SC and DV cleared MEP trades earn a clear premium over commercial rates in 2026. An SC cleared pipefitter at AWE was advertised at £320/day against £225 to £240/day for London commercial work, and coded welders command £32/hour or more (elec.training, 2026). This page sets out the full rate picture by trade, site and pay model.
Key Takeaways
- SC cleared pipefitters at AWE were advertised at £320/day on CIS, roughly a 33 to 42% premium over London commercial pipefitter rates of £225 to £240/day (elec.training, 2026).
- Cleared marine mechanical fitters at Devonport run £19.08 to £25.65/hour on PAYE and umbrella, with overtime to £39.01/hour.
- Barrow cleared pipefitters are contracted at £24.12 to £36.14/hour, and ECS Gold Card electricians reach £250 to £400/day on CIS (Morson, 2026; elec.training, 2026).
- JIB-PMES confirmed a 3.4% pay rise for both 2026 and 2027, and the JIB Approved Electrician national rate moved to £20.08/hour from 5 January 2026 (elec.training, 2026).
- Cleared rates keep climbing because a forecast 12,000-electrician shortfall by 2030 collides with fixed defence programme deadlines (ECA, February 2026).
What SC and DV Cleared MEP Trades Earn by Region in 2026
Cleared MEP trade pay is set by three variables at once, which are the trade, the site and the pay model. Cleared trades price mainly as CIS or umbrella day and hour rates, so the tables below map the standard seniority bands onto the trade reality (Entry is mate or improver, Mid is skilled time-served, Senior is coded welder or ECS Gold Card, Lead is supervisor or foreman). Day-rate to annual conversions use an 8-hour day and 220 worked days unless stated.
Table 1: Regional breakdown (CIS day-rate equivalent unless stated)
| Region | Entry (Mate/Improver 0-2) | Mid (Skilled 3-5) | Senior (Coded/ECS Gold 6-10) | Lead/Head (Supervisor 10+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London and South East | £150-180 | £225-240 | £330-400 | £58,000-70,000 |
| Berkshire (AWE) | £170-190 | £300-320 | £350-392 (£49-54/hr commissioning) | £39,280-58,920 |
| South West (Devonport) | £140-160 | £190-205 (£19-25.65/hr) | £280-310 (OT to £39/hr) | £50,000-55,000 |
| North West (Barrow) | £150-175 | £193-240 (£24-30/hr) | £289-330 (£36/hr) | £50,000-58,000 |
| Scotland (Faslane, comparator) | £150-180 | £240-264 | £330 (£33/hr CIS) | £52,000-60,000 |
Caption: Compiled from advertised 2025-2026 rates, AWE SC pipefitter £320/day and commissioning £49-54/hr; Devonport £19.08-25.65/hr; Barrow £24.12-36.14/hr; Faslane £33/hr CIS; London £225-240 and JIB Approved £330-400. Sources: AWE, Morson, elec.training, 2025-2026.
Table 2: Experience progression
| Years | Typical Title | Rate Range | YoY Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-2 | Apprentice / Improver / Mate | £14,526-23,492 to £150-180/day | +3.4% (JIB-PMES) |
| 3-5 | Skilled Fitter / Electrician / Pipefitter | £190-320/day CIS, JIB Approved £20.08/hr | +3.4% (JIB-PMES) |
| 6-10 | Coded Welder / ECS Gold / EC&I Technician | £280-400/day CIS, coded welder £32/hr+ | +3.4% plus +£2.92/hr Gold uplift |
| 10-15 | Chargehand / Supervisor / Foreman | £50,000-58,920 | +3.4% (JIB-PMES) |
| 15+ | Construction / Site Manager (M&E) | £58,920-70,000+ | +3.4% (JIB-PMES) |
Caption: JIB-PMES confirmed 3.4% for 2026 and 2027; JIB Approved national £20.08/hr from 5 Jan 2026; BAE apprentice band £14,526-23,492; AWE supervisor band to £58,920. Sources: elec.training, BAE Systems, AWE, 2026.
Which certifications add the biggest rate premium?
Clearance and coding add the largest quantified premiums a cleared trade can hold. Moving from London commercial work at £225 to £240/day to an SC cleared AWE pipefitter role at £320/day is a 33 to 42% uplift for the clearance alone (elec.training, 2026). An ECS Gold Card Technician earns roughly £2.92/hour more than a standard Electrician, about £5,037 a year, and coded welding lifts a fitter from £28-30/hour to £32/hour or more.
