Wages are still slowly on the up according to this year鈥檚 好色先生TV/Hays Construction consultants鈥 salary survey, but more significant is the drive towards recruitment in 2014, with firms seeking - and competing for - new talent to avoid skills shortages on the horizon

Consultants' salary survey 2014: Rise and shine

This year鈥檚 consultants鈥 salary survey provides more evidence that the UK construction industry is in recovery mode, with salaries across the surveying, engineering and architecture professions modestly increasing for the second consecutive year.

Across all three professions salaries for the year to March were up 1.96% on the previous year on average, which, while welcome, was below the rate of inflation of 2.56%, meaning most people in real terms were worse off.

But behind the headline figure is a mixed picture, with some surveying and engineering roles enjoying above 5% raises, and other roles, including landscape architects and interior designers, getting sub 1% or no increase. Once again salary rises in London outstripped other UK regions.

However, what unites most consultants is their predictions for recruitment in 2014. All indicators point to an exceedingly hot recruitment market this year, with recruitment agency Hays, which compiles the survey for 好色先生TV, predicting this will be the year where salary growth finally outstrips inflation - easing construction鈥檚 own cost of living crisis. The majority of employers predict skills shortages (68%), a shortage of experienced candidates to fill roles (72%), salary rises (56%) and growth in headcount at their firm (58%). Meanwhile, employees are restless - 57% say they don鈥檛 expect career progression at their current firm and 45% expect to move this year, with a further one in five expecting to move within two years.

So what does this year鈥檚 salary survey tell us about the changing recruitment market in construction, and how are firms attempting to adapt?

Race to recruit

This year鈥檚 survey finds that more than half of consultants (56%) enjoyed a pay increase on the previous year. Hays notes some roles - particularly in surveying and engineering - enjoyed larger increases, 鈥渞eflecting growing skill shortages in niche roles鈥. The top increase was for partner or director level quantity surveyors (6.6%). Six of the next seven biggest are either engineering roles - structural engineer (6.6%), bridge engineer (5.9%), senior infrastructure engineer (5.2%) - or further surveying roles - graduate quantity surveyor (5.2%), partner or director level building surveyor (4.9%) and project manager (4.7%).

Within surveying Hays says the recovery in housebuilding is partly behind the growth in wages, while QS firms are also 鈥渇eeling the pinch from a lack of graduate recruitment during the downturn鈥. Hence surveyors took measures to attract new blood into the profession last year: firms upped graduate starting salaries, invested more money in training new surveyors and some even dropped the requirement for applicants to be chartered for certain roles, choosing instead to train successful candidates up to chartered status on the job. Within engineering, Hays noted increased demand for many roles, particularly in the housing, infrastructure and commercial sectors. The candidates in shortest supply were those with two to five years鈥 experience, again reflecting a lack of graduate recruitment by engineers during the downturn.

The fight for talent is definitely out there, the key thing now is that there鈥檚 additional pressure from clients trying to recruit

Alan Brookes, EC Harris

Multi-disciplinary consultant Ridge, which specialises in surveying and engineering, can testify to growing competition to fill these professional roles. 鈥淥ver the past 12 months the boot has moved from the employer鈥檚 foot to the employee - they鈥檙e now in a stronger position,鈥 says Phil Jones, Ridge鈥檚 senior partner. The firm has upped its graduate salaries 鈥渢o compete鈥 and Jones agrees it鈥檚 getting harder to recruit people looking for their 鈥渟econd or third jobs鈥.

Alan Brookes, UK managing director for consultant EC Harris, says the consultant has 70 to 80 vacancies in the UK, particularly in surveying and engineering, and the 鈥渘umber is increasing daily鈥. He says 鈥渢he fight for talent is definitely out there, the key thing now is that there鈥檚 additional pressure from clients trying to recruit to build up their teams.鈥

Engineers WSP and Arup both say they are starting to see the effects of skill shortages, particularly in the infrastructure and structural engineering professions. 鈥淲e are seeing greater demand for staff overall and off the back of that we expect to see demand going up and salaries outstripping inflation,鈥 says Paul Newing, regional HR director at WSP.

