Sub-contractor Pay Trends August 2019
Hudson Contract delivers the most accurate indications of pay trends across the construction industry, using payroll data for over 2,200 construction companies to publish the average pay for a spectrum of 17 different trades split across ten regions.
Earnings for freelance tradespeople in the construction sector declined by just 1.7 per cent last month, according to latest figures released by Hudson Contract.
Analysis of August payroll data for more than 2,200 construction companies in England and Wales reveals a weekly average of £904 for subcontractors.
Demand remains strong for skilled trades with average earnings 2.2 per cent higher than the same month last year.
Our regional breakdown shows the North East and South West reported growth in average earnings last month. Wales saw the biggest fall with average earnings down 3.7 per cent.
Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson Contract, said: “National trade surveys suggest lower volumes of work across the construction sector in response to the ongoing economic and political uncertainty.
“Businesses want Brexit settled one way or another so they can get on with delivering the housing and infrastructure that Britain needs.
“Today’s (September 3) purchasing managers index for the construction industry shows housebuilding activity fell only slightly last month while some companies reported tight labour market conditions had encouraged retention of skilled workers.
“Underlying demand remains strong for skilled tradespeople to build new roads, railways and homes and our analysis shows self-employed specialists are earning a premium for their services.”
| Region | August 2019 Average | Month on Month % Change | Year on Year % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| North East | £788 | 1.3% | -2.2% |
| North West | £860 | -1.4% | 8.0% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £849 | -2.1% | 1.8% |
| East Midlands | £931 | -1.3% | 5.2% |
| West Midlands | £965 | -1.8% | 1.5% |
| Wales | £787 | -3.7% | -5.6% |
| East of England | £937 | -1.2% | 1.3% |
| London | £892 | -2.8% | 1.4% |
| South East | £901 | -2.4% | 2.2% |
| South West | £813 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
To access Hudson Contract’s Construction Pay Trends index, please click here
North East
| NORTH EAST | May-19 | Jun-19 | Jul-19 | Aug-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £771 | £808 | £812 | £811 |
| ELECTRICAL | £756 | £911 | £996 | £874 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £615 | £685 | £634 | £619 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £702 | £778 | £804 | £776 |
| INSULATION | £635 | £710 | £727 | £783 |
| PLASTERING | £593 | £670 | £667 | £788 |
| ROOFING | £1,043 | £945 | £915 | £874 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £351 | £468 | £415 | £422 |
| SHOP FITTING | £592 | £722 | £662 | £735 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £624 | £685 | £576 | £653 |
North West
| NORTH WEST | May-19 | Jun-19 | Jul-19 | Aug-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £803 | £891 | £871 | £821 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £709 | £761 | £781 | £777 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £673 | £723 | £765 | £778 |
| ELECTRICAL | £714 | £812 | £852 | £841 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £704 | £754 | £757 | £737 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £773 | £835 | £863 | £847 |
| INSULATION | £1,075 | £1,222 | £1,282 | £1,405 |
| JOINERY | £1,020 | £1,067 | £1,075 | £1,048 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,016 | £1,075 | £1,154 | £1,138 |
| PLASTERING | £583 | £648 | £608 | £567 |
| PLUMBING | £750 | £783 | £799 | £945 |
| ROOFING | £789 | £889 | £916 | £955 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £583 | £649 | £641 | £649 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,104 | £1,060 | £1,260 | £1,159 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £1,242 | £1,254 | £1,290 | £1,247 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £510 | £640 | £561 | £530 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £869 | £855 | £944 | £941 |
Yorkshire & Humber
| YORKSHIRE & HUMBER | May-19 | Jun-19 | Jul-19 | Aug-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £651 | £767 | £767 | £777 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £753 | £803 | £826 | £833 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £560 | £631 | £687 | £707 |
| ELECTRICAL | £802 | £884 | £909 | £854 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £793 | £862 | £720 | £953 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £763 | £842 | £863 | £834 |
| INSULATION | £641 | £647 | £715 | £880 |
| JOINERY | £740 | £701 | £793 | £767 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,057 | £1,086 | £1,131 | £999 |
| PLASTERING | £838 | £839 | £840 | £759 |
| PLUMBING | £623 | £734 | £680 | £727 |
| ROOFING | £621 | £733 | £691 | £713 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £500 | £577 | £557 | £582 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,313 | £1,249 | £1,291 | £1,241 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £904 | £1,010 | £1,014 | £981 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £1,346 | £1,204 | £1,132 | £925 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £756 | £841 | £1,031 | £928 |
East Midlands
| EAST MIDLANDS | May-19 | Jun-19 | Jul-19 | Aug-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £778 | £796 | £860 | £852 |
| ELECTRICAL | £872 | £989 | £1,079 | £1,004 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £979 | £984 | £1,022 | £1,028 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £976 | £1,042 | £1,092 | £1,068 |
| INSULATION | £789 | £853 | £836 | £828 |
| JOINERY | £824 | £859 | £861 | £885 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,885 | £1,925 | £1,669 | £1,674 |
| PLASTERING | £647 | £736 | £740 | £733 |
| PLUMBING | £1,115 | £1,108 | £1,282 | £1,048 |
| ROOFING | £826 | £796 | £854 | £814 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £755 | £743 | £819 | £828 |
| SHOP FITTING | £843 | £678 | £827 | £756 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £787 | £771 | £849 | £852 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £1,145 | £903 | £881 | £889 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £784 | £824 | £907 | £919 |
West Midlands
