Skills & Hobbies

Skill

Careers that use spatial awareness

You can picture how things fit together in 3D and judge space and distance. 16 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 (1)

You will use this every day.

Construction and trades

Plant operator

Drive the diggers, dumpers, dozers and cranes that shape building sites – ideal if you love big machines.

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

Used a lot (13)

An important part of the work.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scaffolder

Build the safe working platforms every other trade relies on – a fit, outdoor, team trade with strong earning potential.

£25,000 – £51,000 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

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

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

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

Handy to have (2)

Helps, but not the heart of the job.

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

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

Other skills