Skills & Hobbies

Skill

Careers that use problem-solving

You enjoy working out why something has gone wrong and how to put it right. 24 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 (13)

You will use this every day.

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

Automotive and transport

Auto electrician

Trace and fix the wiring, sensors and electronic systems in modern vehicles, from lights and alarms to hybrid and EV systems.

£23,000 – £38,000 starter to experienced

IT and telecoms

Data centre technician

Keep the servers behind the internet running: install racks and hardware, fix faults and monitor systems in secure data centres.

No official salary figure

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

Electronics engineering technician

Design, build, test and fix electronic systems and circuit boards, from factory controls to medical and aerospace tech.

£26,000 – £42,000 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Used a lot (10)

An important part of the work.

Engineering and manufacturing

Aircraft maintenance engineer

Inspect, service and repair aircraft systems to exacting safety standards - a licensed, highly skilled engineering career.

£27,000 – £50,000 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

Engineering and manufacturing

CNC machinist

Program and run computer-controlled machines that cut precision parts for engineering and manufacturing.

£25,000 – £42,000 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

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

Health and science

Laboratory technician

Run tests on samples, prepare experiments and keep lab equipment working, supporting research, product development and medical diagnosis.

£24,000 – £31,000 starter to experienced

Automotive and transport

Motorcycle mechanic

Service, repair, tune and customise motorbikes, scooters and quad bikes - turn a love of bikes into a trade.

£25,000 – £40,000 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

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

Building services and energy

Wind turbine technician

Climb, inspect and repair wind turbines on land and at sea, keeping renewable power flowing. Demanding, outdoor, highly skilled work.

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

Handy to have (1)

Helps, but not the heart of the job.

Outdoors, land and animals

Tree surgeon

Climb, prune and fell trees safely, assess tree health and plant new stock in streets, parks, gardens and woodland. Also called an arborist.

£25,000 – £35,000 starter to experienced

Other skills