The estimator shortage isn't going away, and if you've tried to hire one recently you'll already know it. Over the last few months I've had multiple clients come to me looking for the same kind of profile, and the reality is the candidates just aren't out there in the numbers we'd expect. It's not a regional thing either. The same conversations are happening up and down the country.
Same brief most times. M&E background, ideally with a mechanical bias, comfortable pricing commercial and industrial work up to a few million. You'd think with how many M&E businesses we've got across the UK that filling these roles would be straightforward. It really isn't.
Why it's so hard
A few things are happening at the same time. The sector hasn't been training estimators in any real numbers for a good decade. Most of the strong ones came up through the trades, moved into site engineering, then ended up in an office. That natural pipeline has slowed right down. The engineers who'd usually make the move across are staying out on site because the money's good and the work is steady.
On top of that, the estimators already in post aren't moving much. It's a comfortable role once you know the supply chain, and most have built decent relationships over years. Without a real reason to leave, like a poor culture fit or a manager change, they tend to stay put.
What's working for clients right now
The businesses I've seen fill an estimator role in the last twelve months have tended to take one of three routes. Some have brought someone over from a competitor by offering a meaningful bump on basic. Some have promoted internally from a senior engineer or QS background and built in a six month learning curve. A few have used contract estimators to keep tenders moving while they search for the right permanent fit.
The thing that helps most is taking a fresh look at the brief before going to market. Salary expectations from a couple of years ago don't always map to where things sit now, and a quick benchmark at the start of a search can save weeks down the line. Worth thinking about what else can flex too. Things like progression, project mix, hybrid working, the team they'll sit with. All of it factors in.
Where salaries are sitting
Salaries reflect where demand is, and they've shifted noticeably across the country in the last 18 months. The numbers below are based on M&E estimator placements with five plus years of experience pricing commercial and industrial work. Senior hires with bigger ticket project experience push higher again once you factor in car allowance, bonus and pension.
| Level | London & South East | Midlands & South West | North & Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry / Junior | £50,000 – £58,000 | £45,000 – £52,000 | £42,000 – £50,000 |
| Market | £68,000 – £80,000 | £60,000 – £72,000 | £55,000 – £68,000 |
| Stretch / Senior | £85,000 – £100,000+ | £75,000 – £88,000 | £70,000 – £82,000 |
Bonus structures, car allowance and the standard of pension contribution are doing more of the work in offers than they used to. Candidates are weighing up the whole package, and if your basic is competitive but the rest of the offer is light, it shows up at the offer stage.
What candidates should know
If you're an engineer thinking about the office side of the business, now is a good time to look. Estimating isn't for everyone. The work is detail heavy and you need patience for it. But if you've got a head for numbers and you understand how jobs actually get built, the demand is there and the salaries are moving in the right direction.
The best route in is usually through a business that will invest in you. That might mean a slightly lower starting salary in exchange for proper handover time with a senior estimator, exposure to live tenders and a clear path to taking on bigger schemes. Worth more than a higher number with no support around it.
Where this leaves us
The short version is that estimator hiring needs a bit more thought than it used to, wherever you are in the country. The candidates who are open to a move are weighing up the whole package, and the businesses having the most success are the ones taking the time to get the brief right before the search starts. Neither side is doing anything wrong. The market has just moved, and once you adjust to where it is now, the conversations get a lot easier.
Hiring an estimator, or thinking about your next move?
If you've got a role to fill or you're an estimator weighing up your options, give me a call. No hard sell, just an honest read on where the market is and what's realistic.
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