24th September 2026 | Hudson Contract
Average earnings for self-employed tradespeople soared to £1,110 per week during August, hitting a new all-time high, according to Hudson Contract.
This represents a 3.1% increase on July and 4.5% on the same month last year.
Plumbing led the gains, with rates up 10.4% month-on-month to £1,348. Joinery rose 8.9% to £1,247, while steel and timber frame contracting climbed 7.6% to £1,102.
Commenting on the figures, managing director Ian Anfield said: “Rates remain strong – not because the sector is booming but for structural reasons reducing the supply of skilled labour.
“These include the Construction Leadership Council's removal of 'grandfather rights', which has pushed out large numbers of experienced tradespeople; the lingering effects of Brexit and the loss of skilled EU operatives; and the new Right to Work rules expanding the number of workers now declared to be illegal.
“More generally, households have been more cautious with money this year, so fewer subbies took holidays during August and worked more hours. Also, the dry weather meant fewer rain-related delays on sites.
“With tight margins across the sector, the least-skilled and least-productive operators are finding it hardest to get work.
“If things continue as they are, we remain confident that the highest-skilled, best-paid subbies will continue to be in demand. However, the flip side will be what we saw in 2007-08, when firms cut costs by using fewer non-working supervisors and young labourers and improvers, leaving tradespeople to do their own fetching, carrying and tidying up.
“As we know from the last time this happened, it took 10 years to recover, if the industry ever has. Some believe we lost a generation of trades which has added to skills shortages, but with cost inflation, tax and minimum wage increases and over-regulation of employment rights, something has to give.”
| Region | August 2026 Average | Month on Month % Change | Year on Year % Change |
| North East | £965 | 4.4% | 13.7% |
| North West | £1,003 | 1.1% | 3.6% |
| Yorkshire & Humber | £1,097 | 3.7% | 6.6% |
| East Midlands | £1,101 | 1.2% | 0.3% |
| West Midlands | £1,082 | 3.1% | 8.3% |
| Wales | £1,266 | 8.2% | 12.3% |
| East of England | £1,165 | 2.4% | 2.2% |
| London | £1,104 | -0.6% | -2.0% |
| South East | £1,151 | 3.7% | 4.4% |
| South West | £1,148 | 3.6% | 4.3% |
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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