The North East is UK’s most consistent region for skilled trades, while East Midlands leads for electricians.
New research from Fergus, a job management platform for trades businesses, reveals sharp and in some cases extreme regional divergence in employment, pay and working conditions across the UK’s skilled trades. The clearest warning sign in construction supervision, where London employment has fallen 64.5% over three years despite supervisors there earning the highest wages in the country (£975.30/week).
The UK Tradespeople Hotspots Index ranked 11 GB regions across seven trades: electricians, plumbers, carpenters, bricklayers, roofers, painters and decorators, and construction and building trades supervisors, using eight metrics covering pay, job growth, working hours, housing affordability, living costs, self-employment share and insurance costs.
Key findings:
- No single region leads across every trade, but the North East comes closest, ranking consistently well across all seven, driven by strong local earning power combined with the most affordable housing-to-income ratios in the study for several trades.
- London finishes last overall. Despite paying the highest wages in five of the seven trades studied, high housing costs, living expenses and insurance premiums relative to earnings drag the capital to the bottom of the index, and in construction supervision specifically, employment has fallen 64.5% in three years, the steepest decline recorded for any trade-region combination in the study.
- Electrician employment has fallen 31.4% in Yorkshire and the Humber and 49% in London, despite both regions offering above-average pay, while the East Midlands has become the country’s strongest electrician market, with pay (£836.20/week) and employment growth (+34.8%) both leading the UK.
- Employment trends vary enormously even within the same trade: roofer employment is up 68.8% in Yorkshire and the Humber but down 54.1% in the North East over the same three years.
- Self-employment share ranges from 32.7% (carpenters, East Midlands) to 95.7% (painters and decorators, East of England), evidence of how differently the same trade can operate depending on region.
Electricians
The East Midlands leads for electricians and posts the single highest overall score of any trade-region combination in the study, combining the highest pay (£836.20/week) with the strongest job growth (+34.8%). The North West follows closely. Yorkshire and the Humber and London both offer above-average pay but rank lower once falling employment (-31.4% and -49.0% respectively) is factored in.
| Earning Power | Local Earning Power | Job Demand | Work-Life Balance | Housing Affordability | Cost of living | Self-Employment Opportunity | Operating Cost Burden | Overall | ||
| Rank | Region | Median Weekly Income (Full Time, £) | Trade earnings relative to regional all-occupation median (%) | 3 Year Employment Growth (%) | Median Weekly Hours (Full Time) | Median House Price to Income Ratio | Weekly Expenditure as % of Weekly Pay | % Self Employed | Insurance Cost as % of Annual Earnings | Index Score /100 |
| 1 | East Midlands | £836.20 | 116.0% | +34.8% | 40.0 | 5.75 | 30.0% | 42.9% | 4.46% | 92.34 |
| 2 | North West | £830.60 | 113.0% | -0.5% | 40.0 | 5.12 | 31.1% | 23.0% | 5.15% | 75.79 |
| 3 | West Midlands | £786.10 | 107.5% | +8.2% | 40.0 | 6.16 | 32.2% | 32.4% | 6.94% | 65.71 |
| 4 | Yorkshire and The Humber | £820.30 | 115.3% | -31.4% | 42.1 | 5.04 | 32.2% | 31.3% | 7.25% | 60.59 |
| 5 | North East | £708.60 | 102.4% | +4.0% | 39.1 | 4.67 | 33.5% | 27.9% | 5.41% | 60.21 |
| 6 | Scotland | £738.40 | 95.2% | -7.6% | 38.6 | 5.21 | 36.0% | 13.5% | 4.52% | 52.74 |
| 7 | South East | £809.50 | 99.3% | -11.2% | 40.0 | 9.10 | 39.0% | 33.7% | 6.09% | 49.04 |
| 8 | Wales | £699.10 | 97.2% | -3.9% | 39.3 | 5.86 | 38.7% | 22.8% | 3.86% | 47.62 |
| 9 | South West | £740.60 | 100.9% | -15.0% | 40.3 | 8.05 | 41.0% | 28.6% | 4.00% | 42.95 |
| 10 | East | £768.30 | 95.5% | -34.2% | 42.0 | 8.71 | 37.8% | 41.3% | 5.03% | 40.55 |
| 11 | London | £818.90 | 90.7% | -49.0% | 40.0 | 12.38 | 34.8% | 43.5% | 8.25% | 37.57 |
Plumbers, Heating and Ventilating Installers
Yorkshire and the Humber tops the plumbing rankings, driven by 42% employment growth and strong housing affordability. Scotland and the North West follow. London pays the highest weekly wage for the trade (£857.90) but ranks seventh overall once housing costs are factored in.
