Medieval Craftsman Wages

A skilled English builder in the 1300s commonly earned 4 to 6 pence a day, roughly twice a laborer's wage, with real wages surging after the Black Death.

Overview

Wage evidence comes from building accounts of cathedrals and castles, which record day rates for masons, carpenters and their helpers. The labor scarcity after 1348 forced rates up sharply, with authorities passing wage laws that largely failed, and real wages for English workers reached a peak not seen again for centuries. Guilds regulated who could work at a craft and at what quality, masters, journeymen and apprentices forming the wage ladder. The work year was also short by modern standards, with feast days and weather. All figures are approximate scholarly reconstructions.