​The highways and infrastructure sector continues to grapple with an escalating skills shortage, particularly within engineering and commercial disciplines. These roles have consistently ranked as the hardest to fill, a trend that’s not only persisting into 2026 but intensifying due to an ageing workforce, rising project demand, and competitive pay structures.

Backed by data Carrington West’s 2026 salary survey, this blog explores the drivers behind the shortage, the impact on salaries and hiring models, and what employers must do to future-proof their talent pipelines.

Core Roles in High Demand: Site Engineers & Quantity Surveyors

The shortage is most acute in two areas: engineering (Site Engineers, Section Engineers, and Senior Engineers) and commercial roles (Quantity Surveyors, Senior Quantity Surveyors, Managing Quantity Surveyors). These are the positions our consultants see come up more than any others, and the ones most likely to stall project progress when left unfilled.

In a market where most sites will consider strong applications in these areas quickly, the competition for quality candidates is fierce. These roles are in the tricky position where they are difficult to fill, and absolutely essential to project success; which is where a quality recruitment partner comes in.

🔹 Engineer roles:

• Site engineer: £35,000–£45,000/year or up to £450/day inside IR35

• Senior site engineer: Up to £70,000/year or £500/day

🔹 Commercial roles:

• Quantity Surveyor: £45,000–£60,000/year or £450/day

• Senior Quantity Surveyor: Up to £78,000/year or £525/day

• Managing Quantity Surveyor: Reaching £90,000+/year or £600/day

These figures reflect real-time market pressures, with employers frequently offering above-average pay to secure candidates – particularly when facing location constraints or tight project timelines.

Ageing Workforce Adds Long-Term Risk

Behind the short-term hiring pressures lies a deeper concern: the ageing population of infrastructure professionals.

A large proportion of experienced engineering and commercial talent is approaching retirement age. Yet there remains a significant shortfall of early-career professionals to replace them. Graduate hiring, as reported in the salary survey, continues to struggle. Mid-sized firms hesitant to invest in training due to fears of losing talent to larger employers.

This imbalance is not just a future issue, and is already impacting project delivery across the UK. Without strategic planning and clear career progression routes for junior professionals, the risk of losing institutional knowledge and delivery capacity will only grow.

Major Projects Are Pulling Talent from Regional Schemes

Projects such as HS2, Sizewell C and the Lower Thames Crossing are currently dominating the hiring landscape. Their large budgets and long-term commitments are drawing top talent away from other frameworks and regional schemes.

• Sizewell C, in particular, is putting huge strain on the Eastern region, where highways projects such as the A47 upgrades and the Eastern Highways Alliance are already active.

The result is that rates skyrocket as employers attempt to retain staff or attract replacements; a trend confirmed in our 2026 salary data and echoed by our clients and candidates in the industry.

Flexibility and Engagement Models Which Are Shaping Hiring

Faced with intense competition, clients are rethinking how they engage with engineering and commercial professionals.

Many are exploring sub-contracting and consultancy partnerships to manage their workloads while balancing IR35 liabilities and internal headcount caps. This has opened the door to Ltd company contractors, despite some earlier hesitance.

Even so, candidate preferences haven’t shifted significantly. Engineering professionals remain site-based by necessity, while commercial staff increasingly value hybrid working models, especially when comparing roles. Those that can’t offer some level of flexibility often struggle to retain high-performers, particularly at the mid to senior level.

The Outlook for 2026: Stability in Rates, Scarcity in Talent

The 2026 outlook is one of stable to modest rate increases, as forecasted in the salary survey. Yet this masks the real tension underneath – a finite pool of candidates being chased by an expanding set of infrastructure priorities.

Notably:

• Rates are expected to remain consistent, except for roles on major projects like HS2 and Sizewell C

• Most clients have now stabilised their IR35 positions, and freelance recruitment remains essential

• Hybrid working and pension provision are emerging as key differentiators for attracting commercial staff

What Employers Need to Do Now

For organisations competing in the highways delivery market, success in 2026 hinges on three things:

1. Understand which roles are most at risk, and act early to secure them.

2. Offer more than just money. Candidates now expect hybrid options, well-run sites, and long-term value.

3. Invest in early-career talent, even in a competitive market, building internal capability is the only long-term defence against the ageing workforce, securing you high-quality, well-trained people for years to come.

Final Thoughts

As competition intensifies across the sector, being proactive is no longer optional – it’s essential. Understanding where the pressure points are, and aligning your offer with what highways candidates value the most, will set you apart from the competition. Of course, I’m always happy to advise on the priorities and sentiment I’m hearing from candidates in the industry to help you to ensure continuous improvement in the hiring strategies of my clients.

Overall, a month on, our predictions in the 2026 salary surveys remain true, with the only outliers being the bigger projects, who have the budgets to offer inflated rates to secure the top talent.

Whether you’re struggling to fill engineering roles in the East or planning for upcoming commercial vacancies on your frameworks, Carrington West can help you tap into a market that’s tight but still full of opportunity.