| Earning Power | Local Earning Power | Job Demand | Work-Life Balance | Housing Affordability | Cost of living | Self-Employment Opportunity | Operating Cost Burden | Overall | ||
| Rank | Region | Median Weekly Income (Full Time, £) | Trade earnings relative to regional all-occupation median (%) | 3 Year Employment Growth (%) | Median Weekly Hours (Full Time) | Median House Price to Income Ratio | Weekly Expenditure as % of Weekly Pay | % Self Employed | Insurance Cost as % of Annual Earnings | Index Score /100 |
| 1 | Yorkshire and The Humber | £766.00 | 107.6% | +42.0% | 40.0 | 5.40 | 34.5% | 58.1% | 6.62% | 71.49 |
| 2 | Scotland | £765.40 | 98.7% | +7.5% | 39.5 | 5.03 | 34.7% | 34.2% | 5.22% | 59.53 |
| 3 | North West | £733.60 | 99.8% | +47.0% | 40.0 | 5.79 | 35.2% | 45.9% | 6.10% | 59.45 |
| 4 | North East | £713.40 | 103.1% | +13.6%¹ | 40.0 | 4.64 | 33.3% | 32.4% | 4.81% | 56.22 |
| 5 | East Midlands | £755.00 | 104.7% | -10.1% | 40.0 | 6.37 | 33.2% | 43.2% | 5.36% | 54.33 |
| 6 | East | £776.20 | 96.4% | +5.1% | 40.0 | 8.62 | 37.4% | 62.2% | 5.34% | 49.13 |
| 7 | London | £857.90 | 95.0% | -7.0% | 40.0 | 11.81 | 33.2% | 55.6% | 7.25% | 46.17 |
| 8 | South East | £762.40 | 93.5% | +40.3% | 40.0 | 9.66 | 41.4% | 56.7% | 5.58% | 43.26 |
| 9 | Wales | £713.80 | 99.2% | +4.8% | 40.0 | 5.74 | 37.9% | 31.0% | 4.24% | 42.91 |
| 10 | West Midlands | £720.80 | 98.6% | +9.5% | 40.0 | 6.72 | 35.2% | 47.1% | 7.84% | 41.72 |
| 11 | South West | £712.60 | 97.1% | -14.5% | 40.3 | 8.37 | 42.6% | 41.8% | 4.84% | 21.53 |
Construction and Building Trades Supervisors
The West Midlands leads for supervisors, where pay sits at 131% of the regional median wage, the strongest relative earning power of any region for the trade. London tops the pay table outright (£975.30/week) but finishes last overall: supervisor employment there has fallen 64.5% in three years, the sharpest decline recorded anywhere in the study.
| Earning Power | Local Earning Power | Job Demand | Work-Life Balance | Housing Affordability | Cost of living | Self-Employment Opportunity | Operating Cost Burden | Overall | ||
| Rank | Region | Median Weekly Income (Full Time, £) | Trade earnings relative to regional all-occupation median (%) | 3 Year Employment Growth (%) | Median Weekly Hours (Full Time) | Median House Price to Income Ratio | Weekly Expenditure as % of Weekly Pay | % Self Employed | Insurance Cost as % of Annual Earnings | Index Score /100 |
| 1 | West Midlands | £959.20 | 131.2% | -7.5% | 42.2 | 5.05 | 26.4% | 35.1% | 4.61% | 71.01 |
| 2 | East Midlands | £908.20 | 126.0% | -3.7% | 40.0 | 5.29 | 27.6% | 42.3% | 4.77% | 69.54 |
| 3 | Scotland | £853.90 | 110.1% | -25.7% | 39.7 | 4.50 | 31.1% | 23.2%¹ | 4.26% | 55.72 |
| 4 | South East | £930.00 | 114.1% | +33.3% | 42.5 | 7.92 | 33.9% | 19.1% | 4.24% | 52.65 |
| 5 | North West | £845.20 | 115.0% | -30.0% | 40.0 | 5.03 | 30.5% | 23.2%¹ | 5.04% | 52.04 |
| 6 | Wales | £774.80 | 107.7% | -23.7%¹ | 39.5 | 5.29 | 34.9% | 14.0% | 3.58% | 46.35 |
| 7 | South West | £773.60 | 105.4% | -7.1% | 40.0 | 7.71 | 39.3% | 84.6% | 3.95% | 44.42 |
| 8 | East | £845.90 | 105.1% | -1.7% | 40.0 | 7.91 | 34.3% | 26.3% | 4.57% | 43.68 |
| 9 | North East | £696.70 | 100.7% | -23.7%¹ | 37.0 | 4.75 | 34.1% | 23.2%¹ | 4.74% | 43.49 |
| 10 | Yorkshire and The Humber | £813.70 | 114.3% | -33.3% | 40.3 | 5.08 | 32.5% | 23.2%¹ | 6.15% | 42.35 |
| 11 | London | £975.30 | 108.0% | -64.5% | 42.3 | 10.39 | 29.2% | 52.0% | 5.85% | 36.07 |
Roofers, Roof Tilers and Slaters
Yorkshire and the Humber leads for roofers, with employment up 68.8% over three years — the strongest growth recorded for any trade-region pairing in the index. The North East ranks second despite a 54.1% employment decline, supported by low housing costs and the highest self-employment rate for the trade (70.6%).
