Research conducted by specialist recruiter Randstad has revealed that employees in construction professions are earning 44.7% more than the all-sector average salary for the UK.
Across the country, it calculates that construction professionals’ average salary is £40,782, which is £12,596 more than the average UK salary of £28,186.
Unsurprisingly, those working in the capital are earning the most, with an average income of £48,385. This compares favourably to the average London salary of £33,952 across all industries.
The figures were calculated by the recruiter based on the analysis of more than 870,000 CVs and salaries – including more than 60,000 from the construction sector.
By comparing the average wage for professionals to regional average wages, Ranstad has also attempted to establish which areas are the most lucrative for different professions.
For construction professionals, high levels of activity in London mean that the capital offers the most advantageous wages, even more so than the London pay premium found in other industries.
Most and least distorted construction salaries by region
Region |
Average salary |
Comparative salary premium/discount |
Cash equivalent |
London |
£48,385 |
3.8% |
£1,836 |
UK |
£40,782 |
0% |
£0 |
South-east England |
£39,004 |
-2.4% |
-£928 |
Eastern England |
£38,343 |
-2.7% |
-£1,031 |
North-west England |
£36,149 |
-5.7% |
-£2,073 |
Scotland |
£35,315 |
-6.1% |
-£2,169 |
West midlands |
£35,520 |
-7.7% |
-£2,749 |
Wales |
£33,404 |
-9.4% |
-£3,150 |
Yorkshire & The Humber |
£34,328 |
-9.4% |
-£3,219 |
South-west England |
£35,176 |
-9.9% |
-£3,482 |
North-east England |
£33,109 |
-11.4% |
-£3,765 |
East midlands |
£34,091 |
-11.3% |
-£3,837 |
Northern Ireland |
£28,477 |
-24.8 |
-£7,074 |
Owen Goodhead, managing director of Randstad Construction, Property and Engineering, said: “Pay reflects supply and demand – on a local level. Where demand is outstripping supply of the right workers, we’re seeing employers increasingly willing to offer a slightly better deal to attract the right person.
“Everyone knows that London and the south east tend to offer the most competitive salaries. However, the enormous extent of that premium in construction goes way beyond that seen in other industries – and is tempting many thousands of people to pick up sticks and follow the money.
“The potential bonus for construction workers in the top hotspots goes far beyond even the biggest regional differences in the jobs market in general.
“Simple anecdotal evidence doesn’t do justice to the opportunities available on the construction projects that bristle and jostle for space along the London skyline and across the capital’s suburbs. Housing projects in the south east and East of England are racing to keep up with supply in the face of house price rises even faster than those seen in London. Manchester is leading the north west in a new frontier of economic growth, and big infrastructure projects are rolling out from the Thames Valley to Merseyside.
In contrast to London, construction professionals based in Northern Ireland are working at a 24.8% discount to what might be expected for construction salaries in the region based on trends in all Northern Irish salaries.
This, according to Randstad, suggests a lack of balance between supply and demand that favours construction employers in Northern Ireland. The east midlands languishes in second last position in the table, with Randstad commenting that some workers in these regions might want to consider relocating.“
