Payroll services firm Hudson Contract, which has a client base of 2,600 construction SMEs, said that average earnings for self-employed tradespeople in November grew by 1.3% to £992 per week.
This was 5.1% higher than for November 2021.
Weekly earnings hit all-time highs in the east of England (£1,092), London (£1,041) and Yorkshire & Humber (£981) during November, which is traditionally one of the busiest months of the year in the lead-up to the festive season. Self-employed electricians enjoyed the highest pay of all the trades, earning an average of £1,199 per week.
Hudson Contract managing director Ian Anfield said: “Our clients are busy but, as we have seen for some time, tender opportunities are slowing down as housebuilders react to challenging conditions in the mortgage market caused by the increased cost of borrowing. Sooner or later, developers will have to choose between maintaining their turnover or their margin.”
He added: “Many clients believe the housing market will contract next year but based on our past experience, construction firms will still want to retain their most productive operatives. During the last downturn in 2007-09, we saw that self-employed tradespeople with the right mix of skills and experience continued to command high rates of pay. It was the newly qualified, the improvers and the young who suffered.
“There are certainly lots of incremental gains within the gift of the self-employed to further increase productivity which will help them to maintain their income levels.”
Average wages by region
| Region | November 2022 | Month-on-month % change | Year-on-year % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | £746 | -2.2% | -1.5% |
| Northwest | £956 | 1.0% | 10.0% |
| Yorkshire & Humber | £981 | 4.3% | 9.1% |
| East Midlands | £1,018 | 3.1% | 1.2% |
| West Midlands | £997 | 2.4% | 1.8% |
| Wales | £955 | 0.5% | -1.3% |
| East of England | £1,092 | 2.5% | 10.4% |
| London | £1,041 | 1.1% | 8.2% |
| Southeast | £1,009 | -1.8% | 1.7% |
| Southwest | £954 | -2.2% | 3.5% |
Average wages by trade
| TRADE | October 2022 | November 2022 | month-on-month % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYING | £939 | £921 | -1.9% |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | £934 | £923 | -1.2% |
| DEMOLITION & WRECKING | £949 | £983 | 3.5% |
| ELECTRICAL | £1,162 | £1,199 | 3.2% |
| EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE | £986 | £985 | -0.2% |
| GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | £988 | £991 | 0.3% |
| INSULATION | £995 | £1,054 | 6.0% |
| JOINERY | £1,101 | £1,112 | 0.9% |
| MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING | £1,105 | £1,136 | 2.8% |
| PLASTERING | £925 | £929 | 0.5% |
| PLUMBING | £1,070 | £1,098 | 2.6% |
| ROOFING | £805 | £799 | -0.8% |
| SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING | £845 | £819 | -3.1% |
| SHOP FITTING | £1,143 | £1,143 | 0.0% |
| SPECIALIST TRADES | £884 | £921 | 4.2% |
| STEEL/TIMBER FRAME ERECTION | £910 | £980 | 7.6% |
| SURFACING CONTRACTORS | £928 | £943 | 1.7% |
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