17.31 to £24.04 | CPCS or NPORS blue or red ticket for the weight class you are on |
| Piling rig operator | £36,000 to £50,000 | about £17.31 to £24.04 | CPCS or NPORS piling rig card |
| Gas engineer | £38,000 to £55,000 | about £18.27 to £26.44 | GAS SAFE REGISTRATION. Without it the work is a criminal offence |
| Plant fitter | £38,000 to £52,000 | about £18.27 to £25.00 | Time served or a Level 3, and a driving licence for the field service van. Hydraulics is where the money is |
| Shuttering carpenter | £38,000 to £55,000 | about £18.27 to £26.44 | CSCS card, and experience with the system the site uses |
| Site supervisor | £38,000 to £50,000 | about £18.27 to £24.04 | SSSTS, CSCS gold or black card, first aid at work |
| Steel fixer | £38,000 to £52,000 | about £18.27 to £25.00 | CSCS card, and an NVQ for the gold card sites |
| Quantity surveyor | £40,000 to £65,000 | about £19.23 to £31.25 | A degree or an HNC, and RICS for the senior roles |
| Crane operator | £42,000 to £60,000 | about £20.19 to £28.85 | CPCS blue card for the crane type and capacity, a medical, and an appointed person on site to work under |
| Appointed person (lifting operations) | £45,000 to £62,000 | about £21.63 to £29.81 | CPCS or NPORS appointed person card |
| Electrical supervisor | £45,000 to £58,000 | about £21.63 to £27.88 | NVQ Level 3 electrical, AM2, 18th Edition, ECS gold card, SSSTS |
| Site manager | £45,000 to £65,000 | about £21.63 to £31.25 | SMSTS, CSCS black or gold card, first aid |
| Temporary works coordinator | £45,000 to £62,000 | about £21.63 to £29.81 | CITB temporary works coordinator course, SMSTS |
| Construction project manager | £50,000 to £75,000 | about £24.04 to £36.06 | APM or CIOB helps, SMSTS |
| Contracts manager | £50,000 to £70,000 | about £24.04 to £33.65 | SMSTS, a trade or degree background |
Advertised ranges, not a survey of take home pay, and the same job pays differently by region. The National Living Wage for anybody 21 and over is £12.71 an hour. Wrong for your area? Tell us.
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