Table 3: Skills premium
| Skill / Certification | Base Rate | With Premium | Uplift |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC clearance (vs uncleared commercial) | £225-240/day | £320/day (AWE) | +33-42% |
| ECS Gold Card Technician (vs Electrician) | £20.08/hr | £23.00/hr | +£2.92/hr (~£5,037/yr) |
| Coded welding ASME IX / ISO 9606 6G | £28-30/hr | £32/hr+ | +7-14% |
| C&G 2391 Inspection and Testing | JIB Approved rate | Above-band testing rate | Specialist premium |
| DV clearance (vs SC, restricted work) | SC day rate | Top-of-band cleared rates | Site-specific |
Caption: Cleared premium from AWE £320/day vs London £225-240; Gold Card +£2.92/hr per JIB grading; coded welder £32/hr+. Sources: elec.training, elec-mate, 2026.
Table 4: Benefits package comparison
| Seniority | Base | Pension | Overtime / Uplifts | Additional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior (apprentice) | £14,526-23,492 | Company pension | Shift-dependent | Free higher education, share scheme (BAE) |
| Mid (skilled, contract) | £190-320/day CIS | Self-employed CIS | OT to £39.01/hr, Saturday premium | Digs when working away |
| Senior (coded/Gold) | £39,280-58,920 (staff) | Company pension | £1.71/hr second-tier + £0.75/hr retention (AWE) | 9-day fortnight, onsite parking |
| Lead (supervisor) | £50,000-58,920 | Company pension | Programme and Saturday premiums | Allowances, 9-day fortnight |
Caption: AWE second-tier £1.71/hr plus £0.75/hr retention on all hours; AWE staff £39,280-58,920; Devonport OT to £39.01/hr; BAE free higher education and share-saving. Sources: AWE, Morson, BAE Systems, 2025-2026.
How Cleared MEP Trade Rates Differ by Site and Contract Type
Rate differences by site track the programme behind them, and the pay model changes both the headline rate and the total cost to hire. AWE warhead work and Barrow submarine build sit at the top of the range because both need DV and both run against fixed national programme deadlines. The choice between permanent, umbrella and CIS then sets the on-cost.
Table 5: Site comparison
| Site | Rate Range (skilled to coded) | Key Driver | Demand |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWE Aldermaston / Burghfield | £300-392/day, commissioning £49-54/hr | Multi-million-pound forward-build programme | Very high, DV for warhead |
| HMNB Devonport | £19-25.65/hr PAYE/umbrella, OT to £39/hr | £4.4bn 10-year submarine infrastructure | Very high, largest naval support site in W Europe |
| BAE Barrow | £24.12-36.14/hr contract | £31bn Dreadnought plus SSN-AUKUS | Record, DV for reactor |
| HMNB Faslane (comparator) | £33/hr CIS | Submarine base support | High, SC and DV |
| Civil nuclear new-build (comparator) | £225-320/day | New-build fit-out and MEH | High, mostly BPSS with SC |
Caption: AWE forward-build per AWE ads; Devonport £4.4bn/10yr per MOD 2024; Barrow £31bn Dreadnought per in-cumbria 2026; Faslane £33/hr per Carbon60. Sources: AWE, grokipedia, in-cumbria, 2024-2026.
Table 6: Contract vs permanent
| Type | Day / Annual Rate | Benefits | Tax | Total Cost to Employer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent (staff) | £39,280-58,920 (AWE bands) | Pension, allowances, 9-day fortnight | PAYE, employer NI and pension | Salary + approx 15-20% on-costs |
| Contract, Inside IR35 (umbrella) | £25.65/hr (approx £45,000-49,000/yr) | Umbrella statutory holiday, pension | PAYE via umbrella | Rate + umbrella margin and costs (approx +14%) |
| Contract, Outside IR35 / CIS | £320/day (approx £70,400/yr at 220 days) | None statutory, digs where away | CIS 20% deducted at source | Day rate only, lowest on-cost |
Caption: AWE SC pipefitter £320/day CIS; Devonport umbrella £25.65/hr; AWE staff £39,280-58,920. Annual equivalents at 8-hour day, 220 worked days (CIS) and 37-hour week (umbrella). Sources: AWE, 2025-2026.
Is a cleared trade better off on CIS or umbrella?
CIS pays the higher headline rate and the lower on-cost, while umbrella carries statutory benefits and a margin. A cleared pipefitter at £320/day on CIS equates to roughly £70,400 across 220 worked days with 20% deducted at source, whereas an umbrella assignment at £25.65/hour lands nearer £45,000 to £49,000 with holiday and pension but around 14% in employment costs. The April 2026 umbrella company changes shift more liability onto end clients, so the pay model is now a compliance decision as much as a rate one.
