Weekly earnings for self-employed plumbing contractors continued to grow last month, according to the latest figures released by Hudson Contract.
Analysis of July payroll data for more than 2,200 construction companies in England and Wales reveals a month-on-month rise of 0.6 per cent to an average of £1,139.
This is equivalent to an annual salary of more than £59,000, putting plumbers into the top 6 per cent of households by income.
The rise builds on the 4.7 per cent increase seen in June.
Year on year, weekly earnings showed a 2.2 per cent improvement compared to July 2018, highlighting the strong underlying demand for plumbers.
Plumbing remains the second-best paid of all 17 construction trades covered by Hudson Contract. Mechanical and engineering tradespeople took the top spot last month with average weekly earnings of £1,144.
Plumber earnings in the East Midlands saw the biggest increase in July, rising 15.8 per cent to £1,282, followed by London, up 5 per cent to £1,014, and the West Midlands, up 3.6 per cent to £1,073.
The highest paid plumbing contractors can still be found in the East of England where they earned an average of £1,328 last month.
Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson Contract, said: “Plumbers are earning the equivalent of an annual salary of more than £59,000, putting them into the top 6 per cent of households by income*.
“This is a powerful message for young people who want to enter the trade, be their own boss and enjoy the financial freedom.
“Our analysis shows these skilled freelancers are earning a premium for their valuable services and are a world away from ‘gig economy’ workers.”
Hudson Contract delivers the most accurate indication of sub-contractor pay trends across the construction industry, using payroll data to publish the average pay for a spectrum of 17 different trades split across ten regions in England and Wales.
About Hudson Contract:
Hudson Contract, founded in 1996, is the UK’s largest professional workplace audit and Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) contract provider. The family-owned group provides audit contract and payroll services to more than 2,200 construction SMEs, on whose behalf it processed 1.7m payments last year. Hudson Contract’s monthly figures offer a valuable insight into pay trends in the £90bn construction industry, which accounts for 6.7 per cent of the UK economy and supports 2.9m jobs.
* According to calculations using online tools at the Institute of Fiscal Studies and MoneySavingExpert.com
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