Which trade earns the most – and where?
2-minute read
The average UK tradesperson increased their turnover by 17 per cent in 2022, according to new research from Simply Business.
Annual average turnover across the UK reached £82,821 last year, up from £68,559 in 2021.
The research also reveals which trades had the highest average turnover and the UK towns where tradespeople made the most in 2022.
Which tradespeople earned the most in 2022?
Builders had the highest annual turnover among UK tradespeople in 2022 at £115,550, up 12 per cent on 2021 (£101,727).
After builders, the top earning trades in terms of turnover earned in 2022 were groundworkers, glaziers, dryliners, and plumbers.
However, it’s important to remember that turnover doesn’t equal profit. Tradespeople all over the country have suffered supply chain problems in recent years, as well as higher material costs.
Soaring costs have forced many tradespeople to increase their prices, which could account for the annual jump in average turnover.
These challenges look set to continue this year, with 65 per cent of small businesses naming rising costs as their biggest challenge going into 2023.
The top 20 trades for turnover in 2022
Trade | Average turnover 2022 | Average turnover 2021 | Percentage +/- |
Builder | £115,550 | £101,727 | +12% |
Groundworker | £105,490 | £89,259 | +18% |
Glaizer | £94,706 | £81,371 | +14% |
Dryliner | £94,559 | £97,292 | -3% |
Plumber | £86,813 | £74,630 | +14% |
Flooring contractor | £85,662 | £80,899 | +6% |
Bricklayer | £80,933 | £59,708 | +26% |
Electrician | £80,152 | £62,054 | +23% |
Bedroom, bathroom and kitchen fitter | £73,677 | £62,006 | +16% |
Roofer | £79,565 | £67,614 | +15% |
Landscape gardener | £72,148 | £58,091 | +19% |
Joiner | £71,937 | £61,349 | +14% |
Tiler | £67,088 | £56,676 | +16% |
Carpenter | £64,779 | £54,489 | +16% |
Gas fitter | £59,623 | £57,006 | +4% |
Plasterer | £58,400 | £47,572 | +19% |
Heavy goods driver | £56,729 | £53,188 | +6% |
Painter and decorator | £49,015 | £43,820 | +11% |
Handyman | £45,667 | £39,978 | +12% |
Window cleaner | £41,205 | £36,217 | +12% |
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Where did tradespeople earn the most in 2022?
The top towns in terms of turnover for tradespeople were Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, plus Romford and Harrow in Greater London.
But again, location can make a big difference to overall profit. While a number of London locations feature in the top 10, for example, the upcoming expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) might affect the pockets of tradespeople who regularly drive for work.
Town | Average turnover 2022 | Average turnover 2021 | Percentage +/- |
Cheltenham | £103,907 | £65,811 | +58% |
Harrow | £95,210 | £65,920 | +44% |
Romford | £91,595 | £74,948 | +22% |
Dartford | £88,720 | £74,918 | +18% |
Gillingham | £87,588 | £60,959 | +44% |
Maidstone | £86,407 | £77,666 | +11% |
Portsmouth | £84,939 | £67,427 | +26% |
Bedford | £84,415 | £72,389 | +17% |
Croydon | £84,166 | £69,425 | +21% |
High Wycombe | £81,228 | £68,383 | +19% |
Where did tradespeople earn the least in 2022?
The towns where tradespeople earned the least in 2022 were Bradford (£56,765), Swansea (£58,613), and Stoke-on-Trent (£58,776).
Despite having a lower average turnover, tradespeople in most towns still recorded annual growth. The only towns with lower average turnover for tradespeople to record an annual decrease were Rotherham (-7 per cent) and Chesterfield (-10 per cent).
Town | Average turnover 2022 | Average turnover 2021 | Percentage +/- |
Wolverhampton | £61,678 | £54,525 | +12% |
Rotherham | £61,390 | £65,651 | -7% |
Chesterfield | £61,193 | £67,330 | -10% |
Nottingham | £61,126 | £56,842 | +7% |
Cardiff | £60,980 | £60,508 | +1% |
Worcester | £59,538 | £59,043 | +1% |
Hull | £59,390 | £54,547 | +9% |
Stoke-on-Trent | £58,776 | £55,761 | +5% |
Swansea | £58,613 | £51,218 | +14% |
Bradford | £56,765 | £54,572 | +4% |
How we calculated the data
We’ve looked at tradespeople who completed our quote form and requested a quote in 2021 and 2022, only taking into account trades with more than 3,000 submitted quotes. The turnover is the average across the quotes submitted.
For the towns data, we included locations that had more than 500 submitted quotes for insurance from tradespeople.
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Written by
Conor Shilling
Conor Shilling is a Copywriter at Simply Business with over two years’ experience in the insurance industry. A trained journalist, Conor has worked as a professional writer for 10 years. His previous experience includes writing for several leading online property trade publications. Conor specialises in the buy-to-let market, landlords, and small business finance.
We create this content for general information purposes and it should not be taken as advice. Always take professional advice. Read our full disclaimer
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