| Earning Power | Local Earning Power | Job Demand | Work-Life Balance | Housing Affordability | Cost of living | Self-Employment Opportunity | Operating Cost Burden | Overall | ||
| Rank | Region | Median Weekly Income (Full Time, £) | Trade earnings relative to regional all-occupation median (%) | 3 Year Employment Growth (%) | Median Weekly Hours (Full Time) | Median House Price to Income Ratio | Weekly Expenditure as % of Weekly Pay | % Self Employed | Insurance Cost as % of Annual Earnings | Index Score /100 |
| 1 | Yorkshire and The Humber | £682.20 | 95.9% | +68.8% | 40.0 | 6.06 | 38.7% | 56.4%¹ | 7.30% | 75.54 |
| 2 | North East | £591.30 | 85.4% | -54.1% | 39.0 | 5.59 | 40.1% | 70.6% | 7.46% | 61.60 |
| 3 | London | £748.91¹ | 83.0% | -16.2%¹ | 40.0¹ | 13.53 | 38.0% | 56.4%¹ | 7.49% | 50.44 |
| 4 | East | £667.78¹ | 83.0% | -24.0% | 40.0 | 10.02 | 43.4% | 56.4%¹ | 5.88% | 50.18 |
| 5 | East Midlands | £598.00¹ | 83.0% | -16.2%¹ | 40.0¹ | 8.04 | 41.9% | 56.4%¹ | 7.18% | 47.76 |
| 6 | South West | £640.70 | 87.3% | -46.7% | 40.1 | 9.30 | 47.4% | 68.8% | 5.48% | 47.50 |
| 7 | Wales | £571.50 | 79.5% | -8.3% | 40.0 | 7.17 | 47.3% | 56.4%¹ | 5.39% | 47.23 |
| 8 | Scotland | £573.40 | 73.9% | -29.1% | 39.0 | 6.71 | 46.4% | 25.6% | 6.43% | 43.36 |
| 9 | West Midlands | £542.10 | 74.2% | +38.1% | 40.0 | 8.94 | 46.8% | 51.7% | 7.92% | 36.80 |
| 10 | South East | £611.30 | 75.0% | -16.2%¹ | 40.0 | 12.05 | 51.6% | 40.3% | 6.07% | 27.30 |
| 11 | North West | £517.10 | 70.4% | -11.5% | 39.9 | 8.22 | 49.9% | 56.5% | 8.43% | 25.83 |
Painters and Decorators
Wales ranks first for painters and decorators, helped by strong local earning power and housing affordability. The North East follows closely. Self-employment in the trade varies from 37.4% in Scotland to 95.7% in the East of England.
