jobfacts

Scaffolder

Scaffolders, stagers and riggers — SOC 2020 8151

Scaffolders, stagers and riggers erect and dismantle scaffolding and working platforms, set up lifting equipment and ships’ rigging, maintain and repair steeples, industrial chimneys and other tall structures and install, maintain and repair ropes, wires and cables.

Also calledSplicerMetal shuttering erectorAdvanced scaffolderTacklemanGromet makerScaffolding erectorand 25 more titles
Typical full-time pay£41,5002025 Provisional
People in the job24,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month266↓ 22%on last year · 322nd of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time scaffolders earn, 2025
£41,500 typicaln/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%Not published
Median£41,500
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £41,500
East Midlands!£46,300
North East!£42,200
Scotland!£35,700
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £41,500
East Midlands£46,300 (small sample)
North East£42,200 (small sample)
Scotland£35,700 (small sample)
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £35,000
  • 2024 £38,800
  • 2025 Provisional£41,500
↑ 19% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 266 jobs for scaffolders 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 (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026340
Jul 2026401
Jun 2026254
May 2026324
Apr 2026321
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026225
Jan 2026210
Dec 202593
Nov 2025211
Oct 2025258
Sept 2025292
Aug 2025402
Jul 2025466
Jun 2025471
May 2025455
Apr 2025313
Mar 2025365
Feb 2025319
Jan 2025214
Dec 202469
Nov 2024287
Oct 2024373
Sept 2024395
Aug 2024436
Jul 2024540
Jun 2024486
May 2024501
Apr 2024369
Mar 2024198
Feb 2024166
Jan 2024180
Dec 2023103
Nov 202392
Oct 2023134
Sept 2023203
Aug 2023252
Jul 2023296
Jun 2023561
May 2023553
Apr 2023444
Mar 2023367
Feb 2023376
Jan 2023296
Dec 2022207
Nov 2022360
Oct 2022390
Sept 2022401
Aug 2022441
Jul 2022488
Jun 2022500
May 2022500
Apr 2022284
Mar 2022369
Feb 2022262
Jan 2022269
Dec 2021185
Nov 2021352
Oct 2021264
Sept 2021273
Aug 2021309
Jul 2021359
Jun 2021300
May 2021327
Apr 2021348
Mar 2021418
Feb 2021187
Jan 2021480
Dec 2020222
Nov 2020252
Oct 2020301
Sept 2020352
Aug 2020288
Jul 2020199
Jun 2020121
May 202080
Apr 202098
Mar 2020215
Feb 2020242
Jan 2020284
Dec 2019126
Nov 2019216
Oct 2019226
Sept 2019252
Aug 2019283
Jul 2019368
Jun 2019315
May 2019419
Apr 2019259
Mar 2019366
Feb 2019226
Jan 2019206
Dec 2018111
Nov 2018190
Oct 2018285
Sept 2018248
Aug 2018265
Jul 2018332
Jun 2018377
May 2018340
Apr 2018274
Mar 2018227
Feb 2018220
Jan 2018191
Dec 2017140
Nov 2017253
Oct 2017292
Sept 2017345
Aug 2017406
Jul 2017470
Jun 2017451
May 2017406
Apr 2017414
Mar 2017387
Feb 2017241
Jan 2017213
Is there a shortage of scaffolders?
Not high

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

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Note: uncertainty in visa density.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
45%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for construction operatives, which includes scaffolders. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London89
Birmingham22
Bristol, City of16
Glasgow City15
Manchester14
Brighton and Hove13
City of Edinburgh12
Cheshire West and Chester11
Leeds11
Southampton10
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where scaffolders are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from Colombia, Russia, ranking it 213th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of scaffolders
n/p
29%!
20%!
22%!
16%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3429% (small sample)
35–4420% (small sample)
45–5422% (small sample)
55–6416% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent–
Not published
Higher education below degree–
Not published
A levels or equivalent!26%
GCSEs or equivalent!29%
Other qualifications!30%
No qualifications!5.6%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalentNot published
Higher education below degreeNot published
A levels or equivalent26% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent29% (small sample)
Other qualifications30% (small sample)
No qualifications5.6% (small sample)

Main employers: other specialised construction activities nec (61%), construction of residential and non-residential buildings (14%), production of electricity (6.2%).

How to get in

Most common qualification
Other qualifications
held by 30%
Apprenticeships
3
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
18 months to 3 years
typically

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

College

You could take a college course to learn some of the skills you need to get a trainee or apprenticeship position with a scaffolding or construction company.

Courses include:

  • construction operations
  • scaffolding
  • T Level in Onsite Construction
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Scaffolder Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.

This can take up to 2 years to complete. You'll do on-the-job training and spend some time with a training provider off-site.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You can join a company as a trainee scaffolder or scaffolding labourer, and do qualifications on the job.

Employers will look for a good general standard of education. GCSEs in maths, English, science and design and technology can be helpful, though not always essential.

Good communication skills, co-ordination, timekeeping and safety awareness will also be useful.

Other routes

You may be able to do a skills boot camp training course in scaffolding or construction. This would give you some of the skills needed to apply for a trainee scaffolder or scaffolder's labourer position with a construction company.

What you’ll need

  • be able to cope with working at height
  • have a good level of fitness

Registration and professional bodies

Registration
  • you'll need a Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) safety card or equivalent to train and work on a construction site
Further information

You can find out more about becoming a scaffolder from Go Construct and the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation.

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

Apprenticeships

3 for this job
Level 2About 18 months

Scaffolder

You gain
CISRS Part 1a, 1b; CISRS Part 2a, 2b, 2c
Leads to
Construction Industry Scaffolder Record Scheme (CISRS)
Details on Skills England

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

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • examines drawings and specifications to determine job requirements
  • examines scaffold tubing and couplings for defects and selects, fits and bolts scaffold tubes until scaffolding reaches required height
  • lays and secures wooden planking to form working platforms and fixes guard rails, ladders, cradles and awnings as required
  • erects jib, derrick and similar hoisting equipment and installs ropes, pulleys and other lifting tackle
  • forms rope slings, ladders, netting and other rigging and measures, cuts and repairs wire or fibre rope

Skills

  • follow safety procedures when working at heights
  • work ergonomically
  • keep personal administration
  • rig loads
  • assemble performance equipment
  • interpret 2D plans
  • interpret 3D plans
  • manage personal professional development
  • organise resources for artistic production
  • react to events in time-critical environments
  • store performance equipment
  • use personal protection equipment
  • use technical documentation
  • work safely with machines

Knowledge

  • crane load charts
  • rigging terminology
  • electricity
  • mechanical tools
  • mechanics

Suits people who like

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

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for process, plant, machine and construction operatives, a group of 25 jobs that includes scaffolders.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 19%about 142,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035496,000including 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.