Construction and building trades supervisors: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time construction and building trades supervisors in the UK earned a median £45,021 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 15% more than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That ranks 96th of 382 occupations on this measure.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £37,035 and £53,679.
Median full-time pay: women £36,802 a year, men £45,993 a year.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 40 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
ASHE counts roughly 46,000 employee jobs, 98% full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 20.2%, from £37,464, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 53,100 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £30,689 | £576.20 | £14.90 | £30,549 | £569.20 | £14.80 |
| 20th percentile | £35,699 | £677.10 | £16.57 | £35,540 | £659.70 | £16.50 |
| 25th percentile | £37,035 | £707.70 | £17.04 | £36,874 | £698.60 | £17.00 |
| 30th percentile | £38,519 | £734.80 | £17.84 | £38,494 | £729.00 | £17.80 |
| 40th percentile | £41,359 | £800.00 | £19.22 | £41,125 | £784.20 | £19.19 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £45,021 | £863.20 | £20.62 | £45,000 | £858.30 | £20.56 |
| 60th percentile | £48,442 | £939.40 | £22.00 | £48,443 | £935.50 | £21.97 |
| 70th percentile | £50,957 | £1,037.60 | £23.44 | £50,949 | £1,032.90 | £23.42 |
| 75th percentile | £53,679 | £1,084.10 | £24.21 | £53,572 | £1,073.10 | £24.17 |
| 80th percentile | £56,268 | £1,125.20 | £25.79 | £55,961 | £1,120.80 | £25.79 |
| Mean | £46,820 | £911.10 | £21.25 | £46,491 | £898.70 | £21.23 |
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 | £37,464 | £724.00 | £17.06 | £37,244 | £719.70 | 58 |
| 2022 revised | £38,922 | £763.20 | £17.91 | £38,541 | £757.70 | 57 |
| 2023 revised | £39,335 | £800.00 | £18.58 | £38,763 | £788.80 | 50 |
| 2024 revised | £41,752 | £832.70 | £19.98 | £41,054 | £826.00 | 50 |
| 2025 provisional | £45,021 | £863.20 | £20.62 | £45,000 | £858.30 | 46 |
Construction and building trades supervisors by region
UK: 53,100 (± 8,900), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What construction and building trades supervisors do
Construction and building trades supervisors oversee operations and directly supervise and coordinate the activities of workers in construction and building trades. (ONS SOC 2020, 5330)
Also covers: builder’s foreman, construction foreman, construction supervisor, maintenance supervisor, site foreman, area supervisor, asbestos supervisor, ballast inspector, bridge foreman, bridge inspector, builder's foreman, building supervisor, carpenter foreman, carpenter's supervisor, carpentry foreman, carpentry supervisor, civilian foreman and concrete foreman (89 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Directly supervises and coordinates the activities of construction and building workers and/or subcontractors
- Establishes and monitors work schedules to meet productivity requirements
- Liaises with managers and contractors to resolve operational problems
- Determines or recommends staffing and other needs to meet productivity requirements
- Reports as required to managerial staff on work-related matters
There are no formal academic entry requirements, though GCSEs/S grades are advantageous. Entry is typically through an approved apprenticeship programme or college course in conjunction with on-the-job training, leading to a NVQ/SVQ level 2/3 qualification, or through building up work experience supplemented with short courses.
Related
Construction and building trades supervisors (median £45,021) · Painters and decorators · Floorers and wall tilers · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026