Road construction operatives roles in the UK earn a median of £40,000 per year, equivalent to £16.47 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 13.0% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £31,500 in North West to £49,000 in South East. Pay has risen over the past 5 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £38,833/yr (3% above our computed national average).
Median Annual Pay
£40,000
as of 2025
High confidenceMedian Hourly Pay
£16.47
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
+13.0%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£33,000 – £49,000
25th – 75th percentile
There is currently not sufficient data available for this occupation to say anything about the labour market.
Median annual pay for Road construction operatives across UK regions.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
| Region | Median Pay |
|---|---|
| South East | £49,000 |
| London | £45,500 |
| South West | £44,000 |
| West Midlands | £44,000 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £40,500 |
| East | £39,500 |
| East Midlands | £37,000 |
| North East | £36,500 |
| Wales | £36,000 |
| Scotland | £35,500 |
| North West | £31,500 |
| UK | £40,000 |
Annual pay grew by +13.0% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Road construction operatives.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
The median salary for a Road construction operatives in the UK is £40,000 per year (about £16.47 per hour), based on official ONS data for 2025.
Most Road construction operatives earn between £33,000 and £49,000 a year (the 25th to 75th percentile of UK pay).
Road construction operatives pay rose by 13.0% from 2024 to 2025.
The highest median pay for Road construction operatives is in South East, at £49,000 per year.
For job seekers
Check your salary against official UK data for Road construction operatives roles — broken down by region and seniority level. Free, instant, no sign-up required.
For employers & recruiters
Road construction operatives construct, repair and maintain roads and lay paving slabs and kerbstones to form pavements and street gutters.
No academic qualifications are required. Training is typically provided on-the-job. All sites are required to have a ‘trained operative’ registered with the Street Workers Qualification Register. Trained operatives are required to attend accredited assessment centres. NVQs/SVQs in Highway Maintenance and Road Building are available at levels 1 and 2.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.