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How Much Does A Handyman Earn UK?
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How much can a Handyman earn UK?
A handyman in the UK can earn anywhere between £19,000 to £42,000 according to the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, depending on a wide range of factors, such as their years of experience, specialisms and location.
Those comfortable working with electrical appliances or sorting out plumbing/heating come out near the top of the scale—both averaging over £32,000 annually across an estimated 150,000 jobs UK-wide. Comparatively, those working primarily in window fitting/fabrication come out towards the bottom end, with an average of around £23,000.
Where you are in your career will naturally play a part too. Full-time tradesmen can expect to see earnings of between £19,000 to £24,000 during the early stages of their new role. After a few years, you should see your earnings begin to increase, with the highest earners in the industry taking home between £35,000 to £42,000.
If you’re considering becoming a handyman, while the income can seem highly lucrative it’s important to remember you may have some associated costs you wouldn’t find in other industries. You may be expected to purchase your own tools, and you’ll need a quality handyman’s insurance policy to make sure you’re covered in the event something goes wrong.
If you’re looking to hire a handyman, check out our article on the average cost of hiring a handyman in the UK.
Handyman Wages
With junior handymen taking home between £19,000-£24,000 annually, they take home somewhere in the range of £9-£10 per hour. More experienced handymen, with an average salary of £25,000-£30,000, end up with roughly £12-£14 per hour. And finally, the most experienced handymen, earning £31,000-£42,000, make between £15-£20 every hour of work.
Earnings percentiles were taken from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings for a variety of full-time trades, and naturally take into account other factors than purely experience alone, such as location and expected hours per week.
Depending on the type of handyman you are, you may be paid hourly or weekly/monthly. If you’re self-employed, you’ll only be paid for the time you spend working, so make sure to factor in the potential of a few hours twiddling your thumbs every now and then. If you’re a full-time employee at a business, you’ll probably be guaranteed a salary each week/month, but won’t benefit financially if you need to stay late or put in a few extra hours.
These numbers are in line with a variety of sources studied alongside the ASHE, including PayScale, Totaljobs and Reed.
Costs of being a Handyman
While the salaries can initially seem lucrative, it’s important to consider some of the upfront costs you’ll need to cover before starting your handyman career. A quality set of tools, fit for a number of different purposes, will easily set you back a few hundred pounds—it’s not worth buying sub-standard tools, though, as the costs when they go wrong (potentially for your clients too) are well worth avoiding for the extra money.
While not overly expensive, handyman’s insurance is an absolute must-have for any quality handyman, and most of your clients will insist you hold a policy before bringing you into their home/property. A basic policy to cover your public liability and tools will probably cost less than £150 for the year, so make sure to have a policy sorted before you start your work.
You’ll also probably be on the road a lot, so make sure you know how much it costs to refuel your vehicle, and if a potential customer is a few miles away then factor it into the price you quote them to make sure you’re not losing out for making the journey.
Average Handyman salary by region UK
London is by far the most lucrative region of the UK to be a handyman in, with those in the capital earning an average of £37,408 per year. Those in the North East and North West are the lowest paid, taking home £26,914 and £28,077 respectively.
| Region | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| North East | £26,914 |
| North West | £28,077 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £28,789 |
| West Midlands | £29,239 |
| Wales | £30,181 |
| East | £30,937 |
| National Average | £30,940 |
| South West | £31,107 |
| East Midlands | £32,045 |
| South East | £32,328 |
| Scotland | £33,823 |
| London | £37,408 |
UK Handyman salary range
| Experience | Lower Boundary | Upper Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Junior | £19,000 | £24,000 |
| Experienced | £25,000 | £30,000 |
| Expert | £31,000 | £45,000 |
Naturally, where you land in these ranges will depend on which region you work in, your skillset and how many years of experience you have in the industry. It's relatively unlikely you'll see many additional benefits while working as a handyman—roughly 95% don't receive any medical coverage—so keep in mind you may need to fund these yourself.
Self employed Handyman salary
All of this data accounts for both self-employed and employee handymen, so much of the data listed should still apply whether you are self-employed or working for another business. Keep in mind that the amount you spend on your trade each year might be higher if you’re self-employed, as you’ll need to cover things like insurance, fuel costs and your own tools.
The average handyman in London takes home £37,408 per year.
The average handyman in New York City takes home somewhere between $30,000 to $50,000 per year, depending on experience.