In architecture, salary increases were more subdued last year, although Hays notes London experienced its highest level of recruitment in three years. Adrian Dobson, RIBA director of practice, says there is greater demand for architects with 鈥淏IM skills and experience of delivering it on projects鈥. He is not surprised wage levels have not increased greatly. Architects have been telling RIBA since the middle of last year they feel more positive about the future and plan to recruit, but headcounts remained static over the final two quarters. Dobson thinks he knows why: 鈥淎ccording to our figures architects retained more staff than they needed during the downturn and so still have 20% spare capacity. There鈥檚 still quite a bit of spare capacity to be taken up before they really up recruitment.鈥 That said, Make Architects, which is mostly exposed to the buoyant London market, is seeing 鈥渁 lot more movement between practices鈥, according to head of HR Camilla Neave. The practice increased headcount by 25 last year and is continuing to expand, with 鈥渕ore of a focus on the technical side, including BIM鈥, Neave adds.

Changing tactics

This year these trends are set to intensify.

鈥淭he upward trend in 2013 was encouraging, but 2014 is the year things will really kick on,鈥 says Andrew Bredin, managing director at Hays. He says vacancy volumes and salaries have risen month-on-month since the start of 2014 and 鈥渢here鈥檚 no sign it鈥檚 going to stop鈥. 鈥淲e鈥檙e at that point in the cycle where the industry鈥檚 moving out of recession and skills shortages will start to be seen as the recovery gains momentum,鈥 he adds. He expects average salary increases this year to outstrip inflation for the first time since the recession.

Employers are more positive about the future - 77% expect business activity to grow over the next 12 months, up from 63% last year - yet a significant number, over a quarter, say they do not think their organisation has the talent needed to achieve current business objectives. In these circumstances Bredin says it is 鈥渋nevitable鈥 salaries will go up 鈥渞ight across the piece. It doesn鈥檛 matter whether it鈥檚 engineers, architects or surveyors, all are in demand鈥, he says.

Top salary increases

All the employers 好色先生TV spoke to said they were investing more in training and development to retain staff. Yet such is the fight for surveying talent that Brookes from EC Harris reckons the firm may have to hold 鈥渉alf year [pay] reviews鈥 in addition to annual reviews for some staff and give out an 鈥渋nterim rise鈥 in some cases. He worries about 鈥渨hether it鈥檚 sustainable, as I don鈥檛 see fees increasing as quickly [as wages].鈥 Jones says Ridge is increasingly looking overseas to recruit engineers to make up for the shortfall. The 350-strong firm has plans to increase its headcount by up to 150 staff in the next three to four years, but Jones admits it may struggle to do this through recruitment alone. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a challenge to do that organically - I expect a mix of acquisitions too.鈥

Some employers are working together to try to solve the skills shortages dilemma. Arup is working with its competitors in key growth sectors including rail and energy to set up apprenticeship and graduate programmes to 鈥渂uild a pipeline of talent鈥, Simon Stoker, senior human resources officer in the UK at Arup, says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to be careful not to perpetually fuel salary inflation by poaching other people鈥檚 staff,鈥 he says. 鈥淲e need to have a sustainable pipeline of talent when there aren鈥檛 enough people to go around.鈥

As the recruitment market threatens to heat up quicker than workloads and fees, consultants will have to think in ever more creative ways to attract and retain talent.

鈥楩inally people are training鈥

John Allison, 46, chartered building surveyor at Anglian Windows

John Allison enrolled for a building surveying course in 2008, aged 40, just as the construction market was tanking. At the time few employers were interested in taking on graduates to train them to chartered status and he had to settle for an unpaid internship, followed by a paid internship 鈥渁t minimum wage鈥 while he trained. Once he鈥檇 qualified, he secured a temporary job and then landed a permanent role with ease this spring. After receiving expressions of interest from other employers, he secured a permanent role at Anglian Windows at the 鈥渟alary I was hoping for鈥. Allison is also chair of the RICS Matrics Group in Norfolk representing training or newly-qualified surveyors and he says the membership has gained 鈥渁 lot more graduate trainees鈥, proof, he says, that 鈥渆veryone鈥檚 out there training people again finally鈥.

Structural engineers

RegionAssociateSeniorEngineerGraduate engineer
Greater London拢55,000拢41,000拢32,000拢24,500
South-east拢46,500拢36,000拢30,000拢22,000
East of England拢49,500拢36,000拢27,500拢22,000
East Midlands拢44,000拢37,000拢31,000拢21,000
West Midlands拢46,000拢37,000拢29,000拢21,000
North-east拢40,000拢37,000拢30,000拢21,000
Yorkshire and Humber拢46,000拢34,500拢27,000拢22,500
North-west拢48,000拢36,000拢30,000拢22,000
Wales拢45,000拢36,000拢30,000拢18,000
South-west拢42,000拢36,000拢26,000拢20,000
Scotland拢38,000拢30,000拢25,000拢20,000
Northern Ireland拢32,000拢24,000拢21,000拢17,000
National average拢44,333拢35,042拢28,208拢20,917
Average change 2013-20144.0%4.1%6.6%2.8%

