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Construction labourer

Construction labourers work on practical tasks on construction sites from the start to the end of building projects.

Annual Salary

£17,000 to £32,000

Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

42 to 44 a week

You could work: evenings / weekends; away from home

5.8%
Future employment

There will be 5.8% fewer Construction labourer jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

Your exact duties will depend on your area of work, for example you might:

  • do groundwork like marking out and digging trenches for foundations and drains
  • put up formwork panels to hold concrete in place as it sets
  • bend and fix bars to reinforce concrete structures
  • join steel sheets to form retaining walls for excavations - steel piling
  • lay concrete for foundations, floors and beams
  • set up roadworks, resurface highways and lay kerbs and paving
  • keep tradespeople on site supplied with materials, like bricks, mortar and timber

Working environment

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work on a construction site.

Your working environment may be at height and outdoors in all weathers.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly
College

You could start by taking a college course like:

  • Level 1 Certificate in Construction Skills
  • Level 2 Certificate in Construction Operations

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course
  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
For more information
Apprenticeship

Intermediate apprenticeships relevant to this role include:

  • groundworker
  • road surfacing operative
  • piling attendant

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
For more information
Direct application

You can apply directly for jobs. There are no set requirements but it may help if you have:

  • construction site experience
  • knowledge of building materials
  • worked at a builder's merchants or yard

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

  • Some jobs involve using plant machinery, like excavators or dumper trucks. To do this, you'll need to be 18 or over and have a driving licence.
  • have a good level of fitness

More information

Further information

You can find out more about working in construction from:Go Construct; House Building Careers

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You could train on the job to be a qualified tradesperson or plant operator. You could also work in demolition.

With experience, you could become a site supervisor.

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Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • knowledge of building and construction
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • the ability to work well with others
  • physical skills like lifting, bending and carrying
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • physical fitness and endurance
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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