Heating and ventilation engineer
Keep big buildings comfortable – installing and maintaining heating, ductwork, ventilation and controls in offices, schools and hospitals.
- Salary£20,000 – £40,000
- Hours41 to 43 hours a week; evenings and weekends as customers need (National Careers Service)
- Working for yourselfSelf-employment is possible
What the job is like
Heating and ventilation (often called HVAC) engineers look after the systems that keep large buildings warm, fresh and comfortable. You might fit pipework and ductwork on a new hospital wing, commission control panels in a school, or track down a fault in an office's air handling plant.
It is a good fit if you like technical systems, reading drawings and working as part of a team on bigger projects. With experience you can supervise engineers, move into technical sales or design, or retrain for low-carbon heating.
What you'll do
- Follow drawings to fit heating equipment and pipework
- Install ductwork and ventilation systems
- Fit and set up controls that regulate temperature and humidity
- Find and fix faults
- Plan and carry out regular maintenance
- Work with renewable-powered heating and more efficient controls
Where you'll work
- Indoors
- Working at height
- Construction sites
- On the road
- In a team
- On your own
Skills and hobbies that help
Weighted by how much they matter in this job, from the official job profile's skills and tasks. Tap one to see other careers that use it.
Key skills
Used a lot
- Working with your hands
- Maths and measuring
- Attention to detail
- Safety-conscious
- Teamwork
- Spatial awareness
Handy to have
Hobbies that give you a head start
How to become a heating and ventilation engineer
Apprenticeship
Building Services Engineering Craftsperson – Level 3 apprenticeship (ST0062), typical duration 36 months.
Building Services Engineering Installer – Level 2 apprenticeship (ST0065), typical duration 24 months.
Building Services Engineering Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship for 16 to 21 year olds (or 22 to 24 in some circumstances).
T Level
T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction, choosing the heating engineering and ventilation specialism.
College
Plumbing and heating or building services engineering courses can help you get a trainee engineer job.
Direct application
Possible if you already have qualifications and experience in building services or plumbing.
Qualifications, licences and cards
- CSCS card (or equivalent) – most principal contractors expect one before you work on a construction site
- Gas Safe registration if your role includes work on domestic gas appliances
Where it can lead
- Supervise a team of engineers or move into management
- Work in technical sales
- Train further to become a building services engineer, facilities manager or heat pump engineer
- Set up your own business
Good to know
- Much of the work is on commercial sites rather than in homes, and you may travel often between jobs.
- Work can be at height or in cramped plant rooms and ceiling voids.
- The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering offers membership for professional development.
Courses and training
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T Level
Find a T Level near you – T Levels (Department for Education)
Two-year technical courses for 16 to 19 year olds in England, with an industry placement of at least 315 hours. Search for schools and colleges offering the T Level you want.
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Funding
Heat Training Grant – GOV.UK
A government grant towards heat pump installation training in England for eligible heating engineers and small businesses. Check the current amount and eligibility on GOV.UK.
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Apprenticeship search
Find an apprenticeship – GOV.UK
The official GOV.UK service for searching and applying for apprenticeship vacancies in England.
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Course search
Find a course – National Careers Service
The National Careers Service search for college and training provider courses in England, including Skills Bootcamps.
Official information
- Heating and ventilation engineer job profile – National Careers Service
- Building services engineering craftsperson apprenticeship standard
- Building services engineering installer apprenticeship standard
- HVAC engineer careers on Go Construct
- Careers advice from the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering
Sources
We checked these pages in September 2026. Rules, pay and courses change, so always confirm with the official source.
- National Careers Service: Heating and ventilation engineer nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/heating-and-ventilation-engineer
- Building services engineering craftsperson (Level 3, ST0062) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0062-v1-2
- Building services engineering installer (Level 2, ST0065) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0065-v1-1
- T Level: Building Services Engineering for Construction tlevels.gov.uk/students/subjects/building-services-engineering
- Go Construct: HVAC engineer goconstruct.org/construction-careers/what-jobs-are-right-for-me/hvac-engineer