Plumber
Also advertised as: Apprentice Plumber, Domestic Plumber, Gas Engineer, Heating Engineer, Maintenance Plumber, Plumber
Installs and repairs water, heating and drainage systems.
What the job involves
Plumbers fit and fix pipework, bathrooms, heating systems and increasingly heat pumps. Adding Gas Safe registration significantly increases earnings, and the trade supports self-employment better than almost any other.
Typical responsibilities
- Install pipework, bathrooms and heating systems
- Diagnose and repair leaks and blockages
- Service boilers and heating controls
- Work to building and water regulations
- Quote and invoice customers
Common employers
- Plumbing and heating firms
- Housing associations
- Facilities providers
- Self-employed
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£21,000 – £28,000 a year
With experience
£35,000 – £55,000 a year
Typical hours
40 to 45 hours with emergency call-outs
Working environment
Homes, sites and plant rooms
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
high
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Pipework installation
- Fault finding
- Heating systems
- Customer service
- Estimating
Transferable skills you may already have
- Practical DIY skills
- Problem solving
- Customer-facing work
Requirements employers ask for
- Pipework installation
- Fault finding
- Heating systems
- Customer service
- Estimating
- Level 2 or 3 Plumbing and Domestic Heating qualification
- Gas Safe registration for gas work
- CSCS card for sites
Useful but not essential
- Practical DIY skills
- Problem solving
- Customer-facing work
- Gas Safe registration
- Heat pump and unvented cylinder tickets
Helpful qualifications
- Gas Safe registration
- Heat pump and unvented cylinder tickets
Licences and checks
- Gas Safe registration for gas work
- CSCS card for sites
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician (Level 3)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Plumbing
- Related subject: Building services
Where this career can lead
next
Gas Safe Engineer
next
Contracts Supervisor
next
Business Owner
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- High self-employed earning potential
- Constant demand
- Heat pump work is growing fast
What people find hard
- Emergency call-outs
- Physically awkward working spaces
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a plumber?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a plumber earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £21,000 to £28,000 a year, rising towards £55,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Practical DIY skills, Problem solving, Customer-facing work.
Related careers
Groundworker
Prepares the ground and lays foundations, drainage and roads before other trades begin.
Plasterer
Applies plaster, render and decorative finishes to walls and ceilings.
Gas Engineer
Installs, services and repairs gas boilers, cookers and heating appliances.
Heating and Ventilation Engineer
Installs and maintains heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in buildings.
Bricklayer
Builds walls, structures and features from bricks, blocks and mortar.
Roofer
Fits and repairs roofs using tiles, slates, felt or flat roofing systems.
Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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