Plumber
Fit, fix and look after the water, heating and drainage systems that keep homes, hospitals and businesses running.
- Salary£24,000 – £46,000
- Hours37 to 45 hours a week; evenings, weekends and bank holidays as customers need (National Careers Service)
- Working for yourselfSelf-employment is common
What the job is like
If you like working out why something has stopped working and then putting it right with your own hands, plumbing is a trade worth a close look. Plumbers install and repair pipework, bathrooms, hot water cylinders, radiators and drains, and the job changes daily: a new-build one week, a burst pipe or an emergency call-out the next.
It is also a trade with room to grow. Once you are qualified you can add gas work, heat pumps, ventilation or solar hot water to your skills, move into supervising or training others, or run your own business. People skills matter too, because much of the work happens in customers' homes.
What you'll do
- Install and repair hot and cold water, heating and drainage systems
- Measure, cut, bend and join pipes and fittings
- Fit bathrooms, sinks, showers, cylinders and radiators
- Service central heating systems (gas work needs Gas Safe registration)
- Respond to emergencies such as leaks, blocked drains or failed boilers
- Fit flashings and weatherproofing around roofs, chimneys and walls
- Explain the work and costs to customers and leave the job clean and safe
- Keep records and use a phone or tablet for job sheets
Where you'll work
- Indoors
- Outdoors
- In customers' homes
- Construction sites
- Working at height
- 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
- Maths and measuring
- Technical know-how
- Attention to detail
- Safety-conscious
- Customer service
- Working independently
Handy to have
Hobbies that give you a head start
How to become a plumber
Apprenticeship
Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician – Level 3 apprenticeship (ST0303), typically 48 months, with options in gas heating, air source heat pumps and solar thermal, or non-domestic plumbing.
Building Services Engineering Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship – a way in as an assistant if you are 16 to 21 (or 22 to 24 in some circumstances).
T Level
T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction (2 years, Level 3, with an industry placement of at least 315 hours). Colleges usually ask for 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 including English and maths.
College
Plumbing studies or plumbing and domestic heating courses (for example Level 2 and Level 3 diplomas) can help you get a trainee job; entry requirements vary by college.
Direct application
Possible if you already have qualifications and several years' experience in a related area such as building services or heating and ventilation.
Other ways in
Start as a plumber's mate or assistant and train on the job; employers usually look for some GCSEs including English and maths.
Qualifications, licences and cards
- CSCS card (or equivalent) – most principal contractors expect one before you work on a construction site
- Gas Safe registration – a legal requirement before working on domestic gas appliances
- OFTEC certification if you want to work on oil-fired heating
Where it can lead
- Train as a heat pump engineer or add solar hot water and other renewables
- Move into ventilation, air conditioning or wider building services engineering
- Become a master plumber, supervisor or estimator
- Train apprentices at a further education college or training centre
- Work for yourself as a sole trader or subcontractor
Good to know
- The Level 3 Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician apprenticeship has a typical duration of 48 months, so expect around four years to become fully qualified by this route.
- Anyone employed to work on gas appliances in homes must be on the Gas Safe Register – plumbing qualifications alone do not allow you to work on gas.
- The National Careers Service flags plumbing as a potential green job: fitting heat pumps and solar hot water are growing parts of the work.
- Workspaces can be cramped, at height or outdoors, so a reasonable level of fitness helps.
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
- Plumber job profile – National Careers Service
- Plumbing and domestic heating technician apprenticeship standard
- Building Services Engineering T Level
- Careers advice from the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering
- Plumber careers on Go Construct
- Gas Safe Register
- Find an apprenticeship (GOV.UK)
Sources
We checked these pages in September 2026. Rules, pay and courses change, so always confirm with the official source.
- National Careers Service: Plumber nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/plumber
- Plumbing and domestic heating technician (Level 3, ST0303) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0303-v1-2
- T Level: Building Services Engineering for Construction tlevels.gov.uk/students/subjects/building-services-engineering
- HSE: gas safety frequently asked questions hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqs.htm
- Go Construct: Plumber goconstruct.org/construction-careers/what-jobs-are-right-for-me/plumber
- cscs.uk.com cscs.uk.com/about/