Latest survey of hours and earnings data

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) provides an annual snapshot of employee earnings and paid hours across the UK. It is based on employers’ responses for a 1% sample of employees, using HM Revenue and Customs Pay As You Earn (PAYE) records to identify their current employers. ASHE covers employees rather than the self-employed, and its 2026 estimates are provisiona

Construction earnings rise broadly in line with UK average

Median gross weekly earnings for full-time construction employees increased by 6.4% to £898.80 in the year to April 2026, according to the latest ASHE estimates.

This compared with growth of 5.8% across all full-time UK employees, taking median gross weekly earnings from £766.60 to £811.20. Excluding overtime, median weekly earnings for full-time construction employees increased by 5.1% to £850.00, compared with UK growth of 5.8%. Construction’s higher growth rate when overtime is included suggests overtime contributed to the increase, although these comparisons do not isolate its effect. Median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees increased across all major industries.

Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist at BCIS, said: ‘Construction earnings rose broadly in line with the UK average, although growth was lower when overtime was excluded. That provides a useful benchmark, but it does not tell contractors what it will cost to secure the skills they need.

‘These figures cover employees rather than the self-employed, and a national average can mask very different conditions between trades and locations. For firms pricing work, the question is what labour will cost on a particular project, where and when it is needed. These data provide useful context, but project budgets need to reflect those specific conditions.’

Across the wider economy, median weekly earnings for full-time employees increased by 2.7% in real terms, after adjusting for inflation using the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH).

Median hourly earnings excluding overtime rose by 5.7% to £20.81 for full-time employees. Median annual earnings for full-time employees who had been in their job for at least a year increased by 4.5% to £40,911.

Median weekly earnings for full-time employees in the public sector increased by 6.5% to £862.20, compared with growth of 5.5% to £794.40 in the private sector. These comparisons reflect differences in the mix of jobs within each sector as well as changes in earnings.

Interpreting the data

For construction, ASHE provides a benchmark for employee earnings but does not measure the full cost of securing labour for projects. Gross earnings exclude employers’ additional costs, such as National Insurance and pension contributions.

Movements in median earnings reflect changes in the composition of the workforce and survey sample as well as pay rises. Weekly earnings can also change because of hours worked and overtime, so increases should not be interpreted as equivalent rises in wage rates or total construction labour costs.

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^{(1) ONS – Earnings and hours worked, industry by two-digit SIC: ASHE Table 4 – here}