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Average Boat Builder and Shipwright Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A boat builder and shipwright in United Kingdom earns about 31,700 GBP a year. That's 55% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 13,500 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 52,300 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a boat builder and shipwright make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
31,700 GBP
2,641 GBP per month
Lowest reported
13,500 GBP
1,125 GBP per month
Highest reported
52,300 GBP
4,358 GBP per month

A typical boat builder and shipwright working in United Kingdom brings home around 2,641 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 13,500 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 52,300 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior boat builder and shipwright working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the boat builder and shipwright salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How boat builder and shipwright pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all boat builder and shipwrights in United Kingdom earn less than 35,600 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 22,200 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 47,200 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of boat builder and shipwrights sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 13,500 GBP. The highest stretch to 52,300 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

13,500
Low
35,600
Median
52,300
High
22,200
25th
47,200
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Boat builder and shipwright pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a boat builder and shipwright in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical boat builder and shipwright salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    19,100 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +23% from previous
    23,500 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +43% from previous
    33,600 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +27% from previous
    42,700 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +9% from previous
    46,400 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    50,300 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 43%. That is the point at which a boat builder and shipwright typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Boat builder and shipwright pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving boat builder and shipwright pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average boat builder and shipwright salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    18,600 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +73% from previous
    32,200 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +61% from previous
    51,900 GBP

Boat builder and shipwright gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male boat builder and shipwrights in United Kingdom earn an average of 34,000 GBP a year, while female boat builder and shipwrights earn around 32,300 GBP. That works out to a 5% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Boat Builder and Shipwright gender pay gap

5%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 34,000 GBP
Women 32,300 GBP

Pay raises for a boat builder and shipwright in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 9% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 6% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Boat builder and shipwright bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

