Skills & Hobbies

Skill

Careers that use patience

You stay calm and keep going when a task is fiddly or slow. 22 of our careers use this skill, ranked below by how much it matters.

Match me, starting with this skill

A key skill in these jobs (4)

You will use this every day.

Outdoors, land and animals

Dog groomer

Bathe, dry, brush and trim dogs of every breed, check their skin and coat, and advise owners, in a salon, a vet practice or your own mobile business.

£15,000 – £23,000 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

Construction and trades

Locksmith

Fit, repair and open locks, safes and security systems – a problem-solving trade for calm, trustworthy people.

£23,000 – £30,000 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

Used a lot (12)

An important part of the work.

Health and science

Dental technician

Design and make crowns, bridges, dentures and braces to a dentist's prescription in a dental lab. A registered, precise, hands-on health career.

£32,000 – £48,000 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

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

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

Hair, beauty and wellbeing

Hairdresser

Wash, cut, colour and style hair, talk clients through new looks and build a loyal following in salons, spas or as a freelance stylist.

£19,000 – £30,000 starter to experienced

IT and telecoms

IT support technician

Be the person who fixes it: solve hardware, software and network problems for computer users, in person and remotely.

£24,000 – £36,000 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

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

Outdoors, land and animals

Veterinary nurse

Care for sick and injured animals and support vets in surgery, X-ray and treatment. A registered profession you can train for through an apprenticeship.

£24,000 – £32,000 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

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

Handy to have (6)

Helps, but not the heart of the job.

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

Hair, beauty and wellbeing

Barber

Cut and style hair with barbering techniques, shape beards and give shaves, working with every hair type in a busy, sociable barbershop.

£19,000 – £30,000 starter to experienced

Hair, beauty and wellbeing

Beauty therapist

Give facials, manicures, waxing, lash and brow treatments and more, helping clients look and feel their best in salons, spas or your own business.

£23,000 – £29,000 starter to experienced

Automotive and transport

Bicycle mechanic

Build, service and repair bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters - a friendly way into a trade if you love cycling.

£23,000 – £30,000 starter to experienced

Food and hospitality

Butcher

Cut, bone and prepare meat and poultry, make sausages, burgers and pies, and help customers choose the right cut in shops and meat plants.

£18,000 – £26,000 starter to experienced

Automotive and transport

Rail engineering technician

Service, test and repair trains, carriages and other rolling stock to keep the railway running safely.

£30,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Other skills