| WEST MIDLANDS | May-19 | Jun-19 | Jul-19 | Aug-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £830 | £938 | £941 | £894 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £896 | £939 | £992 | £975 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £542 | £687 | £662 | £619 |
| ELECTRICAL | £1,108 | £1,189 | £1,207 | £1,208 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £824 | £818 | £894 | £905 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £825 | £863 | £960 | £915 |
| INSULATION | £818 | £797 | £918 | £799 |
| JOINERY | £1,081 | £1,166 | £1,158 | £1,025 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,432 | £1,549 | £1,653 | £1,784 |
| PLASTERING | £591 | £754 | £726 | £874 |
| PLUMBING | £985 | £1,036 | £1,073 | £988 |
| ROOFING | £559 | £659 | £618 | £560 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £628 | £746 | £720 | £732 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,188 | £1,466 | £1,257 | £1,306 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £872 | £974 | £949 | £971 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £707 | £769 | £825 | £843 |
Wales
| WALES | May-19 | Jun-19 | Jul-19 | Aug-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £708 | £743 | £763 | £753 |
| ELECTRICAL | £738 | £859 | £843 | £833 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £1,273 | £1,315 | £1,369 | £1,218 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £901 | £962 | £963 | £896 |
| Joinery | £1,455 | £2,228 | £1,710 | £1,486 |
| PLASTERING | £1,056 | £977 | £1,118 | £970 |
| PLUMBING | £917 | £1,004 | £956 | £933 |
| ROOFING | £441 | £554 | £496 | £548 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £806 | £941 | £811 | £686 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £751 | £808 | £811 | £775 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £665 | £730 | £695 | £671 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £1,045 | £1,045 | £1,165 | £1,100 |
East of England
| EAST OF ENGLAND | May-19 | Jun-19 | Jul-19 | Aug-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £728 | £785 | £798 | £786 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £843 | £904 | £952 | £919 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £763 | £773 | £863 | £866 |
| ELECTRICAL | £1,241 | £1,326 | £1,303 | £1,278 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £820 | £858 | £903 | £883 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £878 | £952 | £956 | £958 |
| INSULATION | £885 | £920 | £993 | £971 |
| JOINERY | £1,260 | £1,221 | £1,277 | £1,168 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,078 | £1,132 | £1,183 | £1,133 |
| PLASTERING | £838 | £864 | £916 | £925 |
| PLUMBING | £1,281 | £1,336 | £1,328 | £1,317 |
| ROOFING | £672 | £729 | £798 | £850 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £829 | £881 | £863 | £877 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,258 | £1,290 | £1,246 | £1,257 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £832 | £833 | £839 | £834 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £624 | £691 | £646 | £783 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £683 | £699 | £755 | £738 |
London
| LONDON | May-19 | Jun-19 | Jul-19 | Aug-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £695 | £766 | £815 | £774 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £785 | £832 | £857 | £828 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £465 | £744 | £721 | £865 |
| ELECTRICAL | £969 | £920 | £973 | £905 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £826 | £807 | £848 | £796 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £918 | £1,008 | £963 | £958 |
| INSULATION | £956 | £827 | £926 | £798 |
| JOINERY | £1,123 | £1,240 | £1,254 | £1,286 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £989 | £1,184 | £1,095 | £1,043 |
| PLASTERING | £503 | £705 | £510 | £633 |
| PLUMBING | £906 | £966 | £1,014 | £973 |
| ROOFING | £861 | £988 | £911 | £957 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £1,056 | £1,109 | £1,043 | £949 |
| SHOP FITTING | £983 | £970 | £1,032 | £1,095 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £1,051 | £1,138 | £1,061 | £1,069 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £945 | £1,081 | £951 | £1,089 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £467 | £518 | £480 | £586 |
South East
| SOUTH EAST | May-19 | Jun-19 | Jul-19 | Aug-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £738 | £768 | £815 | £755 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £760 | £805 | £840 | £827 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £1,083 | £1,220 | £1,160 | £1,183 |
| ELECTRICAL | £1,157 | £1,191 | £1,180 | £1,148 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £745 | £849 | £840 | £868 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £835 | £899 | £943 | £899 |
| INSULATION | £865 | £843 | £1,165 | £1,718 |
| JOINERY | £956 | £1,008 | £1,007 | £1,032 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £969 | £1,048 | £1,088 | £1,118 |
| PLASTERING | £661 | £719 | £698 | £681 |
| PLUMBING | £1,105 | £1,127 | £1,129 | £1,116 |
| ROOFING | £692 | £769 | £774 | £774 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £783 | £805 | £827 | £804 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,269 | £1,441 | £1,316 | £1,275 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £782 | £853 | £854 | £882 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £685 | £750 | £727 | £775 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £849 | £844 | £933 | £885 |
South West
| SOUTH WEST | May-19 | Jun-19 | Jul-19 | Aug-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £1,222 | £1,525 | £1,711 | £714 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £685 | £730 | £735 | £771 |
| ELECTRICAL | £695 | £726 | £735 | £693 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £789 | £790 | £857 | £836 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £791 | £865 | £877 | £843 |
| INSULATION | £1,218 | £1,427 | £1,404 | £1,401 |
| JOINERY | £1,019 | £1,113 | £1,135 | £1,093 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £587 | £649 | £619 | £681 |
| PLASTERING | £648 | £798 | £779 | £674 |
| PLUMBING | £1,540 | £1,164 | £1,177 | £1,328 |
| ROOFING | £764 | £879 | £789 | £767 |
| SHOP FITTING | £846 | - | - | - |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £846 | £1,360 | £675 | £1,235 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £587 | £629 | £643 | £650 |