Geotechnical engineers

 PrincipalSenior engineer
Greater London拢49,000拢41,000
South-east拢48,500拢41,000
East of England拢45,500拢41,000
East Midlands拢41,500拢34,000
West Midlands拢44,000拢38,500
North-east拢45,500拢35,750
Yorkshire and Humber拢46,000拢35,000
North-west拢46,000拢38,000
Wales拢38,750拢33,000
South-west拢42,000拢36,000
Scotland拢48,500拢41,000
Northern Ireland拢33,500拢27,500
National average拢44,063拢36,813
Average change 2013-20141.5%3.7%

Water engineers


Principal engineerSenior engineerEngineer
Greater London拢48,000拢36,000拢26,000
South-East拢43,000拢34,000拢24,000
East of England拢44,000拢37,000拢27,500
East Midlands拢40,000拢34,000拢28,000
West Midlands拢40,000拢35,000拢25,000
North East拢40,000拢35,000拢25,000
Yorkshire and Humber拢40,000拢35,000拢25,000
North-west拢46,000拢38,000拢25,000
Wales拢35,000拢31,000拢26,000
South-west拢45,000拢35,000拢25,500
Scotland拢45,000拢35,000拢25,000
Northern Ireland拢34,000拢26,000拢20,000
National average拢41,667拢34,250拢25,167
Average change 2013-20142.3%3.0%2.4%

Bridge engineers


AssociateSenior engineerEngineer
Greater London拢52,500拢38,500拢27,000
South-east拢50,000拢40,000拢27,000
East of England拢48,500拢37,500拢29,000
East Midlands拢45,000拢39,000拢30,000
West Midlands拢48,000拢39,000拢26,000
North-east拢47,500拢35,000拢26,500
Yorkshire and Humber拢47,000拢36,000拢26,000
North-west拢53,000拢39,000拢32,000
Wales拢46,000拢36,500拢36,500
South-west拢43,200拢36,000拢26,000
Scotland拢48,000拢42,000拢31,000
Northern Ireland拢42,000拢28,500拢23,500
National average拢47,558拢37,250拢28,375
Average change 2013-20141.6%3.4%5.9%

Traffic/highways engineers

 AssociatePrincipal engineerSenior engineerProject engineer
Greater London拢46,500拢41,000拢33,500拢30,000
South-east拢45,750拢41,500拢37,000拢26,500
East of England拢42,000拢39,000拢31,000拢26,000
East Midlands拢45,500拢41,500拢36,000拢29,000
West Midlands拢48,000拢43,000拢34,250拢31,000
Yorkshire and Humber拢45,500拢40,750拢32,000拢28,000
North-east拢44,500拢41,500拢31,000拢26,500
North-west拢44,500拢41,500拢34,000拢30,000
Wales拢45,000拢40,500拢36,000拢28,000
South-west拢45,500拢42,000拢35,500拢29,000
Scotland拢43,500拢40,000拢37,500拢31,500
Northern Ireland拢38,500拢32,000拢28,500拢29,500
National average拢44,563拢40,354拢33,854拢28,750
Average change 2013-20141.6%2.8%4.1%3.3%

Architects

 Partner/directorAssociateArchitectNewly qualified, CAD expArchitectural assistant, Part IIArchitectural assistant, Part I
Greater London拢80,000拢60,000拢42,000拢35,000拢29,000拢20,000
South-east拢65,000拢47,500拢36,000拢32,000拢26,000拢18,500
East of England拢53,000拢39,000拢33,000拢29,000拢22,000拢17,000
East Midlands拢52,500拢40,000拢33,500拢27,000拢21,000拢15,000
West Midlands拢52,000拢41,000拢32,000拢27,000拢20,000拢16,500
North-east拢48,500拢35,000拢28,000拢26,000拢20,000拢15,000
Yorkshire and Humber拢55,000拢41,500拢30,500拢26,000拢20,000拢17,500
North-west拢65,000拢42,500拢33,000拢28,500拢21,000拢17,000
Wales拢45,000拢35,000拢30,000拢26,000拢23,500拢16,000
South-west拢49,000拢38,000拢33,000拢28,000拢23,000拢16,000
Scotland拢50,000拢40,000拢28,000拢28,000拢19,000拢15,000
Northern Ireland拢46,000拢38,000拢29,000拢24,500拢19,500拢15,000
National average拢55,083拢41,458拢32,333拢28,083拢22,000拢16,542
Average change 2013-20141.5%1.5%2.6%1.7%1.5%0.5%

