29th October 2026 | Hudson Contract
Average earnings on building sites fell by 2.8 per cent to £1,079 per week during September as rainfall returned after a dry spring and record-breaking summer, according to analysis of the largest payroll in the UK construction industry.
Hudson Contract said earnings increased by 3.7 per cent compared with the same month last year, keeping pay just ahead of consumer price inflation at 3.5 per cent, as skilled labour remains in short supply.
The best-performing trades were plastering (up 2.6 per cent to £1,047), shop fitting (up 1.2 per cent to £1,211) and electrical (flat at £1,300). Meanwhile, equipment and operator hire fell 7 per cent to £1,004, bricklaying was down 6.4 per cent to £964 and steel and timber frame erectors down 5.8 per cent to £1,037.
Commenting on the figures, Hudson managing director Ian Anfield said: “The rain finally came after a baking summer with unsettled weather impacting some sites. On the wider trend, pay is rising because supply is restricted, not because demand is growing.”
| Region | September 2026 Average | Month on Month % Change | Year on Year % Change |
| North East | £953 | -1.2% | 16.6% |
| North West | £984 | -1.9% | 3.7% |
| Yorkshire & Humber | £1,056 | -3.7% | 4.1% |
| East Midlands | £1,064 | -3.4% | 1.4% |
| West Midlands | £1,038 | -4.1% | 7.8% |
| Wales | £1,168 | -7.7% | -3.4% |
| East of England | £1,151 | -1.2% | 2.5% |
| London | £1,098 | -0.5% | 0.8% |
| South East | £1,122 | -2.5% | 3.5% |
| South West | £1,129 | -1.7% | 6.0% |
To view our interactive pay trends map click here
Hudson tracks average pay for 17 different trades across 10 regions in England and Wales, supplying labour market statistics to the Bank of England to inform policy decisions on skilled labour demand.
The company serves a national client base of 2,600 construction SMEs, ranging from specialist subcontractors to medium and large-sized businesses.
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