jobfacts

Construction and building trades supervisors

SOC 2020 5330

Construction and building trades supervisors oversee operations and directly supervise and coordinate the activities of workers in construction and building trades.

Also calledConstruction site supervisorBuilding site managerSite inspectorClerk of worksInspectorSupervisorand 132 more titles
Typical full-time pay£45,0002025 Provisional
People in the job53,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month802↑ 6.7%on last year · 210th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time construction and building trades supervisors earn between £37,000 and £53,700 a year.

What full-time construction and building trades supervisors earn, 2025
£45,000 typical£30,700lowest 10%£37,00025%£56,300top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£37,000–£53,700)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£30,700
Lowest 20% earn less than£35,700
25%£37,000
Median£45,000
75%£53,700
Top 20% earn more than£56,300
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Many (22%) of construction and building trades supervisors work for themselves. These pay figures only cover employees, so they may not reflect what self-employed construction and building trades supervisors earn.
Typical pay by regionUK median £45,000
East Midlands!£47,600
Scotland!£47,100
East of England!£46,000
West Midlands!£45,500
South East!£44,800
North West!£41,800
South West£40,400
Wales!£39,100
North East!£32,600
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £45,000
East Midlands£47,600 (small sample)
Scotland£47,100 (small sample)
East of England£46,000 (small sample)
West Midlands£45,500 (small sample)
South East£44,800 (small sample)
North West£41,800 (small sample)
South West£40,400
Wales£39,100 (small sample)
North East£32,600 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £39,300
  • 2024 £41,800
  • 2025 Provisional£45,000
↑ 14% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 802 jobs for construction and building trades supervisors are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026881
Jul 2026906
Jun 2026770
May 2026745
Apr 2026865
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026749
Jan 2026840
Dec 2025328
Nov 2025716
Oct 20251,201
Sept 2025820
Aug 2025810
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 2025893
Apr 2025725
Mar 2025816
Feb 2025949
Jan 2025744
Dec 2024391
Nov 2024597
Oct 2024819
Sept 2024770
Aug 2024818
Jul 2024940
Jun 2024799
May 2024939
Apr 2024818
Mar 2024654
Feb 2024712
Jan 2024844
Dec 2023617
Nov 2023729
Oct 2023674
Sept 2023713
Aug 2023749
Jul 2023801
Jun 20231,062
May 20231,009
Apr 2023849
Mar 20231,007
Feb 2023915
Jan 20231,063
Dec 2022930
Nov 20221,032
Oct 20221,236
Sept 20221,223
Aug 20221,298
Jul 20221,245
Jun 20221,146
May 20221,283
Apr 20221,053
Mar 20221,223
Feb 20221,153
Jan 20221,220
Dec 20211,011
Nov 20211,028
Oct 20211,068
Sept 20211,109
Aug 20211,149
Jul 20211,280
Jun 20211,152
May 20211,242
Apr 2021896
Mar 20211,250
Feb 2021799
Jan 2021785
Dec 2020686
Nov 2020770
Oct 2020883
Sept 2020738
Aug 2020734
Jul 2020595
Jun 2020576
May 2020418
Apr 2020542
Mar 2020775
Feb 2020955
Jan 2020894
Dec 2019591
Nov 2019828
Oct 2019929
Sept 2019816
Aug 2019789
Jul 20191,029
Jun 2019860
May 2019926
Apr 2019667
Mar 2019713
Feb 2019789
Jan 2019880
Dec 2018499
Nov 2018649
Oct 2018730
Sept 2018733
Aug 2018688
Jul 2018727
Jun 2018815
May 2018820
Apr 2018735
Mar 2018794
Feb 2018748
Jan 2018944
Dec 2017538
Nov 2017748
Oct 2017826
Sept 2017794
Aug 2017923
Jul 2017975
Jun 20171,030
May 20171,106
Apr 20171,060
Mar 20171,257
Feb 2017955
Jan 20171,076
Is there a shortage of construction and building trades supervisors?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
45%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for skilled construction and building trades, which includes construction and building trades supervisors. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London434
Birmingham53
Somerset46
Bristol, City of38
Leeds31
Manchester31
Glasgow City28
North Yorkshire26
Oxford24
Buckinghamshire21
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where construction and building trades supervisors are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 39 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from Poland, France, India, ranking it 152nd of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of construction and building trades supervisors
n/p
15%!
26%!
26%!
25%!
5.4%!
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3415% (small sample)
35–4426% (small sample)
45–5426% (small sample)
55–6425% (small sample)
65+5.4% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!18%
Higher education below degree!3.9%
A levels or equivalent35%
GCSEs or equivalent20%
Other qualifications!11%
No qualifications!6.6%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent18% (small sample)
Higher education below degree3.9% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent35%
GCSEs or equivalent20%
Other qualifications11% (small sample)
No qualifications6.6% (small sample)

