Groundworker
Impact: Laying the foundations on which all construction depends
Carry out the below-ground and ground-level civil engineering works that form the foundation of every construction project, including excavation, drainage installation, concrete foundations, road sub-base, and external paving. Operate plant and machinery, set out levels, install formwork, and coordinate with structural engineers and site managers to deliver groundworks packages on programme and to specification.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Moderate
- Team vs solo
- 70% Team / 30% Solo
- Client facing
- Rarely
- Impact visibility
- Moderate
- Travel
- 10-30% local travel to construction sites
- Schedule flexibility
- Rigid
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 45-55 hours/week
- Stress level
- Moderate
At a glance
- Median salary
- $50,000
- Entry-level
- $30,000 - $40,000
- Senior
- $68,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 5% (housebuilding and infrastructure programmes sustain demand)
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- Moderate
- Salary growth potential
- High -- 70-120% growth from labourer to groundworks contractor
- Typical student debt
- $1,000 - $3,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Excavation and earthworks
- Drainage installation (foul and surface water)
- Concrete foundations and slabs
- Road sub-base and surfacing
- Plant operation (CPCS)
- Setting out and levelling
Soft skills
- Physical endurance
- Safety discipline
- Team communication
- Precision
- Problem-solving
Technical complexity: Moderate
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Certificate or Vocational Training
- Licensing
- Yes
- Years to mid-career
- 3-5 years
- Years to senior
- 7-10 years
- Career switching
- Easy
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
- Construction Labourer
- Plant Operator
Where you can go from here
- Civil Engineering Technician
- Groundworks Contractor
Typical progression
- Groundwork Labourer
- Groundworker
- Senior Groundworker
- Groundworks Supervisor
- Groundworks Contractor
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 20% -- excavation machinery is increasingly automated but skilled operators and supervisors remain essential
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 6.5/10
- Meaning
- 6.2/10
- Work-life balance
- 5.8/10
- Prestige
- 4.8/10
- Social perception
- Moderate