Scaffold is used for thousands of different projects every year in the United Kingdom. Almost every single building which is built in the country requires scaffolding to allow workers to safely operate over head height. Although many people may not seem to appreciate it fully, scaffolders indeed do a very important job and this means that scaffolding can pay well for those who have the skills.

What do Scaffolders Earn in the United Kingdom?

The amount that you can earn as a scaffolder in the UK will mainly depend on what stage you are at in your career. Naturally, those who are better qualified than others should have better earnings potential. If you are keen to earn as much as possible however (and who isn’t!), you might want to consider what options might be open to you such as advanced training, promotional opportunities and so forth.

Advanced scaffolders and scaffolders who hold a senior supervisory position can expect to earn over £30,000 a year, however their job roles can be very different from the job roles held by trainee scaffolders.

Advanced scaffolders and supervisors must keep a close eye on what is going on at their site, because they may be held responsible if anything does go wrong.

What do Trainee Scaffolders Earn?

If you are just entering the scaffold business then you should expect to earn the UK national minimum wage, unless you are working as part of an apprenticeship scheme.

People who are doing an apprenticeship scheme spend part of their time gaining practical experience of working on a site, whilst spending some time learning theoretical skills in a classroom-based environment. They should expect to get additional guidance and supervision whilst working onsite.

Apprentices are entitled to the apprenticeship stipend of £3.30 per hour for the time that they spend working onsite. Apprentices who are 19 or over are entitled to the national minimum wage for their age group if their apprenticeship runs into a second year.

All other trainees are entitled to minimum wage for their age group. At present (April 2016), minimum wage in the United Kingdom is as follows:

• Scaffolders who are under the age of 18 (school leavers who are 16 or 17) are entitled to £3.87 per hour.
• Those aged 18 to 20 are entitled to £5.30 per hour.
• Those who are 21 to 24 are entitled to £6.70 per hour.
• People aged 25 and over are now entitled to the National Living Wage of £7.20 per hour.

In general, the National Minimum Wage increases in October every year, and the National Living Wage is set to increase in April every year. If you are not receiving the correct hourly rate for your age group, you should speak to the payroll department to find out why. These rates may also be subject to income tax and national insurance deductions, depending on how many hours you are working each week.

Earning More

Once you are qualified as a scaffolder and able to work on your own without additional supervision, then you will normally be able to earn more than the minimum wage. Based on figures for those who are working 40 hour weeks, qualified scaffolders may be able to earn between £17,000 and £27,000 per year before tax and national insurance are deducted.

Rates of pay for scaffolders can also vary depending on which area of the country your are based in. Scaffolders who are working in the South East of England are likely to earn more than those who are based in the North of England. Like many jobs in the construction industry, more money can be earned by working away from home.

Many scaffolders are able to earn more money by doing overtime if it’s available. If you do agree to work overtime, make sure that the rate is agreed upon before you complete the hours. Your employer may also be able to offer you a shift bonus or an anti-social hours bonus if you are expected to work outside of normal working hours.

Working Elsewhere

If you are trained as a scaffolder, you may be able to work elsewhere in the world. Many scaffolding components are universal, meaning that if you understand scaffold in the UK, you will understand scaffold in Australia. Qualified scaffolders in New Zealand can earn up to NZ$30 (£14.50) per hour. The average scaffolder in Australia earns around £37,000 and the average scaffolder in the Northwestern states of America earn around USD$43,000 (around £30000).

If you intend to work elsewhere you should get a firm idea of what travel documents, visas, and insurance for scaffolders might be required.