Skills & Hobbies

Hobby

Careers for people who love DIY and home improvement

Putting up shelves, decorating or fixing things around the house. 28 of our careers connect with this hobby, ranked below by how much it matters.

Match me, starting with this hobby

A strong link (11)

This hobby is close to the day-to-day work.

Construction and trades

Carpenter or joiner

Turn timber into staircases, roofs, doors, kitchens and fitted furniture – on site or at the workshop bench.

£24,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

Creative crafts

Furniture maker

Make chairs, tables, cabinets and fitted furniture from technical drawings, using hand tools, machines and CNC, in workshops and factories.

£23,000 – £32,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Gas engineer

Install, service and repair boilers and gas appliances safely – a trusted, legally registered trade with steady demand.

£25,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Glazier

Measure, fit and repair windows, doors, rooflights and glass panels in homes and businesses.

£23,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Kitchen and bathroom fitter

Rip out the old and install new kitchens and bathrooms – a multi-skilled trade combining joinery, plumbing and tiling.

£24,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Outdoors, land and animals

Landscaper

Build and look after gardens, parks and outdoor spaces: paths, walls, lawns, planting and water features, working outdoors in all weathers.

£26,000 – £38,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Painter and decorator

Transform rooms and buildings with paint, wallpaper and specialist finishes – ideal if you have an eye for colour and detail.

£21,000 – £32,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Plasterer

Create smooth walls and ceilings, renders and ornate mouldings – a skilled finishing trade that rewards a steady hand.

£21,000 – £38,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Plumber

Fit, fix and look after the water, heating and drainage systems that keep homes, hospitals and businesses running.

£24,000 – £46,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Solar panel installer

Fit, connect and look after solar PV systems on homes and businesses - a hands-on, outdoor role at the heart of the move to clean energy.

£25,000 – £47,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Wall and floor tiler

Lay precise, beautiful tiling in kitchens, bathrooms, shops and restaurants using ceramics, stone, slate and marble.

£21,000 – £38,000 starter to experienced

A good link (10)

Plenty of overlap with what you enjoy.

Construction and trades

Bricklayer

Build homes, walls and chimneys brick by brick – an outdoor, team-based trade where your work stands for generations.

£25,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Electrician

Install, test and repair wiring, lighting, controls and low-carbon tech in homes, workplaces and new buildings.

£26,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Engineering and manufacturing

Engineering maintenance technician

Keep factory, production and transport equipment running by servicing and repairing motors, pumps, gearboxes and controls.

£27,000 – £48,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Heat pump installer

Help homes and businesses switch to low-carbon heating by installing, commissioning and servicing heat pumps.

£24,000 – £46,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Heating and ventilation engineer

Keep big buildings comfortable – installing and maintaining heating, ductwork, ventilation and controls in offices, schools and hospitals.

£20,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

IT and telecoms

Network cabler

Install, terminate and test the copper and fibre cabling that connects offices, hospitals, data centres and homes to the digital world.

No official salary figure

Construction and trades

Roofer

Work at height keeping buildings watertight – slating, tiling, flat roofing, leadwork and even thatching.

£26,000 – £42,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Stonemason

Cut, carve and fix natural stone for new buildings, memorials and historic restoration, working in a workshop or out on site.

£24,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

Creative crafts

Upholsterer

Build and restore padded furniture such as chairs and sofas, fitting springs, fillings and fabric using traditional or modern upholstery methods.

£23,000 – £32,000 starter to experienced

Engineering and manufacturing

Welder

Cut, join and shape metal for everything from buildings and pipelines to wind turbines - a skilled, practical trade.

£25,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Useful background (7)

Gives you a head start or a talking point at interview.

Building services and energy

Air conditioning and refrigeration engineer

Install and fix the cooling and air conditioning systems used in buildings, cold storage and refrigerated transport.

£25,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Electricity distribution worker

Maintain and repair the overhead lines, underground cables and substations that carry power to homes and businesses.

£23,000 – £42,000 starter to experienced

Outdoors, land and animals

Farrier

Trim horses' hooves and make and fit horseshoes by hand at the forge. A skilled, registered trade reached through a long approved apprenticeship.

No official salary figure

Outdoors, land and animals

Gardener

Grow and care for plants in private gardens, parks, estates and green spaces, from sowing seeds to pruning, weeding and mowing.

£24,000 – £32,000 starter to experienced

Automotive and transport

HGV mechanic

Service and repair lorries, trailers, buses and coaches - big machines, big responsibility and some of the best pay in motor trades.

£26,000 – £55,000 starter to experienced

Automotive and transport

Motor vehicle technician

Service, diagnose and repair cars and vans - including hybrids and EVs - in a busy garage workshop.

£22,000 – £42,000 starter to experienced

IT and telecoms

Telecoms engineer

Install and repair broadband, phone, fibre, mobile and satellite systems - out on the road, up masts and in customers' homes.

£25,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

Other hobbies