Rail construction and maintenance operatives roles in the UK earn a median of £45,000 per year, equivalent to £20.06 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 8.1% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £42,000 in East Midlands to £50,000 in South East. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £46,403/yr (3% below our computed national average).
Median Annual Pay
£45,000
as of 2025
High confidenceMedian Hourly Pay
£20.06
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
+8.1%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£39,500 – £53,500
25th – 75th percentile
UK Employment (2024)
~16,000
estimated employees
15 of 180 areas not disclosed by ONS
Employment Change
2021–2024
2021: ~4,000 → 2024: ~16,000
Market Signal
Growing marketPay and employment are both rising — competition for workers is increasing.
Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.
Median annual pay for Rail construction and maintenance operatives across UK regions.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
| Region | Median Pay |
|---|---|
| South East | £50,000 |
| West Midlands | £46,500 |
| Scotland | £46,500 |
| North East | £45,000 |
| South West | £44,500 |
| Wales | £44,000 |
| North West | £44,000 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £43,500 |
| London | £43,500 |
| East Midlands | £42,000 |
| UK | £45,000 |
Annual pay grew by +8.1% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Rail construction and maintenance operatives.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
For job seekers
Check your salary against official UK data for Rail construction and maintenance operatives roles — broken down by region and seniority level. Free, instant, no sign-up required.
For employers & recruiters
Rail construction and maintenance operatives lay, re-lay, repair and examine railway track and maintain surrounding areas.
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Off and on-the-job training is provided. NVQs/SVQs in Rail Engineering and apprenticeships at levels 2 and 3 are available.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.