Construction apprentices earn more than university graduates, says research
Young people in the construction sector will go on to earn "thousands" more each year after apprenticeships while university graduates' salaries lag behind, according to industry research.
The average bricklayer or roofer is earning £42,000 a year across the UK while former students typically earn £32,000 annually, according to a study by the FMB.
The FMB research showed the top five earning construction jobs were as site managers (£51,266 a year), plumbers (£48,675), supervisors (£48,407), electricians (£47,265) and civil engineering operatives (£44,253).
By contrast university graduates in the UK earn £42,252 a year as pharmacists, £40,268 as dental practitioners, £38,228 as architects, £37,805 as teachers and £37,748 as chartered and certified accountants.
Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “Money talks and when it comes to annual salaries, a career in construction trumps many university graduate roles.
"University students in England will graduate with an average £50,800 of debt, according to The Institute for Fiscal Studies, while apprentices pass the finish line completely debt-free. Not only that, apprentices earn while they learn, taking home around £17,000 a year. We are therefore calling on all parents, teachers and young people, who too-often favour academic education, to give a career in construction serious consideration."