Civil CAD technicians

 CAD managerSenior CAD
team leader
CAD technician
Greater London拢42,500拢34,000拢27,000
South-east拢33,750拢31,500拢25,500
East of England拢38,500拢34,000拢26,000
East Midlands拢32,000拢29,500拢26,000
West Midlands拢35,000拢32,000拢28,000
North-east拢35,000拢30,500拢21,500
Yorkshire and Humber拢36,000拢31,000拢22,000
North-west拢36,000拢34,000拢24,000
Wales拢34,000拢28,500拢24,000
South-west拢34,000拢30,000拢25,000
Scotland拢36,000拢32,500拢27,000
Northern Ireland拢26,000拢23,750拢25,000
National average拢34,896拢30,938拢25,083
Average change 2013-20143.1%3.5%3.8%

Interior designers


Senior interior designerInterior designerJunior interior designer
Greater London拢42,000拢35,000拢23,000
South-east拢36,000拢29,000拢21,000
East of England拢32,000拢27,500拢17,000
East Midlands拢30,000拢24,000拢18,000
West Midlands拢32,000拢26,000拢18,000
North-east拢27,500拢25,000拢16,000
Yorkshire and Humber拢28,500拢25,000拢18,000
North-west拢30,000拢27,000拢18,000
Wales拢27,000拢22,500拢15,000
South-west拢30,000拢26,000拢16,500
Scotland拢27,000拢25,000拢17,000
Northern Ireland拢26,500拢23,000拢17,000
National average拢30,708拢26,250拢17,875
Average change 2013-20140.5%1.0%0.2%

Structural CAD technicians


CAD managerSenior CAD team leaderCAD technician
Greater London拢44,000拢36,000拢27,500
South-east拢34,000拢31,000拢25,000

East of England
拢38,500拢33,500拢26,000

East Midlands
拢35,000拢31,000拢27,000

West Midlands
拢35,000拢33,000拢26,000

North-east
拢32,500拢31,500拢26,000
Yorkshire and Humber拢36,000拢30,750拢21,500
North-west拢33,000拢33,000拢23,000
Wales拢34,500拢30,000拢24,000
South-west拢33,000拢29,000拢24,000
Scotland拢32,000拢28,000拢22,000
Northern Ireland拢26,000拢23,000拢24,000
National average拢34,458拢30,813拢24,667
Average change 2013-20143.5%4.7%3.5%

Architectural CAD technicians


Senior CAD technicianCAD technicianTechnician
Greater London拢36,000拢27,500拢30,000
South-east拢33,000拢25,000拢29,000

East of England
拢33,000拢24,000拢26,000

East Midlands
拢30,000拢23,000拢26,000

West Midlands
拢33,000拢25,000拢27,000

North-east
拢28,000拢23,000拢27,000

Yorkshire and Humber
拢29,500拢24,000拢29,000

North-west
拢30,000拢24,000拢30,000

Wales
拢30,000拢23,000拢24,000

South-west
拢31,000拢24,000拢26,000

Scotland
拢26,000拢18,000拢18,000

Northern Ireland
拢28,500拢20,000拢23,000

National average
拢30,667拢23,375拢26,250

Average change 2013-2014
1.1%0.9%0.0%

Quantity surveyors

 Partner/ directorAssociateSenior surveyorNewly qualified surveyorAPC surveyorGraduate surveyorClaims and dispute resolutionProject manager
Greater London拢71,000拢56,000拢48,000拢35,000拢28,000拢24,000拢70,000拢47,000

South-east
拢65,000拢45,000拢37,000拢33,000拢25,000拢20,000拢45,000拢42,000

East of England
拢58,000拢44,000拢38,000拢28,000拢23,000拢20,000拢48,000拢40,000

East Midlands
拢55,000拢42,000拢39,000拢29,000拢23,000拢20,000拢42,000拢38,000

West Midlands
拢58,000拢45,000拢40,000拢30,000拢21,000拢19,000拢40,000拢40,000

North-east
拢54,000拢43,000拢38,000拢27,000拢22,000拢20,000拢38,000拢38,000

Yorkshire and Humber
拢58,000拢43,000拢38,000拢27,000拢23,000拢20,000拢40,000拢38,000

North-west
拢60,000拢42,000拢39,000拢27,000拢23,000拢20,000拢40,000拢40,000

Wales
拢58,000拢42,000拢36,000拢28,000拢21,000拢20,000拢45,000拢41,000

South-west
拢56,000拢43,000拢38,000拢32,000拢24,000拢20,000拢45,000拢41,000

Scotland
拢60,000拢44,000拢38,000拢30,000拢24,000拢19,000拢45,000拢44,000

Northern Ireland
拢57,000拢44,000拢36,000拢28,000拢21,000拢19,000拢45,000拢38,000

National average
拢59,167拢44,417拢38,750拢29,500拢23,167拢20,083拢45,250拢40,583
Average change 2013-20146.6%1.8%3.6%1.0%3.3%5.2%1.1%4.7%

