The report comes as UK workers are demanding to understand how they can improve their current situations, Electrical Times reported.

January 2023 saw 92 per cent of UK households report they were experiencing an increased cost of living, paired with the charity Shelter, reporting an 8 per cent increase from callers in crisis last year.

From sparkies and brickies to plumbers and landscapers, the results reveal the best cities with the most jobs available, the average salaries for each role and as a consumer, how much hiring a tradie could set you back by the hour.

From the perspective of a homeowner, booking renovations ahead of the winter months in locations with trade shortages is a nightmare and pushes prices up.

However, from the perspective of the trader, this is music to their ears as there is a higher job rate with a higher hourly rate to match.

Looking closely at regions and individual trades, the data found that York is the worst city to be a tradesperson, with an average take-home wage of just £29,506 a year.

Here are the top ten worst overall cities to be a tradie for pay (average salary of builders, electricians, plumbers, and gardeners)

• York: £29,506
• Stoke-on-Trent: £30,226
• Swansea: £30,236
• Blackpool: £30,769
• Dundee: £30,592
• Doncaster: £30,958
• Leicester: £31,211
• Blackburn: £31,459
• Norwich: £31,507

Although these wages aren’t to be sniffed at, builders and other industry professionals might think about moving to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where they can cash in an eye-watering £41,396 per year in comparison.

Top ten best cities to be a tradie for pay:

• Newcastle upon Tyne: £41,396
• Milton Keynes: £40,670
• Glasgow: £40,078
• Reading: £39,481
• Liverpool: £39,481
• Brighton: £39,025
• Edinburgh: £38,824
• Oxford: £38,648
• London: £38,439
• Peterborough: £38,395

Assessing the best places for trade shortages needs to also consider the local population figure. For example, just because there are only 50 live tradies in the area, there could be a population of 100, which creates a very different snapshot and some fierce competition.

Based on a shortage of active tradespeople per capita, trade professionals should consider moving to the following areas:

• Sunderland
• Liverpool
• London
• Blackpool
• Dundee

For tradespeople looking to start a business somewhere new, setting up shop in any of the locations on this list means less competition – giving them a definite advantage!

If tradies are looking to beat the competition, then they should stay away from Brighton.

Although the pay is high, there’s an extremely fierce level of competition. That’s the city with the highest concentration of tradies in comparison to population, meaning that builders, plumbers, gardeners, and electricians will likely have to cut their rates to attract homeowners as the cost-of-living crisis continues.

Following Brighton, the study found the following places to avoid:

• Stockport
• Peterborough
• Gloucester
• Bournemouth