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How much do bricklayers earn?

Bricklayers are in high demand across the UK. New housing developments are well underway in towns and cities around the country. All require skilled bricklayers. The home extension market also continues to thrive, meaning bricklaying skills are equally needed in the domestic home improvement sector. Whether you're looking to hire bricklayers or you want to go self-employed, here's how much bricklayers earn.

Average salary for UK bricklayers

Qualified and experienced bricklayers can expect to earn an excellent salary. Even newly qualified bricklayers earn more than many other professions.

At Checkatrade, we compiled this comparison table to give you an accurate and realistic view of the earning potential of a bricklayer at different stages of their career.

LevelPer hourPer dayPer yearEstimated business costs*Approximate take home pay
Apprentice£6.30£50.40£11.062.80£0.00£10,714.94
Newly qualified£18.19£145.52£31,941.64£0.00£25,214.00
Employed£19.28£154.24£40,102.40£0.00£30,763.31
Sole trader £38.00£304.00£56,051.52-£7,006.44£37,588.73*
Business owner (Ltd company)£38.53£308.24£56,833.29-£9,945.83£37,508.29*
*includes estimated business expenses such as vehicle, fuel, tools and insurance. You should always consult an accountant.

A bricklayer’s annual salary begins at around £11.062.80 for an apprentice bricklayer. This can rise to an excellent £56,833.29 for the owner of a Limited Company.

How much does an experienced bricklayer earn?

Bricklayers are very well-paid tradespeople. Newly qualified bricklayers can expect to earn around £31,941.64 per year. This can increase to £40,102.40 as you gain more experience.

The amount of money a bricklayer can earn will also depend on other factors than experience. Location will play a large part of a bricklayer’s earning potential, as will the type of work you carry out e.g., new-builds, commercial projects, or home extensions.

How much can a self-employed bricklayer earn?

The first thing you want to find out when you’re planning to set up your own bricklaying business is how much you can earn.

How to start a bricklaying business

If you’re running your own bricklaying business as a sole trader, you can expect to earn in the region of £56,051.52 per year.

If you decide to set up your own bricklaying limited company then annual earnings could be closer to £56,833.29.

Bricklaying business costs and expenses

Whether you decide to set up your bricklaying business as a sole trader or a limited company, you’ll need to understand how much costs and expenses you’ll spend.

We’ve make general estimates to give you an idea of how much money you can expect to take home once any deductions have been made.

LevelPer hourPer dayPer yearEstimated business costs*Approximate take home pay
Apprentice£6.30£50.40£11.062.80£0.00£10,714.94
Newly qualified£18.19£145.52£31,941.64£0.00£25,214.00
Employed£19.28£154.24£40,102.40£0.00£30,763.31
Sole trader £38.00£304.00£56,051.52-£7,006.44£37,588.73*
Business owner (Ltd company)£38.53£308.24£56,833.29-£9,945.83£37,508.29*
*includes estimated business expenses such as vehicle, fuel, tools and insurance. You should always consult an accountant.

What is the average hourly rate for a bricklayer?

If you’re planning to hire bricklayers to work for your business, you’ll want to know the average hourly rate expectation.

Rates will vary depending on experience and location. On average, you can expect to pay:

  • Apprentice – £6.30 per hour
  • Newly qualified – £18.19 per hour
  • Employed – £19.28 per hour
  • Sole trader – £38.00 per hour
  • Business owner (Ltd company) – £38.53 per hour

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How much is the average bricklayer day rate?

Bricklayers may work on large-scale construction projects. They may also work on residential property extension projects.

Therefore, it’s a good idea to know the daily pay rate for bricklayers to ensure that you are competitive.

  • Apprentice – £50.40 per day
  • Newly qualified – £145.52 per day
  • Employed – £154.24 per day
  • Sole trader – £304.00 per day
  • Business owner (Limited company) – £308.24 per day

Become your own boss of your bricklaying business

Do you want to get your bricklaying business off to the best possible start? Then why not try our ‘Become the Boss’ series.




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Growing your bricklaying business with Checkatrade

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FAQs

How much do bricklayers get paid per brick?

Bricklayers charge anywhere between £650 – £1,790 per 1,000 bricks. This is for common machine-made bricks for private customers.

At Checkatrade, we recently compiled a bricklaying cost guide for 2023. Have a read of this article to find out more detailed information about the costs of bricklaying today.

How difficult is bricklaying?

Bricklaying is a skilled trade. It takes around two years to become proficient in bricklaying and it is not a skill that is usually done as a DIY project.

Bricklaying requires a combination of strength and accuracy. Bricklayers must be strong and fit as bricklaying is a physically demanding trade. They must also be good at taking accurate measurements and ensuring that all bricks are laid evenly and courses are identical.

Where do bricklayers get paid the most?

Bricklayers in London and southeast England can expect to get paid the most in the UK. In other areas of the country, earning potential will depend on the company you work for and the type of projects you’re involved in.

How many bricks can a bricklayer lay in a day?

When working in good conditions on a fully accessible site, a competent bricklayer can lay around 500 bricks per day.

Difficult working conditions and complex structures will reduce this amount while some bricklayers who work very quickly may slightly increase the rate.

*Estimate costs for vehicle, fuel, tools, and insurance

**Checkatrade brand tracking survey April 2021

***Claims are sourced from a survey conducted by Deep Blue Thinking on a nationally representative UK sample in November 2021.

****Year runs from April 21’ to March 22’. Saving calculation based on average spend across 12,505 members in 2020/2021/2022. Discounts differ depending on the partner. Products range from low value items to high value items. Some exclusions will apply on products.

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