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Construction labourer

Construction labourers support tradespeople on building sites by digging trenches, mixing mortar and concrete, and operating machinery.

Annual Salary

£23,000 to £35,000

Working hours

40 to 44 a week

You could work: evenings / weekends; away from home

2.2%
Future employment

There will be 2.2% fewer Construction labourer jobs in 2029.
In your local area

What's it all about?

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a construction labourer, you could:

  • mark out and dig trenches for foundations and drains
  • put up formwork panels to hold setting concrete in place
  • fix steel bars to reinforce concrete structures
  • build retaining walls with panels to allow excavations - steel piling
  • lay concrete for foundations, floors and beams
  • build or resurface roads, and lay kerbs and paving
  • use machinery to lift and move building materials around a site
  • keep tradespeople supplied with bricks, mortar and timber

Working environment

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work on a construction site.

Your working environment may be at height and outdoors in all weathers.

Entry requirements

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly
College

You could take a college course in construction skills or construction operations.

Courses like these may help you when applying for jobs.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship with a construction firm.

Apprenticeship examples include:

  • groundworker
  • construction plant operative
  • piling attendant
  • road surfacing operative

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
Direct application

You can apply directly for jobs. There are no set requirements but it may help if you have:

  • construction site experience
  • knowledge of building materials
  • experience in a builder's merchants or yard

You may need your own safety boots, hard hat and hi-viz top, though some employers will supply these.

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

  • Some jobs involve operating plant machinery, like excavators or dumper trucks. To do this, you'll need to be 18 or over and have a driving licence.

More information

Further information

You can find out more about working in construction from:Go Construct; House Building Careers

Employment by region

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Career path and progression

You could train on the job to be a qualified tradesperson or plant operator. You could also work in demolition or road resurfacing.

With experience, you could become a team leader or construction site supervisor.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

  • knowledge of building and construction
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • the ability to work well with others
  • knowledge of public safety and security
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to operate and control equipment
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • physical fitness and endurance
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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