Market Temperature Analysis
The cleared MEP trades market is firmly candidate-driven in 2026, and the constraint is the clearance layer stacked on an already thin trade base. The Defence Nuclear Enterprise supports more than 47,000 jobs today and is projected to reach 65,000 by 2030, all drawing on the same cleared pool, while ECA's 2026 Electrical Skills Index shows electrical apprenticeship starts falling 5.5% (in-cumbria, 2026; ECA, February 2026). UKSV processing of 8 to 14 weeks for SC and 6 to 9 months for DV means every uncleared hire carries a multi-month lead time, so counter-offers and retention risk are elevated as AWE, Devonport and Barrow compete for the same names.
Contract is growing faster than permanent, driven by the day-rate premium and the project nature of the programmes. CIS and umbrella day rates run 20 to 40% above permanent PAYE equivalents, and experienced trades increasingly move to CIS once qualified, accepting the loss of sick pay and holiday for the higher gross. Defence sites sustain this by layering second-tier and retention payments, for example AWE's £1.71/hour second-tier plus £0.75/hour retention on all hours (AWE, 2026). The record surge in nuclear newbuild demand keeps the contract market tight across the wider estate.
Rates and demand both point up through 2026 and 2027. JIB-PMES has confirmed a 3.4% pay rise for both years, the JIB Approved Electrician national rate moved to £20.08/hour from 5 January 2026, and Skills England forecasts a further 12,000 electricians needed by 2030 against falling apprenticeship starts (elec.training, 2026; ECA, February 2026). The £31bn Dreadnought programme, the £4.4bn Devonport programme and the AUKUS submarine build guarantee a decade of cleared-trades demand, so the read for 2026 and 2027 is continued rate pressure rather than stabilisation.
How We Benchmark and Structure Cleared MEP Trade Rates
Our rate advice is built to make offers land first time and hold against counter-offers in a candidate-driven market. We benchmark to the cleared-market rate, not the trade floor, and set the pay model before the offer goes out.
Step 1. We benchmark the role against live cleared rates for the site and trade, so the offer reflects the AWE, Devonport or Barrow market rather than a generic JIB floor.
Step 2. We confirm the pay model, whether CIS, umbrella or PAYE, and cost it against the correct clearance tier, since which clearance level the role needs moves the rate.
Step 3. We add the site-specific uplifts, including second-tier, retention and overtime, so the total package is competitive on take-home, not just headline rate.
Step 4. We advise on counter-offer risk before the offer, so a cleared trade is not lost to a rival programme mid-assignment. Our cleared defence and MOD trades desk benchmarks these rates weekly across all three sites.
FAQs
How much does an SC cleared pipefitter earn in 2026?
An SC cleared pipefitter at AWE was advertised at £320/day on CIS, roughly £70,400 a year across 220 worked days, against £225 to £240/day for London commercial work (elec.training, 2026). The clearance carries a 33 to 42% premium over uncleared commercial pipefitting.
Do cleared trades earn more on CIS or PAYE?
CIS pays the higher headline rate and the lower on-cost, but carries no statutory benefits. A £320/day CIS role equates to roughly £70,400 a year, while permanent PAYE at AWE runs £39,280 to £58,920 with pension and a 9-day fortnight (AWE, 2026). Most experienced cleared trades favour CIS for the gross uplift.
What is the day rate for a cleared electrician on a defence site?
ECS Gold Card electricians reach £250 to £400/day on CIS, with the JIB Approved national rate at £20.08/hour from 5 January 2026 and London rates up to £330 to £400/day (elec.training, 2026). Clearance and 2391 testing tickets push cleared electricians toward the top of that range.
Why are cleared defence trade rates higher than commercial rates?
Clearance restricts the pool to trades who have passed UKSV vetting, and fixed defence programme deadlines force employers to bid up for that scarce supply. An SC cleared pipefitter at £320/day sits 33 to 42% above the £225 to £240/day London commercial rate for the same trade skill (elec.training, 2026).
Are cleared MEP trade rates rising in 2026?
Cleared rates are rising because a forecast 12,000-electrician shortfall by 2030 collides with fixed programme deadlines (ECA, February 2026). JIB-PMES confirmed a 3.4% pay rise for both 2026 and 2027, and defence programmes worth £31bn at Barrow and £4.4bn at Devonport keep demand ahead of supply.
Scantec benchmarks cleared MEP trade rates weekly across AWE, Devonport, Barrow and Faslane, and can price a cleared requirement to the current market before you advertise. Brief us on the role and we will return a live rate benchmark and an available cleared shortlist.
About the Author
Peter Bates is Managing Director of Scantec Personnel, which has placed security-cleared trades across UK nuclear and defence sites since 1990 and benchmarks cleared day rates at AWE, Devonport, Barrow and Faslane.
