Construction operative
Labourer job description
Labourer carries out various manual jobs on construction site.
Average salary per year
£12,000
Average range salary per year
£12,000 - £27,000
1. How to become – cards and qualifications required for labourers
There are no set qualifications to become a labourer.
You will need to have a CSCS card to work on a construction site. Please see the below CSCS cards available for labourers and links for more information.
The entry CSCS card you will need is the Green CSCS Card (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) to work on a construction site.
| CSCS CARD | NVQ REQUIRED |
| RED CSCS CARD | NVQ TRAINEE |
| GREEN CSCS CARD | NVQ LEVEL 1 |
| BLUE CSCS CARD | NVQ LEVEL 2 |
| GOLD CSCS CARD (SUPERVISORS) | NVQ LEVEL 3 |
| BLACK CSCS CARD (MANAGERS) | NVQ LEVEL 4 |
To obtain a CSCS card please click the below button to find your nearest CSCS test centre.
2. Skills duties
Skills you will need:
- Working at heights
- Fitness
- Team work and attention to detail
- HSE – health and safety rules
Duties:
- Groundworking
- Formworking
- Steel fixing
- Steel piling
- Concreting
- Road working
- Kerb laying
3. Career progression
- Site supervision
- Team leader
- Construction manager
- Site estimating
- Self-Employed
4. Salaries
| EXPERIENCE | SALARY |
| Starter | £15,000 |
| Experienced | £16,000 – £22,000 |
| Expert | £29,000 |
Salaries depend on location, employer and any overtime you may do. Self-employed general construction operatives set their own pay rates.
These figures are a guide and provided by The National Career Service and GO Construct.