Main employers: construction of residential and non-residential buildings (28%), construction of roads and motorways (6.5%), construction of other civil engineering projects nec (5.3%), other specialised construction activities nec (3.5%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
18%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 35%
Apprenticeships
2
from level 3
Apprenticeships take
2 to 3 years
typically
T Levels
1
college courses for 16 to 19 year olds
Self-employed
22%
of people in the job

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

University

You could study for a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:

  • building studies
  • construction management
  • surveying
  • civil engineering
  • construction engineering

Courses that offer the chance to gain work experience through a year in industry placement or paid internship may give you an advantage when looking for work.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

College

You could do a college course, which may help you to find a trainee position, a place on an apprenticeship or entry onto a higher education course. Subjects include:

  • construction and the built environment
  • civil engineering
  • T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship with a construction firm, such as:

  • Construction Site Supervisor Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
  • Civil Engineering Senior Technician Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
  • Construction Site Management Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship

These take around 3 years to complete. You'll do on-the-job training and spend time with a college or training provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could work as a site tradesperson, building technician or surveying assistant and become a site inspector through on-the-job training, like that offered by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

Apply directly

You could apply directly to work as a construction site supervisor. To do this, you'll need several years' experience and qualifications in construction. Awards in building health and safety would also be useful.

What you’ll need

  • be able to cope with working at height
  • have a full driving licence

Registration and professional bodies

Registration
  • you'll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to train and work on a construction site
Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Institute of Clerks of Works and Construction Inspectorate for professional development, industry news and useful resources.

Further information

You'll find more details about training and working in construction from Go Construct and House Building Careers.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for construction site supervisor. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

2 for this job

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Other qualifications

QualificationTypeLevel
Design, Surveying and Planning for ConstructionT Level3
Cert HE Construction Site ManagementHigher technical4
Cert HE Construction Site SupervisorHigher technical4
CertHE Construction ManagementHigher technical4
CertHE Construction Management PracticeHigher technical4
Certificate of Higher Education in Construction Site SupervisorHigher technical4
HNC Construction and Digital InnovationHigher technical4
HNC Construction Management PracticeHigher technical4
NOCN Cskills Awards Level 4 Construction Site Supervisor DiplomaHigher technical4
Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Construction Management for EnglandHigher technical4
Construction Site Supervisor (Foundation Degree)Higher technical5
Diploma of Higher Education Construction Site SupervisorHigher technical5
FdSc Construction ManagementHigher technical5
FdSc Sustainable Construction and the Built EnvironmentHigher technical5
HND Sustainable Construction ManagementHigher technical5
Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Construction Management for EnglandHigher technical5

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • directly supervises and coordinates the activities of construction and building workers and/or subcontractors
  • establishes and monitors work schedules to meet productivity requirements
  • liaises with managers and contractors to resolve operational problems
  • determines or recommends staffing and other needs to meet productivity requirements
  • reports as required to managerial staff on work-related matters

Skills

  • coordinate construction activities
  • ensure compliance with construction project deadline
  • evaluate employees work
  • follow health and safety procedures in construction
  • inspect construction supplies
  • keep records of work progress
  • manage health and safety standards
  • process incoming construction supplies
  • react to events in time-critical environments
  • supervise staff
  • use safety equipment in construction
  • work in a construction team
  • monitor stock level
  • provide first aid

Knowledge

  • construction product regulation
  • cost management
  • building materials industry
  • diving equipment
  • diving operation requirements
  • diving vessels systems
  • quality assurance procedures

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for skilled construction and building trades, a group of 12 jobs that includes construction and building trades supervisors.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 1.5%about 14,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 2035374,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.