The route, drawn out
DWG A29D · 5 stops · 1.5 years to qualify-
Day one Start as an apprentice from £15.6k
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Year 2 Training continues, pay rises min. £21.2k+
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1.5 years Fully qualified around £27k
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+3–5 years Experienced up to £40k
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Then Plant and machine tickets next step
The first figures are legal minimums: the apprentice rate (£8.00/hr) and the National Minimum Wage for 18–20s and 21+ from April 2026, on a 37.5-hour week. Qualified and experienced pay are indicative UK ranges — most employers pay apprentices above the minimum.
What the job is
Highways crews keep roads usable: patching, resurfacing, kerbing, drainage, gully cleaning, signs, lines and winter service. Much of it is night work under traffic management, which pays a premium.
It is secure, largely recession-proof employment with councils and their contractors, and it opens into plant operation, supervision and traffic management design.
A typical day
- Set out and operate temporary traffic management safely
- Excavate, patch and reinstate carriageways and footways
- Lay kerbs, edgings and surfacing materials
- Clear and repair gullies, drains and culverts
- Install signs, posts and road markings
How you get in
- No formal qualifications required
- Driving licence strongly preferred, and often essential
- Willingness to work nights and standby shifts
- CSCS card and sector safety training
Where it leads
- Plant and machine tickets
- Traffic management supervisor qualifications
- Highways maintenance supervisor or inspector
- Specialist surfacing or drainage crews
Where to train for this
28 colleges and training providers on our list cover Highways Maintenance Operative training. Open your region to see them, then check current intakes with the provider directly.