Self-employed plumbers saw the average weekly pay rise significantly by 46.2% to £1,322 in January, according to a payroll data analysis for more than 2,200 construction companies in England and Wales.
The analysis shows that plumbers had highest earnings of all 17 construction trades in January.
Freelance plumbers in the West Midlands saw weekly earnings more than double in January to £1,484, equating to an annual salary of more than £71,000.
Their counterparts in London and the South East also saw similarly substantial increases, rising 62.9% to £1,489 and 49.4% to £1,286 respectively.
In December, their weekly earnings fell 22.4% to £904, consistent with time taken off work over the festive period.
Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson Contract, said: “Overall, demand for skilled trades at the start of 2020 is much stronger than the start of 2019, which shows renewed confidence in the business outlook for the construction sector.
“As our figures show, self-employed plumbers are receiving handsome rewards for their services. This is a great advert for the construction industry. It shows young people that if they are prepared to put in the effort to learn a valuable skill, they can gain financial freedom and independence as a result.”