Sub-contractor Pay Trends December 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 now split across ten regions.
Earnings for freelance tradespeople in the construction sector increased by 3.5 per cent last month, according to latest figures released by Hudson Contract.
Analysis of December payroll data for more than 2,200 construction companies in England and Wales reveals a weekly average of £948 for subcontractors. This is the highest figure since Hudson Contract started analysing subcontractor earnings in March 2008. The rise represents the third successive month of growth.
Our regional breakdown shows the South East had the strongest growth, with earnings up 6 per cent to £983, followed by Yorkshire and Humber, up 5.9 per cent to £885, and the East of England, up 5.6 per cent to £1,011.
| Region | December 2019 Average | Month on Month % Change | Year on Year % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| North East | £768 | -0.8% | -11.4% |
| North West | £870 | -0.2% | 1.8% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £885 | 5.9% | 1.6% |
| East Midlands | £939 | 1.5% | 1.8% |
| West Midlands | £1,021 | 4.5% | -0.2% |
| Wales | £829 | 3.0% | -0.1% |
| East of England | £1,011 | 5.6% | 4.6% |
| London | £920 | 1.3% | -1.1% |
| South East | £983 | 6.0% | 8.5% |
| South West | £874 | 3.1% | 2.6% |
Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson Contract, said: “2019 ended strongly for freelance tradespeople as construction companies moved to finish projects ahead of Christmas.
“With the general election out of the way and a majority government in place, businesses can plan ahead for the future with more confidence and start to invest again, which is good news for the construction sector and wider economy as a whole.”
Anfield added: “The latest PMI shows that optimism has rebounded to a nine-month high and points to a softening decline in staffing numbers. These findings are consistent with our latest pay trends analysis which shows strengthening demand for skilled tradespeople."
To access Hudson Contract’s Construction Pay Trends index, please click here
North East
| NORTH EAST | Sep-19 | Oct-19 | Nov-19 | Dec-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £788 | £794 | £798 | £1,416 |
| ELECTRICAL | £815 | £877 | £854 | - |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £611 | £760 | £739 | £986 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £782 | £791 | £834 | £1,081 |
| INSULATION | £753 | £753 | £732 | £1,123 |
| PLASTERING | £755 | £743 | £747 | £600 |
| ROOFING | £1,036 | £1,020 | £964 | £677 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £490 | £485 | £405 | £569 |
| SHOP FITTING | £700 | £743 | £689 | - |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £626 | £772 | £872 | £754 |
North West
| NORTH WEST | Sep-19 | Oct-19 | Nov-19 | Dec-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £798 | £815 | £762 | £908 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £762 | £784 | £786 | £1,038 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £681 | £798 | £765 | £808 |
| ELECTRICAL | £860 | £929 | £935 | £1,082 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £694 | £735 | £689 | £667 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £783 | £1,020 | £1,032 | £917 |
| INSULATION | £999 | £519 | £700 | £1,156 |
| JOINERY | £1,084 | £1,149 | £1,191 | £571 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £939 | £1,037 | £1,175 | £979 |
| PLASTERING | £549 | £646 | £681 | £770 |
| PLUMBING | £873 | £851 | £986 | £857 |
| ROOFING | £947 | £859 | £967 | £874 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £644 | £639 | £708 | £1,140 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,110 | £1,138 | £1,177 | £987 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £1,257 | £871 | £795 | £1,018 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £693 | £689 | £645 | £558 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £940 | £951 | £1,012 | £802 |
Yorkshire & Humber
| YORKSHIRE & HUMBER | Sep-19 | Oct-19 | Nov-19 | Dec-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £704 | £740 | £740 | £948 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £824 | £855 | £828 | £1,114 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £694 | £745 | £810 | £865 |
| ELECTRICAL | £925 | £981 | £988 | £868 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £953 | £880 | £890 | £883 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £820 | £842 | £832 | £888 |
| INSULATION | £793 | £762 | £762 | £976 |
| JOINERY | £685 | £702 | £738 | £802 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,021 | £1,093 | £1,100 | £690 |
| PLASTERING | £813 | £813 | £809 | £1,241 |
| PLUMBING | £646 | £802 | £782 | £839 |
| ROOFING | £659 | £719 | £673 | £906 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £565 | £606 | £550 | £921 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,379 | £1,374 | £1,378 | £718 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £773 | £843 | £854 | £880 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £662 | £979 | £956 | £432 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £904 | £897 | £869 | £865 |
East Midlands
| EAST MIDLANDS | Sep-19 | Oct-19 | Nov-19 | Dec-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £845 | £863 | £849 | £1,238 |
| ELECTRICAL | £954 | £992 | £977 | £640 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £1,074 | £1,053 | £1,120 | £1,067 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £1,020 | £1,049 | £1,037 | £1,064 |
| INSULATION | £870 | £915 | £927 | £1,300 |
| JOINERY | £769 | £796 | £801 | - |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,662 | £1,854 | £1,824 | £1,061 |
| PLASTERING | £717 | £765 | £827 | £829 |
| PLUMBING | £1,058 | £1,077 | £882 | £978 |
| ROOFING | £958 | £893 | £934 | £1,125 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £825 | £871 | £860 | £1,052 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,000 | £1,039 | £692 | - |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £802 | £844 | £828 | £1,048 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £816 | £1,028 | £968 | - |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £903 | £909 | £948 | £1,261 |
West Midlands
