Hudson Contract has revealed research that shows that self-employed plumbers in England and Wales have seen a year-on-year increase in average weekly earnings of 9.4%.

This increase is based on research covering the period of November 2015 to October 2016, compared with November 2016 to October 2017.


The full national picture can be found in the Construction Pay Trends Index, which harnesses payroll data from more than 2,200 construction firms – www.hudsoncontract.co.uk/construction-pay-trends.


The interactive tool reveals weekly pay differences by region, age and sub sectors, providing an insight into pay levels across the country. It also reveals the impact of weather, location and economic factors on earning potential.


The top 10 trades in terms of earning fluctuations were highlighted as:




  1. Plumbing (+9.4%)

  2. Demolition and wrecking (+8.3%)

  3. Insulation (+8.2%)

  4. Equipment and operations hire (+6.1%)

  5. Mechanical and engineering (+5.6%)

  6. Joinery (+5.0%)

  7. Surfacing contractors (+4.2%)

  8. Civil engineering (+4.0%)

  9. General construction (+3.5%)

  10. Scaffolding and lifting (+3.8%)



Electrical (-0.1%) and steel and timber frame erection (-4.5%) were the trades experiencing the biggest decreases in pay, year-on-year.


Ian Anfield, Managing Director at Hudson Contract, said: “It’s been a year of uncertainty in the construction industry with the surprise General Election and the implications of Brexit remaining unclear. Weather has also put a dampener on things on a few occasions, with storm Doris back in February and heavy rainfall throughout the summer months.


“However, it is encouraging to see that sub-contractors in plumbing have experienced an uplift of 9.4% in earnings despite these factors – highlighting confidence in the sector and a positive picture for the sector.”