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Kerem IsmailMost banksman jobs ask for three things: a ticket for the role, a CSCS card and your own PPE. That's what came up most in 29 UK adverts posted 20 August to 30 September 2026, all on one job board, so it's a snapshot, not a survey. The ticket is the catch. Seventeen named a CPCS or NPORS card, and only 11 took any traffic marshal or banksman ticket.
If you're wondering whether a banksman is the same as a traffic marshal, on most sites it is.
A traffic marshal or banksman ticket the advert accepts
Every advert but one asked for a ticket, and the exception was a logistics job.
- Seventeen named a CPCS or NPORS card.
- Eleven asked for a traffic marshal or banksman ticket and named no scheme.
A CPCS or NPORS card is a scheme card, earned through tests taken in person.
No law names a banksman ticket. HSE says anyone who directs vehicle movements on site has to be trained and authorised. The site decides what proof it accepts.
Our online traffic marshal and banksman course covers hand signals, safety signs, traffic risk assessment and dangerous manoeuvres. It ends in a CPD certificate, which fits the 11 adverts that took any ticket. It won't replace a CPCS or NPORS card where an advert names one. The traffic marshal guide explains each scheme card.
A CSCS card, most likely the Green Labourer card
Thirteen adverts asked for a CSCS card by name. Another 11 asked only for a CPCS or NPORS card. A scheme card that carries the CSCS logo does the same job at the gate, so check yours has it. Not every NPORS card does.
If you're taking the CPD route, plan on a CSCS card as well. Seven of the 11 adverts that took any ticket also named one.
For most beginners, that's the Green Labourer card. It's a card, not a qualification. To get it you pass the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test and hold the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment, or an approved alternative. CSCS says the first card lasts two years and is for unskilled work only.
The CSCS Green Card package includes the Level 1 course and exam, a CITB test booking and the card application. If you're not sure Green is right, which CSCS card do I need lists every card by job, and how to get a CSCS card has the steps.
Your own PPE, ready on day one
Eighteen adverts listed PPE as a requirement. The ones that named the kit all listed a hard hat, hi-vis and boots. Three said the kit had to be your own.
The law is kinder than the adverts. If you're an employee or a worker, HSE says your employer must provide the PPE you need free of charge. That duty doesn't cover the self-employed. Both self-employed contracts in the sample asked for your own kit.
Have it ready anyway, because nine adverts wanted someone to start straight away.
Site experience came close behind, required by 16 adverts and preferred by three. You can't get that before you apply. You can get the kit.
What the work and pay look like
A lot of the work is at the gate, and nine of the 29 job titles said gateman as well. You check deliveries, bank lorries in and out and keep people on foot clear of plant. Six adverts added labouring to the job.
Jobs ran from a week to about two years. All but three came through recruitment agencies. Hourly rates in the sample ran from £13 to £20, the same band the traffic marshal guide's pay section found.
How to read a banksman advert before you apply
Start with the ticket line. "CPCS or NPORS", or a code like A73 or N403, means a scheme card. A traffic marshal or banksman ticket with no scheme named is where a CPD certificate has a chance. If it's unclear, ask. If you're new, look for experience marked preferred.
Check how the rate is paid. Six adverts offered pay through CIS. Under the Construction Industry Scheme, the contractor takes deductions from your pay towards tax and National Insurance. Two adverts offered £19 an hour through CIS or an umbrella company, or £14.39 on PAYE, for the same job. Ask what you'll take home.
Last, look for vetting. Five needed a DBS check or security vetting, mostly for school and prison sites. None asked for a driving licence.
Match your ticket to the advert
Sort the ticket first, then the card and the kit. Where an advert asks for a traffic marshal or banksman ticket, the traffic marshal and banksman course is online and ends in a CPD certificate. Where it names CPCS or NPORS, that's the card you need.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to get a banksman job?
Most adverts want a traffic marshal or banksman ticket, a CSCS card and your own PPE. In a snapshot of 29 UK adverts from one job board, posted August to September 2026, 28 wanted a ticket, 18 listed PPE and 13 named a CSCS card. Eleven more asked only for a CPCS or NPORS card, which can carry the CSCS logo.
Do I need experience to be a banksman?
Often, yes. In a snapshot of 29 UK adverts from August and September 2026, 16 made site experience a requirement and three said it was preferred. The training doesn't need it. The online traffic marshal and banksman course is open to anyone over 16 with valid ID.
How much does a banksman earn?
Usually £13 to £20 an hour, going by a snapshot of 26 hourly-paid UK adverts on one job board, posted between 20 August and 30 September 2026. Two self-employed jobs in the sample paid £150 a day. These are advertised rates, not official figures. The traffic marshal guide has more on pay.
Do I need a CSCS card to be a banksman?
On construction sites, nearly always. CSCS says all construction workers should hold the relevant card. A CPCS card, or an NPORS card with the CSCS logo, covers that on its own. With a CPD ticket you'll usually need the Green Labourer card as well.
Is a banksman the same as a traffic marshal?
On most sites, yes. Both direct vehicles and keep people on foot out of the way. In a snapshot of 29 UK adverts from August and September 2026, five asked for a traffic marshal or banksman ticket in the same line. Banksman vs traffic marshal covers where some sites split the two.
Where are banksman jobs advertised?
On online job boards, usually through construction recruitment agencies. In a snapshot of 29 UK adverts from one board, posted August to September 2026, 26 came through agencies and three came straight from employers. Six were for one or two weeks of work, so check the listings every few days.
Can I get a banksman job without a ticket?
Rarely. In a snapshot of 29 UK adverts from August and September 2026, 28 wanted a ticket, though one only said it was preferred. The exception was a permanent logistics job that didn't ask for a ticket upfront. On construction sites, get the ticket first.
How long does it take to get a banksman ticket?
The online traffic marshal and banksman course takes one to two hours, on any device including a phone. A CPCS or NPORS card takes longer. You're trained and tested in person, and you need a pass in the health, safety and environment test too. The traffic marshal guide sets out each step.
Kerem Ismail is Managing Director of The Builders Academy and has been helping people secure work in the construction industry since 2016.
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