| Earning Power | Local Earning Power | Job Demand | Work-Life Balance | Housing Affordability | Cost of living | Self-Employment Opportunity | Operating Cost Burden | Overall | ||
| Rank | Region | Median Weekly Income (Full Time, £) | Trade earnings relative to regional all-occupation median (%) | 3 Year Employment Growth (%) | Median Weekly Hours (Full Time) | Median House Price to Income Ratio | Weekly Expenditure as % of Weekly Pay | % Self Employed | Insurance Cost as % of Annual Earnings | Index Score /100 |
| 1 | Wales | £680.50 | 94.6% | -16.7% | 38.3 | 6.02 | 39.7% | 65.7% | 4.14% | 69.57 |
| 2 | North East | £631.70 | 91.3% | +6.7%¹ | 39.0 | 5.24 | 37.6% | 74.0% | 5.29% | 68.93 |
| 3 | East | £673.80 | 83.7% | +31.8% | 38.1 | 9.93 | 43.1% | 95.7% | 5.89% | 63.19 |
| 4 | Scotland | £633.60 | 81.7% | +47.8% | 39.7 | 6.07 | 42.0% | 37.4% | 5.82% | 56.22 |
| 5 | East Midlands | £596.70 | 82.8% | +39.3% | 39.9 | 8.06 | 42.0% | 88.5% | 6.79% | 54.02 |
| 6 | London | £763.80 | 84.6% | -6.6% | 39.5 | 13.27 | 37.3% | 68.5% | 7.57% | 52.11 |
| 7 | North West | £612.30 | 83.3% | +7.9% | 39.8 | 6.94 | 42.1% | 56.1% | 7.10% | 45.28 |
| 8 | South West | £626.80 | 85.4% | -21.4% | 40.0 | 9.51 | 48.5% | 91.4% | 4.86% | 40.56 |
| 9 | West Midlands | £613.43¹ | 83.9% | -18.2% | 41.9 | 7.90 | 41.3% | 81.5% | 7.36% | 37.90 |
| 10 | Yorkshire and The Humber | £599.00 | 84.2% | -26.1% | 42.0 | 6.90 | 44.1% | 80.5% | 8.41% | 30.96 |
| 11 | South East | £624.80 | 76.6% | +21.3% | 41.6 | 11.79 | 50.5% | 80.6% | 6.47% | 27.88 |
Carpenters and Joiners
The North East is the most complete region in the study for carpenters, combining strong job growth (+40.6%) with the lowest house-price-to-income ratio nationally for the trade. The East Midlands ranks last, with the weakest pay and employment falling 41.2%.
| Earning Power | Local Earning Power | Job Demand | Work-Life Balance | Housing Affordability | Cost of living | Self-Employment Opportunity | Operating Cost Burden | Overall | ||
| Rank | Region | Median Weekly Income (Full Time, £) | Trade earnings relative to regional all-occupation median (%) | 3 Year Employment Growth (%) | Median Weekly Hours (Full Time) | Median House Price to Income Ratio | Weekly Expenditure as % of Weekly Pay | % Self Employed | Insurance Cost as % of Annual Earnings | Index Score /100 |
| 1 | North East | £681.10 | 98.4% | +40.6% | 39.0 | 4.86 | 34.8% | 38.9% | 3.69% | 84.64 |
| 2 | South East | £758.20 | 93.0% | +5.4% | 40.0 | 9.71 | 41.6% | 80.4% | 3.47% | 65.83 |
| 3 | Wales | £678.90 | 94.4% | -19.8% | 39.9 | 6.03 | 39.8% | 72.7% | 3.97% | 62.27 |
| 4 | South West | £706.20 | 96.2% | -8.4% | 40.0 | 8.44 | 43.0% | 68.9% | 4.31% | 55.58 |
| 5 | London | £757.50 | 83.9% | +30.1% | 40.0 | 13.38 | 37.6% | 73.1% | 5.92% | 55.17 |
| 6 | North West | £650.80 | 88.6% | -21.1% | 39.0 | 6.53 | 39.6% | 50.0% | 4.92% | 53.90 |
| 7 | Scotland | £677.10 | 87.3% | -38.6% | 39.0 | 5.68 | 39.3% | 49.4% | 5.37% | 52.41 |
| 8 | West Midlands | £639.00 | 87.4% | +6.5% | 39.8 | 7.58 | 39.7% | 51.9% | 5.30% | 49.66 |
| 9 | Yorkshire and The Humber | £635.70 | 89.3% | -16.0% | 40.0 | 6.50 | 41.5% | 47.4% | 6.25% | 39.66 |
| 10 | East | £672.30 | 83.5% | -25.2% | 40.6 | 9.95 | 43.2% | 77.5% | 4.51% | 38.24 |
| 11 | East Midlands | £560.70 | 77.8% | -41.2% | 40.0 | 8.57 | 44.7% | 32.7% | 5.83% | 13.71 |
Bricklayers
The South East leads for bricklayers on pay and self-employment share, though housing affordability remains a constraint. The West Midlands ranks second, driven by the fastest bricklayer employment growth in the UK (+63.6%). London ranks last, with the lowest pay in the trade (£475.90/week) and house prices at more than 21 times annual earnings.