| WEST MIDLANDS | Sep-19 | Oct-19 | Nov-19 | Dec-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £955 | £928 | £975 | £1,210 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £961 | £992 | £987 | £1,096 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £579 | £682 | £657 | £1,009 |
| ELECTRICAL | £1,181 | £1,196 | £1,245 | £927 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £866 | £914 | £948 | £1,238 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £898 | £940 | £915 | £1,115 |
| INSULATION | £791 | £772 | £845 | £1,859 |
| JOINERY | £1,057 | £1,054 | £1,124 | £689 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,407 | £1,597 | £1,574 | £649 |
| PLASTERING | £712 | £640 | £635 | £699 |
| PLUMBING | £988 | £1,110 | £1,183 | £699 |
| ROOFING | £646 | £627 | £578 | £1,076 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £614 | £685 | £634 | £1,233 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,306 | £1,365 | £1,239 | £630 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £969 | £957 | £1,022 | £1,062 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £829 | £855 | £853 | £1,009 |
Wales
| WALES | Sep-19 | Oct-19 | Nov-19 | Dec-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £763 | £766 | £767 | £957 |
| ELECTRICAL | £774 | £972 | £918 | £882 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £1,292 | £1,278 | £1,263 | £766 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £859 | £850 | £907 | £905 |
| Joinery | £979 | £1,355 | £953 | - |
| PLASTERING | £1,043 | £1,610 | £1,505 | £585 |
| PLUMBING | £961 | £956 | £914 | £1,445 |
| ROOFING | £441 | £527 | £551 | £836 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £771 | £810 | £730 | £814 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £858 | £811 | £812 | £959 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £617 | £623 | £1,002 | £705 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £1,125 | £1,140 | £1,185 | £982 |
East of England
| EAST OF ENGLAND | Sep-19 | Oct-19 | Nov-19 | Dec-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £792 | £794 | £804 | £1,435 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £903 | £942 | £959 | £1,307 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £771 | £759 | £781 | £942 |
| ELECTRICAL | £1,292 | £1,363 | £1,451 | £709 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £868 | £915 | £908 | £953 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £927 | £965 | £962 | £848 |
| INSULATION | £931 | £1,053 | £1,012 | £905 |
| JOINERY | £1,121 | £1,202 | £1,200 | £955 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,092 | £1,140 | £1,181 | £829 |
| PLASTERING | £873 | £881 | £872 | £943 |
| PLUMBING | £1,274 | £1,269 | £1,324 | £1,120 |
| ROOFING | £923 | £797 | £806 | £970 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £866 | £892 | £918 | £977 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,220 | £1,266 | £1,192 | £708 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £838 | £843 | £819 | £1,055 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £647 | £616 | £686 | - |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £704 | £742 | £735 | £907 |
London
| LONDON | Sep-19 | Oct-19 | Nov-19 | Dec-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £767 | £743 | £750 | £1,042 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £821 | £821 | £840 | £1,121 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £827 | £964 | £808 | £885 |
| ELECTRICAL | £914 | £972 | £1,023 | £929 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £786 | £824 | £765 | £978 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £967 | £995 | £1,068 | £868 |
| INSULATION | £1,034 | £917 | £896 | £517 |
| JOINERY | £1,193 | £1,120 | £1,158 | £1,763 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,228 | £1,120 | £991 | £1,024 |
| PLASTERING | £653 | £633 | £695 | £878 |
| PLUMBING | £967 | £1,070 | £1,117 | £914 |
| ROOFING | £905 | £887 | £916 | £1,001 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £975 | £993 | £1,033 | £1,107 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,057 | £910 | £838 | £1,549 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £1,022 | £1,094 | £1,122 | £1,124 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £771 | £824 | £582 | - |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £433 | £540 | £575 | £817 |
South East
| SOUTH EAST | Sep-19 | Oct-19 | Nov-19 | Dec-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £784 | £779 | £820 | £1,234 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £814 | £827 | £828 | £1,192 |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £1,197 | £1,235 | £1,241 | £905 |
| ELECTRICAL | £1,196 | £1,301 | £1,318 | £1,138 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £850 | £870 | £870 | £869 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £874 | £901 | £889 | £1,014 |
| INSULATION | £2,250 | - | - | £369 |
| JOINERY | £1,056 | £1,026 | £1,042 | £693 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,083 | £1,027 | £1,061 | £842 |
| PLASTERING | £690 | £729 | £683 | £970 |
| PLUMBING | £1,047 | £1,072 | £1,111 | £861 |
| ROOFING | £786 | £818 | £799 | £1,011 |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £819 | £837 | £834 | £949 |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,262 | £1,261 | £1,357 | £676 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £870 | £906 | £872 | £1,067 |
| STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £710 | £761 | £766 | £1,210 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £856 | £964 | £946 | £997 |
South West
| SOUTH WEST | Sep-19 | Oct-19 | Nov-19 | Dec-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £1,183 | £1,712 | £1,474 | £949 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £756 | £774 | £808 | £832 |
| ELECTRICAL | £739 | £757 | £750 | £720 |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £749 | £719 | £676 | £820 |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £817 | £885 | £862 | £871 |
| INSULATION | £1,276 | £1,307 | £1,243 | £848 |
| JOINERY | £1,136 | £1,069 | £1,076 | £1,386 |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £651 | £633 | £687 | £934 |
| PLASTERING | £815 | £799 | £809 | £1,138 |
| PLUMBING | £1,600 | £1,417 | £1,764 | £932 |
| ROOFING | £783 | £870 | £856 | £798 |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £1,091 | £972 | £740 | £996 |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £622 | £666 | £654 | £913 |