Which region comes out on top? It might not be what you’d expect. Before breaking down the results by trade, we looked overall at which regions come out strongest.

The North East tops the table, delivering consistently strong results across all seven trades and earning the highest average score in the study. Strong local earning power, combined with more affordable housing and living costs relative to income, helps the region perform well across a broad range of trades. The East Midlands follows closely behind, helped by the highest-scoring trade-region combination in the entire index for electricians.

At the other end of the rankings, London finishes last overall. Although many tradespeople can earn higher wages in the capital, housing costs, living expenses and insurance costs remain high relative to local earnings, reducing overall value. The results also show there's no single best place for every trade, with regional rankings shifting significantly depending on the job.

The East Midlands leads for electricians, and it’s the standout result across the study. It combines the highest earnings at £836.20, strong job growth of 34.8%, and relatively low day-to-day costs (30.0% of pay), making it one of the few regions where pay, demand and affordability align.

The North West follows in second, where strong weekly earnings sit at £830.60 and are supported by a low house price-to-income ratio (5.12) and steady employment, creating a consistently reliable market even without strong growth.

Yorkshire and The Humber sits fourth, where above-average earning power is offset by the longest working week in the study (42.1 hours) and a sharper decline in employment (-31.4%), making conditions more variable overall.

London ranks last again, where solid pay at £818.90 is outweighed by falling employment (-49.0%), house prices sitting at more than 12 times annual income, and the highest insurance burden in the study (8.25%), limiting overall value despite relatively strong wages.

Yorkshire and The Humber leads for Aussie plumbers, thanks to strong job growth (42.0%), high local earning power, and good housing affordability (5.40 ratio), making it a strong all-round region.

Scotland ranks second, where a low house price-to-income ratio and slightly shorter working weeks help balance mid-range pay and support a favourable overall score. The North East also performs strongly, with the lowest house price-to-income ratio in the study (4.64), helping underpin its position despite lower-to-mid-range earnings.

London sits seventh, where the highest wages in the trade (£857.90) are offset by house prices sitting at nearly 12 times annual income and a higher insurance burden, limiting its overall performance. The South West finishes last, held back by the highest day-to-day cost burden (42.6% of pay), declining employment, and less favourable housing affordability than many competing regions.

The West Midlands leads for construction supervisors, driven by standout earning power. Supervisors earn around 131% of the regional average, putting them well ahead of most local roles, even with slightly longer working weeks than other regions.

The East Midlands follows closely, where strong pay is supported by lower day-to-day costs (27.6% of weekly pay) and relatively stable employment compared to most other regions in the study. Scotland takes third place, where housing affordability plays a major role. The lowest house price-to-income ratio in the study for this trade (4.50) helps offset more moderate wages and weaker employment trends.

London finishes at the bottom, despite topping the earnings table at £975.30 per week. A sharp 64.5% fall in employment and house prices sitting at more than 10 times annual income significantly reduces its overall score.

Yorkshire and The Humber comes out as a key region for roofers, roof tilers and slaters, driven by the strongest employment growth for the trade at 68.8% and the highest local earning power, with roofers earning 95.9% of the regional median wage.

The North East ranks second despite recording the sharpest decline in employment (-54.1%). A low house price-to-income ratio (5.59), the highest self-employment rate (70.6%), and shorter working weeks help support its overall position. London places third, making it the only trade in the study where the capital ranks in the top three. Roofers there earn the highest weekly pay across all regions at £748.91, although house prices sitting at 13.53 times annual income prevent it from challenging for the top spot.

The North West ranks last, with the lowest weekly earnings (£517.10), the weakest local earning power (70.4%), and the highest insurance burden (8.43%) in the study.

Wales ranks first for painters and decorators, supported by strong local earning power (94.6%), good housing affordability, and shorter working weeks, helping it achieve the strongest overall score for the trade. The North East follows closely, where lower day-to-day costs (37.6% of pay) and steady demand create a dependable setup, even with more modest weekly earnings.

The East of England ranks third, driven by strong employment growth (31.8%) and very high self-employment (95.7%), meaning most painters operate independently rather than within larger firms.

London sits mid-table, where the highest weekly earnings at £763.80 are offset by house prices sitting at more than 13 times annual income, limiting its overall performance. The South East ranks last, held back by weaker local earning power (76.6%), the highest day-to-day cost burden (50.5% of pay), and less favourable housing affordability compared to most other regions.

For carpenters and joiners, the North East stands out as the most complete region in the study. Strong job growth at 40.6%, the lowest house price-to-income ratio nationally, and low day-to-day expenses (34.8% of pay) combine to make it a highly efficient place to work.

The South East sits in second (65.83). Pay is strong, and self-employment opportunities are widespread at 80.4%, but higher housing costs relative to earnings – more than double those seen in the most affordable regions – prevent it from taking the top spot.

London lands mid-table, where strong earnings of £757.50 and long working hours are offset by housing affordability pressures, with house prices sitting at 13.38 times annual income. At the other end, the East Midlands ranks last, with the lowest earnings (£560.70), the weakest local earning power (77.8%), and falling employment at -41.2%, weighing heavily on overall performance.

Self-employment patterns vary sharply too, from just 32.7% in the East Midlands to more than 80% in the South East, showing how differently the same trade operates across the country.

The South East leads for bricklayers, largely thanks to the highest weekly pay for bricklayers across all regions at £744.40 and strong self-employment levels at over 80%. It’s a high-earning region, although housing affordability remains a challenge, with average house prices sitting at almost 10 times annual earnings (9.89 ratio).

The West Midlands comes in second, where bricklaying is being pulled along by strong momentum in the job market. Employment growth here is the highest in the UK for the trade at 63.6%, alongside relatively steady working hours, helping keep work flowing consistently.

Elsewhere, the North East, North West and Scotland all sit comfortably in the upper half, supported by lower house price-to-income ratios and stable demand, even where weekly pay sits closer to the mid-range at around £580–£640.

London is a clear outlier at the bottom. Bricklayers earn the least here at £475.90 a week, and despite shorter working hours compared to some regions, house prices sit at more than 21 times annual earnings, while weaker local earning power further drags down its score.

Self-employment patterns vary sharply too, from just 32.7% in the East Midlands to more than 80% in the South East, showing how differently the same trade operates across the country.