Self-employed electricians have enjoyed a big bounce in earnings in January, according to Hudson Contract.
Average weekly pay for electrical contractors rose by 34.6% to £1,300 last month, according to analysis of payroll data for more than 2,200 construction companies in England and Wales.
Self-employed electricians in the East of England fared best as earnings more than doubled to £1,476 during January. This is equivalent to an annual salary of nearly £71,000.
Their counterparts in the West Midlands and London similarly saw substantial increases last month, rising 53.6% to £1,423 and 39.5% to £1,297 respectively.
Electricians generated the second highest earnings of all 17 construction trades covered by the company last month, behind only plumbing contractors.
In December, their weekly earnings fell 19.2% to £966, consistent with time taken off work to spend with families over the festive period.
Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson Contract, said: “Overall, demand for skilled trades at the start of 2020 is much stronger than the start of 2019, which shows renewed confidence in the business outlook for the construction sector.
“As our figures show, self-employed electricians are receiving handsome rewards for their services. This is a great advert for the construction industry. It shows young people that if they are prepared to put in the effort to learn a valuable skill, they can gain financial freedom and independence as a result.”