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Last updated: 19 March 2024
How much do waste clearance experts earn?
Waste clearance is an important service for both homeowners and businesses, but how much do waste clearance experts earn? In this guide, we look at figures for the average waste management salary in the UK, as well as the typical waste disposal salary broken down by level of experience.
No matter what your level of waste clearance experience is, this guide is for you. Whether you’re just starting out as an apprentice waste clearance specialist, or you’re thinking of setting up your own waste clearance company – keep reading to find out how much you could earn.
How much do waste clearance experts earn in the UK?
The average waste management salary in the UK usually starts at around £11,060, if you’re working as an apprentice. At the top end, if you own a waste clearance limited company you can earn up to about £66,530.
The exact salary you earn as a waste management specialist will depend on your qualifications, skills, experience, and where you’re based – as well as the size and complexity of the waste clearance jobs you take on.
If you’re thinking about starting your own waste clearance business as a sole trader or limited company, you’ll definitely be able to boost your earning potential as a waste clearance expert.
| Level | Per hour | Per day | Per year | Business Costs* | Approximate Take Home Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | £6.30 | £50 | £11,060 | £0 | £10,720 |
| Newly Qualified | £12.50 | £100 | £21,950 | £0 | £18,420 |
| Employed | £14.40 | £115 | £29,950 | £0 | £23,860 |
| Sole Trader | £36.00 | £288 | £53,100 | £6,635 | £35,265 |
| Business Owner (ltd company) | £45.10 | £360 | £66,530 | £11,640 | £43,360 |
| *includes estimated costs for business expenses such as vehicle, tools, insurance, fuel etc | |||||
| Last updated: May 2024 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now | |||||
How much do waste clearance specialists earn per year?
Here are figures for the average waste management salary based on level of experience:
Apprentice waste clearance expert – £11,060 (£10,720 take home) per year
Newly qualified waste clearance expert – £21,950 (£18,420 take home) per year
Employed waste clearance expert – £29,950 (£23,860 take home) per year
Sole trader waste clearance expert – £53,100 (£35,265 take home) per year
Waste clearance company owner – £66,530 (£43,360 take home) per year
Average waste management salary per month
Based on the above yearly figures for the average waste management salary in the UK, we’ve calculated the breakdown per month:
Apprentice – £1,090 per month
Newly qualified – £2,165 per month
Employed – £2,500 per month
Sole trader – £6,240 per month
Waste clearance limited company owner – £7,815 per month
Average waste management salary per week
As a weekly figure, here’s how much you could earn based on the average waste management salary in the UK:
Apprentice waste clearance specialist – £250 per week
Newly qualified waste clearance specialist – £500 per week
Employed waste clearance specialist – £575 per week
Sole trader waste clearance specialist – £1,440 per week
Waste clearance limited company owner – £1,805 per week
Waste disposal salary per day
If you’re wondering what the day rate is for a waste clearance specialist, here’s the average waste disposal salary per day:
Apprentice – £50 per day
Newly qualified – £100 per day
Employed – £115 per day
Sole trader – £288 per day
Waste clearance limited company owner – £360 per day
Waste management hourly pay
Due to the nature of waste clearance work, lots of waste clearance experts are paid by the hour. Here are the average hourly rates for waste clearance specialists in the UK:
Apprentice – £6.30 per hour
Newly qualified – £12.50 per hour
Employed – £14.40 per hour
Sole trader – £36.00 per hour
Waste clearance limited company owner – £45.10 per hour
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How much do self-employed waste clearance specialists earn?
When looking at your earning potential, starting your own waste clearance business as a self-employed waste clearance expert can massively boost how much money you can make.
Below are the average earnings for self-employed waste clearance experts in the UK operating as sole traders:
Hourly rate – £36.00 per hour
Day rate – £288 per day
Yearly salary – £53,100 per year
Annual take-home pay – £35,265 per year
Is waste clearance profitable?
As the owner of a waste clearance business, the amount of revenue and profit you generate will depend on a number of different factors – such as the size of your business, the amount of work you win, and how profitable your waste clearance jobs are.
To give you a rough idea of how much you could make, we’ve put together some estimates for waste disposal business revenue and profit.
Waste management business revenue
Here are some figures for the average waste clearance business revenue in the UK:
Sole trader waste clearance expert –£53,100
Waste clearance limited company – £66,530
Waste management business profit
In order to work out the profit for your waste clearance business, whether you’re a sole trader or running a limited company, you’ll need to factor in the costs of running your business. That means adding up all the costs of things like your work vehicle, fuel, materials, tools and insurance.
For a limited company, it’s important to factor in any staff wages as part of your business’s running costs.
After deducting your annual business costs, a self-employed waste clearance expert can expect to generate a waste management business profit (i.e. their take-home salary) of somewhere in the region of £35,265 as a sole trader.
If you’re operating as a limited company, you’re looking at an average waste disposal business profit of around £43,360.
Want tips to expand your waste clearance business? Check out our guide on how to grow your business.
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How to make your waste clearance business more profitable
As a waste clearance business owner, it’s important to make sure that all your waste clearance jobs are generating a profit. To do that you need to focus on the profitability of each waste disposal job that you do.
To help you boost your profits, we’ve put together our top tips to make your waste clearance business more profitable:
Make sure you're charging enough to cover your outgoings (including tools, materials, insurance, marketing, wages, fuel etc).
Focus on the jobs that make you the most money and require you to spend the least (for tools, materials, etc).
Limit how far you travel to avoid vehicle and fuel costs eating into your profits.
Minimise your outgoings by trying to have no or as little debt as possible.
Shop around for the best deals (like our member partnerships) on tools, equipment, materials and workwear.
Get your business name out there through marketing (your website, customer reviews and SEO).
Provide the best customer experience to all your customers to build a strong reputation and win more work through word of mouth.
Join a trade directory like Checkatrade to build your reviews and online reputation.
Expert tips for increasing profits in [year]
What is profit? Profit is money left over after subtracting all your business expenses from your total revenue. As a trade business, you've probably always got your eye on making a profit. After all, it's the measure of success for most businesses. The key is knowing how to increase your profits
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