Boat and ship builders and repairers Pay Data UK — 2025

Boat and ship builders and repairers roles in the UK earn a median of £35,500 per year, equivalent to £16.30 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 4.1% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £31,500 in Yorkshire and The Humber to £40,000 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £33,896/yr (5% above our computed national average).

Labour Market

Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.

Pay by Region

Annual pay for Boat and ship builders and repairers across UK regions. The bar shows the typical pay range (25th–75th percentile); the diamond marks the median.

Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).

How Pay Has Changed Over Time

Annual pay grew by +4.1% from 2024 to 2025.

National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot. Shaded band shows 25th–75th percentile range.

Year-on-Year Pay Change

Annual percentage change in median pay for Boat and ship builders and repairers.

Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.

About Boat and ship builders and repairers

Boat and ship builders and repairers construct, install and repair wooden structures and fittings, and shape, position, rivet and seal metal plates and girders to form the metal structures and frameworks for marine craft.

Typical Tasks and Duties

• examines drawings and specifications to determine job requirements
• uses rules, scribes and punches to mark out metal plate with guidelines and reference points and cuts plates using appropriate tools
• uses machine tools to bend, curve, punch, drill and straighten metal plate as required and positions and aligns metal platework or frame for welding and bolting
• rivets together metal plates and girders, seals seams, smooths welds, fixes metal doors, collars, portholes, tank and hatch covers
• selects and measures appropriate wood and cuts, shapes and drills to specification using saws, planes, chisels and other power or hand tools
• aligns and fixes prepared wood pieces by screwing, nailing, gluing and dowelling to form decking, small wooden marine craft and their interiors and fittings
• maintains and repairs woodwork and fittings

Entry Routes and Qualifications

Entrants typically possess GCSEs/S grades. Training is usually via apprenticeship including practical experience and technical training. Apprenticeships and vocational qualifications in boat building and relevant aspects of engineering and construction are available at levels 2 and 3.

Related Occupations

Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.