ROOFING SUBCONTRACTOR pay reached a record high at the end of 2023, new figures have revealed.

An average of £900 per week was the pay for roofing subbies at the end of December 2023, reflecting the ongoing demand for skilled roofing operatives amid the persistent skills shortage besetting the UK roofing sector.

The figure compares to the average weekly pay just one year before of £782 – an increase of 15%.

According to CIS payroll company Hudson Contract, weekly average pay rates in the under-25-years-old age range topped the average in December at £914, the second-highest earnings across all age ranges.

Record High

Top of the list of weekly earners though is the 35-49 age range, who earned an average of £969 each week at the end of last year – an annual salary of £50,000+.

In this age range are likely to be the team leaders, site supervisors and managers, and QC functions.

Arguably reflecting the physical demands of the roofing subbie role, the younger age groups tend to out perform the over 50s.

Age category
Average weekly pay over past 3 Years
Average Weekly Pay December 2023

Under 25
£714
£914

25-34
£799
£891

35-49
£842
£969

50-65
£825
£880

Over 65
£697
£607

Across the UK, the East Midlands is the highest paying region, reflecting the area’s exceptional growth of construction activity in Cambridgeshire ‘golden triangle’. Closely followed by London as a top paying region, the Capital has seen some of the acutest roofing skills shortages in recent years.

Region
Average weekly pay over past 3 Years
Average Weekly Pay December 2023

East Midlands
£865
£1,161

London
£845
£1,015

South West
£882
£988

West Midlands
£663
£941

East of England
£842
£922

South East
£773
£893

North East
£934
£772

Yorkshire and the Humber
£669
£764

North West
£724
£683

Wales
£550
£675

Out of circa 80,000 job vacancies recorded in the UK construction industry amongst the trades, there were just over 1,000 in roofing in December 2023, according to recruitment specialists Approach Personnel. This compares to the 42,000 builder vacancies and almost 10,000 electrician unfilled roles.

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