TRICIA PHILLIPS

TELLY FIXERS’ WAGES SOAR

Audio and TV engineers have seen the biggest rise in their hourly wage over the last five years.

The hunger for high quality TV shows and live sports, plus the falling cost of electronic equipment, has meant installation and repair engineers are in great demand. They’ve seen their pay jump 40% – from £12.20 to around £17 per hour.

Analysis from freelance marketplace PeoplePerHour shows air traffic control workers have seen a rise of 38% – from £29 to almost £40 per hour – and dancers’ earnings have shot up 36% to an hourly rate of £24.

The self-employed have seen larger pay hikes as the average hourly rate for freelancers in the UK has risen 26.83% to £20.73 – that’s £5.47 more per hour than the national average wage for employees.

Xenios Thrasyvoulou, founder and CEO of PeoplePerHour, said: “No matter what the economic condition or the strain on household finances, there will be professions that thrive.

“Given the popularity of shows such as Game of Thrones and the huge appeal of sport on TV, it’s hardly surprising people who make viewing it possible are in demand and can expect to earn increasing amounts.

“Over the five-year period, the wages of the self-employed rose six times faster than the average increase for the employed.”

He said it was down to the growth in demand from businesses wanting skilled professionals on a freelance basis.

But not all workers are quids in. Dental practitioners, people in leisure and travel services, advertising accounts managers, and pensions and insurance clerks have seen a drop in incomes, losing between 11.4% and 19.2%, since 2011.