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How much does a plasterer make?

In recent years, the increase in construction and home improvement projects has meant that plasterers are in higher demand than ever. So, how much does a plasterer make?

Whether you’re starting out as a plastering apprentice, considering setting yourself up as a self-employed plasterer, or you’re building a plastering business – this guide is for you.

We’ll look at how much plasterers earn in a year, a week, a day and per hour. Keep reading to find out more.

How much do plasterers earn in the UK?

The average earnings for a plasterer in the UK start at around £11,880 per year for an apprentice plasterer, and go up to around £81,000 per year for a plastering business owner.

However, the exact amount you can expect to earn as a plasterer will depend on a number of factors. These include:

  • Your experience
  • Your skills and qualifications
  • The type of plastering work you do
  • Where you live and work

If you want to really boost your income then starting your own plastering business, whether as a sole trader or a limited company, can massively increase your potential earnings.

How much do plasterers earn a year?

So, how much can a plasterer earn? Here are some average salaries for how much plasterers can earn a year in the UK.

  • Plastering apprentice – £11,880 (£11,600 take home)
  • Newly qualified plasterer – £18,900 (£16,500 take home)
  • Employed plasterer – £30,600 (£24,400 take home)
  • Sole trader plasterer – £67,500 (£43,600 take home)
  • Plastering business owner – £81,000 (£48,800 take home)

What’s the average monthly wage for a plasterer?

Based on the plasterer yearly salaries listed above, we’ve broken down the average monthly wage for a plasterer in the UK (after tax).

  • Apprentice – £967 per month
  • Newly qualified – £1,375 per month
  • Employed – £2,034 per month
  • Sole trader – £3,633 per month
  • Business owner (Ltd company) – £4,067 per month

How much do plasterers earn

How much do plasterers earn a week?

Want to break things down still further? Here are some of the average figures for how much plasterers earn a week.

  • Apprentice – £265 per week
  • Newly qualified – £480 per week
  • Employed – £680 per week
  • Sole trader – £1,500 per week
  • Business owner (Ltd company) – £1,800 per week

How much do plasterers earn per day?

The average for how much plasterers can make in a day in the UK can range from £53 for a plastering apprentice to £360 for a plastering business owner.

  • Apprentice – £53 per day
  • Newly qualified – £84 per day
  • Employed – £136 per day
  • Sole trader – £300 per day
  • Business owner (Ltd company) – £360 per day

Plasterers day rate London

As you might expect, plasterer day rates in London are typically higher than in the rest of the country. So, how much do plasterers make a day in London?

Depending on your skills and experience, you can expect to earn somewhere in the region of £120 to £450 per day as a plasterer in London.

Plasterer day rate Manchester

Similar to London, Manchester is a big metropolitan area and plastering work in the city will usually earn you more than many other areas of the UK.

So, how much do plasterers make a day in Manchester exactly? Well, the average rate for a plasterer in the city of Manchester is around £100 to £400 per day.

How much does a plasterer make an hour?

The average hourly rate for a plasterer will depend on your experience, skills and the type of plastering job you’re working on.

Here’s a guide to how much a plasterer can make an hour.

  • Apprentice – £6.30 per hour
  • Newly qualified – £10.50 per hour
  • Employed – £17 per hour
  • Sole trader – £37.50 per hour
  • Business owner (Ltd company) – £45 per hour

How much can a plasterer earn

How much does an apprentice plasterer earn?

When you first start your career in plastering, chances are you’ll join as a plastering apprentice. As an apprentice, you can expect to earn a starting salary of around £11,880 per year.

As you progress with learning the trade, you’ll build up your plastering skills and gain valuable experience in plastering that should lead to an increase in earnings.

In terms of rates, you can expect to charge around £6.60 per hour or £53 per day.

Seven of the highest paid trade apprenticeships

How profitable is a plastering business?

When starting a plastering business, it’s important to think about profitability. In addition to counting your revenue, you have to consider the running costs of your business – things like your work vehicle, fuel, materials, tools and insurance.

Plastering business running costs

As a self-employed plasterer, on average, your running costs will be somewhere in the region of £23,900. If you run a plastering limited company then business costs will be around £32,200.

Average plastering business profit

Bearing in mind the figures above, after you cover the cost of running your business, you’ll be looking at a profit of around £43,600 as a sole trader, or £48,800 as a limited company owner.

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How to make your plastering business more profitable

You’ll need to make sure your jobs are profitable if you’re going to grow a successful plastering business. To help, we’ve put together our top tips to make your plastering business more profitable.

1. Review how much you’re charging

You’ll need to earn enough to easily cover your outgoings (such as tools, materials, insurance, marketing, wages and fuel) and more. If things are tight, you may need to look at raising your prices.

2. Choose to specialise in areas that are the most profitable

Some plastering jobs are more profitable than others. Look at what kind of work tends to earn you the most money with the least spending (for things such as tools and materials) and try to take on more of those jobs.

3. Evaluate the area you cover

The further you travel for a job, the more you’ll eat into your profits through vehicle and fuel costs. So, try to stick closer to home or consider how you can make it worthwhile to travel further afield.

For instance, you could charge for travel when it comes to jobs that are further away, or only travel beyond a certain area for high-value jobs.

4. Reduce your outgoings

Work on reducing your spending where you can. Interest on credit cards or loans can quickly eat into your profits, so try to avoid taking on debt.

Similarly, it helps to shop around for the best-value tools and materials. Remember, Checkatrade members get access to special offers and discounted rates with all our trade partners.

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5. Work on getting visibility for your business

Marketing is vital if you’re going to grow your business. This could include advertising, investing in your website and company brand, collecting customer reviews, focusing on SEO, or nurturing industry contacts who can send work your way.

6. Provide the best customer experience

By providing excellent plastering services to all your customers, you’ll quickly build a strong reputation, win more work through word of mouth, and gain positive customer reviews.

Why not also join a trade directory like Checkatrade to build your reviews and online reputation?

Expert tips to increase profits as a tradesperson

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