Construction of buildings: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in construction of buildings earned a median £47,797 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £8,758 more than across all industries.
What the figures show
It ranks 17th of 84 divisions on this measure.
85% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £40,747, men £49,747.
The median rose 27.4% from £37,525 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 557,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 12% since 2019; 18% are in London.
There were 129,525 business sites in March 2026, nearly all (95%) with fewer than 10 staff (UK Business Counts).
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £26,204 | £517.50 | £13.40 | £13,147 | £260.30 | £12.87 |
| 20th percentile | £31,888 | £619.90 | £15.39 | £25,241 | £497.70 | £14.65 |
| 25th percentile | £34,178 | £660.00 | £16.48 | £28,582 | £554.20 | £15.50 |
| 30th percentile | £36,588 | £707.50 | £17.36 | £31,449 | £612.40 | £16.53 |
| 40th percentile | £41,842 | £804.90 | £19.59 | £36,820 | £706.30 | £18.61 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £47,797 | £908.40 | £22.47 | £43,684 | £826.00 | £21.05 |
| 60th percentile | £54,160 | £1,044.80 | £26.08 | £50,000 | £949.40 | £24.15 |
| 70th percentile | £63,126 | £1,217.60 | £30.41 | £58,730 | £1,124.40 | £28.83 |
| 75th percentile | £67,433 | £1,295.30 | £32.32 | £64,266 | £1,224.60 | £30.99 |
| 80th percentile | £74,312 | £1,413.40 | £34.93 | £69,845 | £1,341.60 | £33.62 |
| 90th percentile | £94,243* | £1,764.50 | £44.10 | £88,960* | £1,703.90 | £42.63 |
| Mean | £58,843 | £1,069.70 | £26.57 | £52,500 | £951.70 | £26.01 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £37,525 | £717.80 | £17.80 | £34,097 | £657.40 | 367 |
| 2022 revised | £40,954 | £779.70 | £19.17 | £36,977 | £713.70 | 338 |
| 2023 revised | £42,000 | £834.60 | £20.30 | £38,474 | £747.40 | 340 |
| 2024 revised | £45,728 | £863.60 | £21.18 | £42,009 | £804.90 | 318 |
| 2025 provisional | £47,797 | £908.40 | £22.47 | £43,684 | £826.00 | 328 |
Where the 557,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| London | 103,000 | 103,000 |
| South East | 74,000 | 78,000 |
| East of England | 61,000 | 62,000 |
| South West | 49,000 | 55,000 |
| East Midlands | 51,000 | 52,000 |
| North West | 44,000 | 49,000 |
| Scotland | 41,000 | 43,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 34,000 | 38,000 |
| West Midlands | 35,000 | 38,000 |
| Wales | 19,000 | 20,000 |
| North East | 19,000 | 19,000 |
| Great Britain | 529,000 | 557,000 |
129,525 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 122,975 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 5,485 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 985 |
| Large (250 or more) | 75 |
| Total | 129,525 |
2021: 117,295; 2022: 126,520; 2023: 127,340; 2024: 127,595; 2025: 128,335; 2026: 129,525.
Related
Construction · Civil engineering · Specialised construction activities · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026