Compensation benchmarking for Precast Concrete Makers: pay for bar benders, riggers and erection fitters
Bar benders, shuttering carpenters and crane riggers are scarce, and a neighbouring yard can offer more. Benchmark their pay before you lose the person your drawings depend on.
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Share your requirementsWhy compensation benchmarking matters in precast concrete makers
Precast yards often set pay by habit. A senior shuttering carpenter has had the same rate for years, a new bar bender is hired above him because the market moved, and the senior hears about it. Riggers and erection fitters are poached by project contractors who pay site rates. The owner learns of the gap only when the notice is given, and then pays more to replace than to keep.
Good benchmarking compares like with like. It sorts posts by skill, such as bar bender, mould setter, crane rigger, erection fitter and helper, and looks at pay in other yards and with site contractors nearby. The result is a pay range for each post, with a clear rule for where a person sits in it. The owner then sees who is far below the range and decides what to correct first.
How to set it up
1. List the posts that are hard to replace
Start with bar benders, mould setters, riggers and erection leaders. Note how long each current holder has been here and what they earn.
2. Gather outside figures
Ask peers, local contractors and your own recent hires what comparable hands are paid. Record the source and date. Avoid single stories from one person.
3. Set a range for each post
For each post write a low, middle and high figure, tied to skill levels such as helper, trained and senior. See compensation benchmarking.
4. Place each person in the range
Mark where each current holder sits, and flag anyone who earns less than a newer hire with less skill. Fix the largest gaps first.
5. Check it each year
Revisit the ranges when you lose a key hand or after a large project. Keep the outside figures on file with dates, so a review takes an hour and not a week.
Check these first
Before changing anything, find out what is true today. These take an afternoon and use your own records.
- Compare the pay of your best bar bender and your most recently hired one.
- List who left in the last year from rigging, shuttering and bar bending and where they went.
- Check whether any erection fitter earns less than a helper on overtime.
- Ask three peers for a range for a mould setter and see how far you are from it.
GullyHR can do this with you. Read how we approach compensation benchmarking in general, or share your requirements and we will tell you where to start.
Questions owners ask
Once a year, and after any resignation from a scarce post. The market can move quickly when a large project starts nearby, so a light yearly check beats a big review every five years.
No, but it is a basic. Skill growth, steady work, recognition and clear next steps matter as well. If pay is fair and the job is respected, other factors have room to work.
Fix it soon and quietly. Place both in the range for their skill. Leaving the gap breeds resentment that surfaces as slow work or a notice period. Explain the rule you used, not individual comparison.