What are you worth? | Features

Average pay among contractors Last year’s figures in light type, percentage change in italics
	Central London	Northern Home Counties	Southern Home Counties	South-west	Wales	West Midlands	East Midlands	East Anglia	North-west	Yorkshire	North-east	Scotland	Northern Ireland	National average	% change year
															on year
Buyer (age 27, 10 years’ experience)	41,000	32,000	31,000	27,000	28,000	27,000	28,000	25,000	25,000	28,000	28,000	28,000	26,000	28,500	0%
	34,000	30,000	31,000	27,000	27,000	28,000	28,000	29,000	29,000	30,000	25,000	25,000	25,000	28,500	3%
	21%	7%	0%	0%	4%	–4%	0%	–14%	–14%	–7%	12%	12%	4%	0%

Estimator (age 30, 5-10 years’ experience)	45,000	32,000	35,000	33,000	32,000	33,000	35,000	32,300	28,000	32,000	32,000	31,000	27,500	33,000	6%
	34,000	31,500	35,000	29,000	30,000	32,000	34,000	32,300	32,000	30,000	29,500	28,000	27,500	31,000	5%
	32%	2%	0%	14%	7%	3%	3%	0%	–13%	7%	8%	11%	0%	6%

Contracts manager (age 45)	48,000	45,000	40,000	38,000	38,000	42,000	40,000	38,000	42,000	40,000	40,000	40,000	36,000	40,500	3%
	45,000	40,300	40,000	38,000	38,000	41,000	45,000	35,000	40,000	40,000	38,000	36,000	36,000	39,500	5%
	7%	12%	0%	0%	0%	2%	–11%	9%	5%	0%	5%	11%	0%	3%

Project manager (age 35)	50,000	39,000	39,000	38,000	35,000	38,000	38,000	38,000	38,000	38,000	35,000	35,000	32,500	38,000	3.2%
	40,000	38,500	39,000	38,000	37,000	38,000	38,000	35,000	36,000	38,000	33,000	35,000	32,500	37,000	4%
	25%	1%	0%	0%	–5%	0%	0%	9%	6%	0%	6%	0%	0%	3%

Planner (age 30)	45,000	32,000	35,000	30,000	30,000	32,000	36,000	30,000	32,000	32,000	28,000	33,000	27,000	32,500	2%
	40,000	34,000	35,000	30,000	30,000	32,000	33,000	31,000	33,000	30,000	28,000	32,000	27,000	32,0003	4%
	13%	–6%	0%	0%	0%	0%	9%	–3%	–3%	7%	0%	3%	0%	2%

Senior quantity surveyor (age 35)	55,000	45,000	38,000	36,000	38,000	35,000	36,000	38,000	38,000	37,500	37,500	36,000	35,000	39,000	5%
	45,000	38,300	39,000	36,000	35,000	35,000	35,000	40,000	37,000	36,000	36,000	33,000	35,000	37,000	4%
	22%	17%	–3%	0%	9%	0%	3%	–5%	3%	4%	4%	9%	0%	5%

Contract quantity surveyor (age 27)	45,000	34,000	34,000	31,000	32,000	31,000	31,000	28,000	33,000	33,000	30,000	30,000	26,500	32,000	3%
	32,000	33,000	34,000	31,000	30,000	31,000	29,000	33,000	32,500	32,000	26,500	30,000	26,000	31,000	4%
	40%	3%	0%	0%	7%	0%	7%	–15%	2%	3%	13%	0%	2%	3%

Assistant quantity surveyor	32,000	24,000	24,800	22,000	22,000	25,000	25,000	25,000	23,000	23,000	23,000	21,000	21,000	24,000	7%
(age 22, 2-3 years’ experience)	25,000	22,300	24,800	22,000	20,000	23,000	23,000	22,000	22,500	23,000	21,000	23,000	21,000	22,500	4%
	28%	8%	0%	0%	10%	9%	9%	14%	2%	0%	10%	–9%	0%	7%

Site agent (age 40)	38,000	37,000	32,000	30,000	32,000	32,000	31,000	30,000	32,000	32,000	32,000	33,000	32,000	32,500	2%
	34,000	34,000	32,000	32,000	30,000	33,000	31,000	32,000	32,000	32,000	32,000	31,000	31,000	32,0002	5%
	12%	9%	0%	–6%	7%	–3%	0%	–6%	0%	0%	0%	6%	3%	2%

Sub agent (age 27)	30,000	27,500	28,000	25,000	25,000	28,000	29,000	24,000	25,000	24,000	24,000	26,000	25,000	26,000	0%
	28,000	27,500	28,000	25,000	25,000	28,000	28,000	25,000	25,000	24,000	25,000	24,500	25,000	26,000	6%
	7%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	4%	–4%	0%	0%	–4%	6%	0%	0%

General foreman (age 45)	36,000	27,800	28,000	24,000	27,000	30,000	30,000	25,000	25,000	26,000	26,000	27,000	24,000	27,500	4%
	28,000	27,800	28,000	24,000	24,000	26,000	27,000	26,500	25,000	26,000	24,000	24,000	26,000	26,5000	5%
	29%	0%	0%	0%	13%	15%	11%	–6%	0%	0%	8%	13%	–8%	4%

Engineer (age 25)	33,000	25,300	28,000	26,000	27,000	26,000	26,000	28,000	25,000	26,000	26,000	25,000	24,000	26,500	3%
	30,000	25,300	28,000	26,000	27,000	26,000	26,000	26,000	24,000	25,000	25,000	25,000	22,000	26,000	13%
	10%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	8%	4%	4%	4%	0%	9%	2%
Statistics were compiled by construction and property recruitment consultant Hays Montrose using the salary details held by its 55 regional offices. The typical annual salary is the average of results from all offices in the region rounded to the nearest £50. For a free CD-Rom copy of the guide, contact Ben Moller-Butcher on 020-7222 6543.