Pay guide
Top 10 Highest Paying Trade Jobs in the UK
Crane drivers top the list on £46,463 a year, with site supervisors close behind on £45,021. Electricians earn £39,647, just above the typical UK full-time salary of £39,039. Figures are typical full-time pay for 2025, from the ONS.
The 10 best-paid construction trades, ranked
1. Crane driver
£46,463 typical annual pay
NCS starter to experienced: £25,000 to £52,000
Apprenticeship: 2 years (lifting technician)
2. Site supervisor
£45,021 typical annual pay
NCS starter to experienced: £30,000 to £60,000
Apprenticeship: 3 years
3. Pipe fitter
£42,580 typical annual pay
NCS starter to experienced: £25,000 to £45,000
Apprenticeship: 3 years
4. Scaffolder
£41,548 typical annual pay
NCS starter to experienced: £25,000 to £51,000
Apprenticeship: 18 months
5. Air-con and refrigeration engineer
£41,166 typical annual pay
NCS starter to experienced: £25,000 to £45,000
Apprenticeship: 3 years
6. Electrician
£39,647 typical annual pay
NCS starter to experienced: £26,000 to £45,000
Apprenticeship: 4.5 years installation; 3 years domestic
7. Plumber or heating engineer
£37,881 typical annual pay
NCS starter to experienced: £24,000 to £46,000
Apprenticeship: 4 years
8. Steel erector
£35,824 typical annual pay
NCS starter to experienced: £24,000 to £40,000
Apprenticeship: 3 years (erector rigger)
9. Welder
£35,344 typical annual pay
NCS starter to experienced: £25,000 to £45,000
Apprenticeship: 18 months
10. Plasterer
£34,016 typical annual pay
NCS starter to experienced: £21,000 to £38,000
Apprenticeship: 2 years
Just outside the top 10: carpenters and joiners £34,014, stonemasons £33,938, bricklayers £33,030, floor and wall tilers £32,861, painters and decorators £32,763, roofers £31,906.
Typical pay: ONS earnings survey 2025, full-time UK employee medians. Starter to experienced pay: National Careers Service. England apprenticeship lengths before final assessment: Skills England.
ONS counts employees only, so self-employed earnings are not in these figures.
Sources and method
This selection compares construction-related occupations. ONS figures are provisional 2025 gross annual pay; 2026 pay data was not available at the 7 October source check. The scaffolding occupation includes stagers and riggers, and ONS does not publish its median precision or pay percentiles. Electrical apprenticeship lengths are 54 months for installation and maintenance and 36 months for domestic work.
- Crane driver: NCS pay profile · England apprenticeship ST0267
- Site supervisor: NCS pay profile · England apprenticeship ST0048
- Pipe fitter: NCS pay profile · England apprenticeship ST0162
- Scaffolder: NCS pay profile · England apprenticeship ST0359
- Air-con and refrigeration engineer: NCS pay profile · England apprenticeship ST0322
- Electrician: NCS pay profile · England apprenticeship ST0152
- Plumber or heating engineer: NCS pay profile · England apprenticeship ST0303
- Steel erector: NCS pay profile · England apprenticeship ST0433
- Welder: NCS pay profile · England apprenticeship ST0349
- Plasterer: NCS pay profile · England apprenticeship ST0096
What are employers advertising? Our UK Trade Pay Index tracked 9,604 trade job adverts from 1 June to 7 August 2026. The typical electrician advert offered £43,568.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which trade on this list pays the most?▼
Crane drivers, on a typical £46,463 a year for full-time staff (ONS, 2025). Site supervisors are next on £45,021. The National Careers Service gives experienced crane-driver pay of £52,000.
Which trades earn more than the typical UK salary?▼
Six trades on this list beat the typical UK full-time salary of £39,039. Apprentices are paid while they train. See trade vs university to compare the routes and training costs.
Do tradespeople earn more in London?▼
Full-time construction and building tradespeople working in London earned a median £38,202 in 2025, against £34,643 across the UK (ONS).
How quickly can I start earning in a trade?▼
You are paid from day one as an apprentice. The England apprenticeships in the table run from 18 months for scaffolding and welding to 4.5 years for installation electrical work, before final assessment. NCS starter guidance for these occupations is £21,000 to £30,000; check the apprentice wage in the vacancy itself.
Is self-employment better than being employed?▼
It can pay more, but you carry the costs. Day-rate adverts in our June to August 2026 Pay Index had a median £243 for electricians and £220 for plumbers. Use the day-rate calculator to see what a rate is worth over a year.
More trade guides to compare
UK Trade Pay Index: what 9,604 trade adverts paid
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Read guide →Best trades to learn in the UK
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