35%

35% of boat builder and shipwrights in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a boat builder and shipwright a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 65% of boat builder and shipwrights reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Boat builder and shipwright: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Boat builder and shipwright salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Boat builder and shipwright pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Glasgow
  • Birmingham
  • Somerset
  • Leeds
  • Bristol
  • Manchester
  • London
  • Leicester
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion66,200 GBP71,400 GBP29,600-109,000 GBP
ScotlandRegion48,600 GBP51,400 GBP20,400-76,000 GBP
GlasgowCity42,000 GBP45,200 GBP20,200-64,600 GBP
BirminghamCity40,900 GBP43,500 GBP16,300-61,500 GBP
SomersetCity40,900 GBP42,800 GBP16,300-61,700 GBP
LeedsCity39,500 GBP38,900 GBP16,000-59,100 GBP
BristolCity39,400 GBP40,200 GBP19,100-60,700 GBP
ManchesterCity38,700 GBP40,300 GBP18,800-58,600 GBP
LondonCity38,000 GBP45,000 GBP17,100-62,600 GBP
LeicesterCity37,900 GBP41,400 GBP19,300-61,600 GBP
LiverpoolCity37,300 GBP39,300 GBP18,400-58,200 GBP
OxfordCity37,200 GBP36,500 GBP16,800-57,800 GBP
SheffieldCity37,100 GBP40,300 GBP18,400-59,700 GBP
NewcastleCity36,900 GBP39,800 GBP19,100-60,100 GBP
BrightonCity36,800 GBP41,300 GBP16,900-60,500 GBP
CoventryCity36,800 GBP40,300 GBP19,400-62,100 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity36,800 GBP41,100 GBP16,900-58,500 GBP
EdinburghCity36,700 GBP41,100 GBP16,900-59,500 GBP
BradfordCity36,500 GBP37,900 GBP16,100-57,900 GBP
SouthamptonCity36,400 GBP38,000 GBP18,300-58,700 GBP
BelfastCity36,000 GBP36,800 GBP17,500-58,600 GBP
AberdeenCity35,500 GBP36,400 GBP14,200-53,600 GBP
NottinghamCity35,500 GBP37,800 GBP17,500-57,200 GBP
WolverhamptonCity35,400 GBP41,300 GBP15,700-60,400 GBP
DerryCity35,400 GBP37,300 GBP17,000-55,400 GBP
CardiffCity35,400 GBP41,300 GBP15,700-60,500 GBP
ExeterCity35,300 GBP35,200 GBP17,000-52,800 GBP
PooleCity35,300 GBP35,400 GBP17,000-53,800 GBP
DundeeCity35,300 GBP36,400 GBP16,800-54,700 GBP
PlymouthCity35,300 GBP37,300 GBP17,000-55,600 GBP
SwanseaCity35,100 GBP35,600 GBP16,300-56,100 GBP
DerbyCity34,900 GBP40,500 GBP15,700-57,100 GBP
ArmaghCity34,400 GBP36,700 GBP15,500-54,900 GBP
GloucesterCity34,100 GBP34,700 GBP13,100-53,300 GBP
StirlingCity34,000 GBP35,000 GBP15,400-54,300 GBP
PortsmouthCity34,000 GBP35,400 GBP15,100-55,700 GBP
YorkCity33,600 GBP38,700 GBP16,300-54,200 GBP
PeterboroughCity33,000 GBP36,700 GBP15,100-55,100 GBP
HartlepoolCity33,000 GBP36,800 GBP17,100-55,200 GBP
BangorCity32,900 GBP35,500 GBP15,200-49,800 GBP
CanterburyCity32,200 GBP33,000 GBP14,200-49,700 GBP
LisburnCity32,200 GBP34,000 GBP14,000-51,600 GBP
SalisburyCity32,200 GBP33,000 GBP14,200-49,700 GBP
CambridgeCity32,200 GBP33,000 GBP15,500-51,500 GBP
NorwichCity31,700 GBP35,600 GBP13,500-52,300 GBP
LincolnCity31,700 GBP35,600 GBP13,500-52,300 GBP
WalesRegion31,400 GBP33,000 GBP14,300-52,300 GBP
TruroCity30,800 GBP32,300 GBP12,400-48,600 GBP
StromnessCity30,800 GBP32,200 GBP15,100-48,200 GBP
WellsCity30,800 GBP32,300 GBP12,400-46,700 GBP
AbingdonCity30,700 GBP30,700 GBP12,000-46,700 GBP
NewportCity30,700 GBP34,400 GBP13,300-52,000 GBP
St DavidsCity30,700 GBP30,700 GBP12,000-46,700 GBP
NewryCity30,600 GBP35,300 GBP15,500-50,700 GBP
RiponCity30,600 GBP35,400 GBP15,500-49,800 GBP
WinchesterCity30,100 GBP32,200 GBP14,500-50,000 GBP
ChesterCity29,600 GBP33,500 GBP14,200-49,200 GBP
InvernessCity29,600 GBP33,500 GBP14,200-49,200 GBP
WakefieldCity29,600 GBP33,600 GBP14,500-49,400 GBP
DurhamCity29,600 GBP32,200 GBP14,500-47,200 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion29,100 GBP34,100 GBP12,000-49,400 GBP
KirkwallCity27,400 GBP32,200 GBP14,700-45,000 GBP
StrontianCity26,300 GBP28,900 GBP11,400-45,000 GBP

Boat Builder and Shipwright in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a boat builder and shipwright make per month in United Kingdom?

    A boat builder and shipwright in United Kingdom earns about 2,641 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 31,700 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a boat builder and shipwright in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level boat builder and shipwrights in United Kingdom start near 13,500 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 52,300 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 22,200 and 47,200 GBP.

  • Is the median boat builder and shipwright salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 35,600 GBP, higher than the average of 31,700 GBP. Half of boat builder and shipwrights in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for boat builder and shipwrights in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a boat builder and shipwright in United Kingdom earn around 5% more than women on average (34,000 vs 32,300 GBP a year).

  • Do boat builder and shipwrights in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 35% of boat builder and shipwrights in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do boat builder and shipwrights earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a boat builder and shipwright about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do boat builder and shipwrights in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A boat builder and shipwright in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 9% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 6% a year.