What a Groundworker payslip looks like
A typical UK groundworker payslip is paid weekly and shows a basic pay line at the top. Groundworkers prepare and lay the foundations, drainage and surfaces that other trades build on. The line items below depend on grade, shift pattern and contractual additions, but the structure usually mirrors HMRC's recommended payslip layout: a payments block, a deductions block, a year-to-date column, and a net pay summary.
Common employers in this occupation include Groundworks and civils firms, Housebuilders, Self-employed subcontract. Each employer runs payroll slightly differently, but the underlying PAYE computation against tax code 1257L and Class 1 National Insurance is identical across the UK (excluding Scotland for income tax). The biggest variability between two groundworker payslips at the same gross will be in the additions block: Mostly self-employed under CIS; plant tickets (dumper, roller, 360) lift the day rate. Concrete, pipe and aggregate are materials, excluded from CIS, and the flat 20% deduction usually means a refund after filing.
Year-to-date columns are critical to verify on this role because the additions and salary sacrifice items change month to month. If your YTD gross divided by months elapsed in the tax year does not match your expected annual run-rate, that is the single best signal that something is mis-coded.
Depends how you are engaged
Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) and groundworker pay
Site clearance, earth moving, excavation, tunnelling, boring, piling and laying foundations are all named as operations preparatory to construction, so groundworks are the kind of work the scheme covers. Whether it covers YOU depends on the engagement, because a groundworker holding a job rather than a contract is paid through PAYE and never receives a deduction statement at all. Transport of spoil off site is excluded on its own, but HMRC's rule is that where a single contract mixes included and excluded work, every payment under it falls within the scheme, so a package with muckaway inside it is caught in full.
- Standard deduction rate
- 20%
- Higher deduction rate
- 30%
Educational only. Whether this reaches your own pay turns on your contract and how you are engaged, and tribunal and claim time limits are short. Check the limit that applies to you before relying on a date.
Construction Industry Scheme (CIS): the rates, the payslip lines, what goes wrong and the 16 primary sources. Finance Act 2004, Part 3, Chapter 3, and the CIS Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/2045), in force 6 April 2021 and 6 April 2024 changes.
Groundworker salary bands (UK 2024)
ONS ASHE 2024 full-time gross pay. Net figures use 2026/27 PAYE bands and assume 5% of qualifying earnings (£6,240–£50,270) under a net-pay arrangement — before income tax, but not before National Insurance.
| Band | Gross / year | Net / year | Net / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | £30,000 | £24,169 | £2,014 |
| Median | £36,000 | £28,249 | £2,354 |
| 75th percentile | £44,000 | £33,689 | £2,807 |
Common deductions for a Groundworker
- PAYE income tax.Calculated against tax code 1257L. Cumulative coding means refunds can appear if you start mid-year.
- National Insurance (Class 1).8% between £12,570 and £50,270 of annual earnings, then 2% above. Period-by-period method is standard.
- Pension.Auto-enrolment minimum 5% employee on qualifying earnings (£6,240 - £50,270), unless your employer runs a more generous scheme such as the NHS, Teachers Pension or Civil Service alpha.
- Salary sacrifice patterns.Common in this occupation: cycle-to-work, electric-car salary sacrifice, additional pension contributions, and where applicable workplace nursery vouchers (still tax-efficient via pre-existing schemes).
- Union or professional body.Tax-deductible for HMRC-listed bodies. Groundworkers commonly hold subscriptions covered by section 344 ITEPA 2003 (List 3).
Groundworker payslip FAQ
What is the average Groundworker salary in the UK in 2024?
According to ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2024 for SOC code 5319, the median full-time gross annual salary for a Groundworker in the UK is approximately £36,000. The 25th percentile sits at £30,000 and the 75th at £44,000.
What is take-home pay on a median Groundworker salary?
On £36,000 gross with the standard 1257L tax code and 5% of qualifying earnings into a net-pay pension, monthly take-home is approximately £2,354 after PAYE income tax, Class 1 employee National Insurance and auto-enrolment pension. Actual figures vary if you have student loan, salary sacrifice or a non-cumulative tax code.
What is unusual about a Groundworker payslip?
Mostly self-employed under CIS; plant tickets (dumper, roller, 360) lift the day rate. Concrete, pipe and aggregate are materials, excluded from CIS, and the flat 20% deduction usually means a refund after filing.
Which tax code should a Groundworker typically be on?
Most people in this role on standard PAYE will see 1257L. Check the prefix and suffix carefully: a K-prefix means deductions exceed your allowance (often after a bonus or P11D benefit), 0T means you have no allowance left at this employer, and BR means basic rate on the whole job (common in second jobs).
Related roles
Salary estimates: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2024, full-time gross annual pay by SOC 2020 occupation. Figures rounded to nearest £100.