Architectural technologists


Senior technologistTechnologist
Greater London拢38,000拢29,000

South-east
拢36,000拢27,000

East of England
拢35,000拢24,000

East Midlands
拢34,000拢23,000

West Midlands
拢35,000拢26,000

North-east
拢33,000拢25,000

Yorkshire and Humber
拢33,500拢26,000

North-west
拢34,000拢25,500

Wales
拢29,000拢22,000

South-west
拢32,000拢23,000

Scotland
拢28,000拢26,000

Northern Ireland
拢29,000拢23,000

National average
拢33,042拢24,958

Average change 2013-2014
0.1%0.3%

Landscape architects


Senior landscape architectLandscape architect
Greater London拢38,500拢30,500

South-east
拢37,000拢30,000

East of England
拢34,000拢26,000

East Midlands
拢35,000拢26,000

West Midlands
拢34,000拢25,000

North-east
拢33,000拢25,000

Yorkshire and Humber
拢34,000拢24,000

North-west
拢34,000拢25,000

Wales
拢35,000拢25,000

South-west
拢37,000拢26,000

Scotland
拢30,000拢26,000

Northern Ireland
拢32,000拢23,000

National average
拢34,458拢25,958

Average change 2013-2014
0.4%0.5%

好色先生TV surveyors


Partner / directorAssociateSenior surveyorNewly qualifiedGraduate surveyorMaintenance surveyor
Greater London拢67,000拢52,000拢45,000拢34,000拢23,000拢35,000

South-east
拢58,000拢45,000拢41,000拢30,000拢21,000拢27,000

East of England
拢58,000拢44,000拢38,000拢30,000拢19,000拢26,000

East Midlands
拢58,000拢43,000拢38,000拢31,000拢20,000拢28,000

West Midlands
拢58,000拢45,000拢38,000拢30,000拢19,000拢27,000

North-east
拢47,000拢40,000拢37,000拢29,000拢20,000拢27,000

Yorkshire and Humber
拢47,000拢40,000拢36,000拢29,000拢20,000拢27,000

North-west
拢58,000拢42,000拢38,000拢30,000拢20,000拢27,000

Wales
拢52,000拢42,000拢38,000拢30,000拢20,000拢28,000

South-west
拢58,000拢42,000拢38,000拢32,000拢20,000拢28,000

Scotland
拢53,000拢41,000拢38,000拢30,000拢19,000拢28,000

Northern Ireland
拢48,000拢37,000拢30,000拢26,000拢18,500拢27,000

National average
拢55,167拢42,750拢37,917拢30,083拢19,958拢27,917

Average change 2013-2014
4.9%1.4%4.0%1.3%3.7%1.2%

Infrastructure engineers


PrincipalSenior engineerEngineerGraduate engineer
Greater London拢50,000拢38,500拢30,000拢23,500

South-east
拢46,000拢37,000拢27,000拢23,000

East of England
拢43,000拢37,000拢27,500拢22,000

East Midlands
拢44,000拢38,000拢30,000拢21,000

West Midlands
拢46,000拢38,000拢28,500拢21,000

Yorkshire and Humber
拢40,500拢35,500拢26,000拢21,000

North-east
拢40,500拢36,000拢28,500拢21,000

North-west
拢44,000拢38,000拢30,000拢23,000

Wales
拢40,000拢35,000拢28,000拢21,000

South-west
拢45,000拢36,000拢25,500拢20,000

Scotland
拢43,000拢32,000拢26,000拢20,000

Northern Ireland
拢32,000拢24,000拢21,000拢17,000

National average
拢42,833拢35,417拢27,333拢21,125

Average change 2013-2014
0.4%5.2%3.0%4.1%

Methodology

The salary data is based on average salaries achieved by candidates placed within the past 12 months, compiled by Hays staff across the UK. Salary data is indicative and should not be viewed as a guarantee of salaries available. The qualitative results are based on a survey carried out in February and March 2014.