| Earning Power | Local Earning Power | Job Demand | Work-Life Balance | Housing Affordability | Cost of living | Self-Employment Opportunity | Operating Cost Burden | Overall | ||
| Rank | Region | Median Weekly Income (Full Time, £) | Trade earnings relative to regional all-occupation median (%) | 3 Year Employment Growth (%) | Median Weekly Hours (Full Time) | Median House Price to Income Ratio | Weekly Expenditure as % of Weekly Pay | % Self Employed | Insurance Cost as % of Annual Earnings | Index Score /100 |
| 1 | South East | £744.40 | 91.3% | +12.3% | 38.0 | 9.89 | 42.4% | 81.3% | 3.77% | 76.66 |
| 2 | West Midlands | £634.70 | 86.8% | +63.6% | 37.0 | 7.64 | 39.9% | 63.9% | 6.05% | 74.31 |
| 3 | North East | £582.14¹ | 84.1% | +26.1% | 37.5 | 5.68 | 40.8% | 72.4% | 6.04% | 68.20 |
| 4 | North West | £618.05¹ | 84.1% | +47.2% | 38.5 | 6.88 | 41.7% | 66.0% | 7.03% | 66.78 |
| 5 | Scotland | £642.80 | 82.9% | +29.2% | 39.0 | 5.98 | 41.4% | 51.6% | 4.20% | 66.04 |
| 6 | East Midlands | £610.30 | 84.7% | -3.4% | 34.1 | 7.88 | 41.1% | 53.6% | 6.85% | 62.51 |
| 7 | Wales | £605.02¹ | 84.1% | -45.0% | 38.3 | 6.77 | 44.7% | 90.9% | 3.70% | 62.48 |
| 8 | East | £677.01¹ | 84.1% | -9.5% | 39.0¹ | 9.89 | 42.9% | 68.4% | 5.26% | 60.87 |
| 9 | Yorkshire and The Humber | £620.10 | 87.1% | +3.6%¹ | 39.5 | 6.67 | 42.6% | 60.0% | 7.54% | 57.52 |
| 10 | South West | £617.38¹ | 84.1% | +3.6%¹ | 39.0¹ | 9.66 | 49.2% | 60.0% | 4.30% | 53.98 |
| 11 | London | £475.90 | 52.7% | +3.8% | 32.6 | 21.30 | 59.9% | 74.5% | 10.87% | 22.57 |
Mark Bartels, CEO at Fergus, said: “There’s a common assumption that the best opportunities for tradespeople are wherever the wages are highest, but our research shows that’s not always the case. In many parts of the UK, tradespeople can earn slightly less on paper but end up with a better quality of life and stronger long-term prospects because housing is more affordable, costs are lower, and demand remains strong.
“For trade business owners, that’s an important lesson. Success isn’t just about chasing the biggest contracts or the largest cities, it’s about understanding where demand is growing, where skilled workers can afford to live, and where businesses can operate sustainably.
“As the construction sector continues to evolve, we expect regional differences to play an even bigger role in shaping opportunities. The businesses that pay attention to those shifts will be best placed to attract talent, win work and grow in the years ahead.”
Methodology
The UK Tradespeople Hotspots Index ranks 11 Great Britain regions across seven construction trades (SOC 2020 codes 5241, 5313, 5314, 5315, 5316, 5323 and 5330) on eight weighted metrics: median weekly income (15%), trade earnings relative to the regional all-occupation median (10%), three-year employment growth (15%), median weekly hours (10%, scored inversely), house price-to-income ratio (15%, inversely), weekly expenditure as a share of pay (15%, inversely), self-employment share (10%) and insurance costs as a share of earnings (10%, inversely).
Each region is scored 0–100 per metric using min-max normalisation and combined into a weighted index score out of 100. Data is drawn from ONS ASHE, the Annual Population Survey (NOMIS), UK House Price Index/Registers of Scotland, ONS Family Spending, and insurance quotes from Simply Business and Go Compare. Northern Ireland is excluded due to insufficient data coverage. Full methodology and data quality notes: full research.
About Fergus
Fergus is job management software built for trades businesses, helping electricians, plumbers, builders, HVAC professionals and other contractors run more efficient, profitable businesses. The platform brings together quoting, scheduling, invoicing, job tracking, timesheets and team management in one place, giving trade businesses greater visibility and control over their operations.
Used by thousands of trade professionals, Fergus is designed to reduce admin, improve cash flow and help businesses spend more time on the tools and less time behind a desk. Find out more at fergus.com/uk.
