If you are considering a career move into a Builders Merchant it is worth knowing what type of hours and pay you will receive for the work of a Yard Operative.
What Yard Operatives Typically Earn
We have seen hourly rates for new Yard Operatives start at around £11.50 to £13 per hour. Some of the larger Builders Merchants are paying higher than the current National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage. Holders of a forklift license can receive an additional 50p to £1 per hour on top of the hourly rate for the basic role of a Yard Operative.
Trade Counter and Sales Roles
On average the hourly pay rate for counter staff in builders merchants is between £12-£15 per hour however senior trade counter staff can earn up to £28,000-£32,000 per annum, some even achieving higher. As with all sales roles product knowledge is key, and where staff have an abundance of knowledge merchants will reward this by paying small bonuses, that are released on a branch by branch basis and will relate to the merchants performance.
Driver Pay and Shift Patterns
Pay rates for HGV and 7.5 ton vehicles typically start at £13 per hour and can go up to £17 per hour. A typical day for a driver would start early to get to sites just as work is starting, around 6 or 7 am. Many merchants open on a Saturday for deliveries, and these would be on a rota basis. The driver would also have the opportunity to work overtime during busy periods.
Supervisors and Branch Roles
The salaries of the store supervisors at the Builders Merchants vary from £30,000 to £38,000. They usually work a mix of early and mid shifts across a six-day trading week, and so require flexibility.
What Affects Your Rate
Experience, location, and licenses all can affect pay.
For Builders Merchants Jobs, see https://bmcareers.com/distributors-and-builders-merchants-vacancies/.
Going in informed makes it much easier to judge whether an offer is fair.