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
Skill
You enjoy being part of a crew and pulling together to get a job done. 31 of our careers use this skill, ranked below by how much it matters.
You will use this every day.
Construction and trades
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
Food and hospitality
Prepare, cook and present food in restaurants, hotels, hospitals and schools, from commis chef at the start to running your own kitchen.
£22,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced
Construction and trades
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
Outdoors, land and animals
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
An important part of the work.
Building services and energy
Install and fix the cooling and air conditioning systems used in buildings, cold storage and refrigerated transport.
£25,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced
Engineering and manufacturing
Inspect, service and repair aircraft systems to exacting safety standards - a licensed, highly skilled engineering career.
£27,000 – £50,000 starter to experienced
Food and hospitality
Make bread, cakes and pastries by hand or on production lines, in craft bakeries, supermarkets and food factories. Early starts come with the job.
£19,000 – £26,000 starter to experienced
Food and hospitality
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
Construction and trades
Turn timber into staircases, roofs, doors, kitchens and fitted furniture – on site or at the workshop bench.
£24,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced
IT and telecoms
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
Maintain and repair the overhead lines, underground cables and substations that carry power to homes and businesses.
£23,000 – £42,000 starter to experienced
Engineering and manufacturing
Keep factory, production and transport equipment running by servicing and repairing motors, pumps, gearboxes and controls.
£27,000 – £48,000 starter to experienced
Construction and trades
Measure, fit and repair windows, doors, rooflights and glass panels in homes and businesses.
£23,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced
Building services and energy
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
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
Health and science
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
Outdoors, land and animals
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
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
Drive the diggers, dumpers, dozers and cranes that shape building sites – ideal if you love big machines.
£25,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced
Construction and trades
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
Automotive and transport
Service, test and repair trains, carriages and other rolling stock to keep the railway running safely.
£30,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced
Construction and trades
Work at height keeping buildings watertight – slating, tiling, flat roofing, leadwork and even thatching.
£26,000 – £42,000 starter to experienced
Building services and energy
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
Outdoors, land and animals
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
Building services and energy
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
Helps, but not the heart of the job.
Automotive and transport
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
Engineering and manufacturing
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
Creative crafts
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
IT and telecoms
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
Automotive and transport
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
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