jobfacts

Plumber

Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers and repairers — SOC 2020 5315

Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers and repairers assemble, install, maintain and repair plumbing fixtures, heating and ventilating systems and pipes and pipeline systems in commercial, residential and industrial premises and public buildings for non-renewable and renewable energy.

Also calledHeat pump engineerHeat pump installerHeat pump technicianLow carbon heating technicianGas service technicianGas installation engineerand 102 more titles
Typical full-time pay£37,9002025 Provisional
People in the job154,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month3,300↓ 1.4%on last year · 52nd of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time plumbers earn between £31,700 and £45,500 a year.

What full-time plumbers earn, 2025
£37,900 typical£24,900lowest 10%£31,70025%£47,300top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£31,700–£45,500)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£24,900
Lowest 20% earn less than£29,600
25%£31,700
Median£37,900
75%£45,500
Top 20% earn more than£47,300
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Nearly half (47%) of plumbers work for themselves. These pay figures only cover employees, so they may not reflect what self-employed plumbers earn.
Typical pay by regionUK median £37,900
London!£44,600
South East£40,000
Scotland£39,500
Wales!£38,400
East Midlands!£38,300
East of England!£37,200
North West!£36,700
South West!£35,800
Yorkshire and The Humber!£34,500
West Midlands!£33,500
North EastNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £37,900
London£44,600 (small sample)
South East£40,000
Scotland£39,500
Wales£38,400 (small sample)
East Midlands£38,300 (small sample)
East of England£37,200 (small sample)
North West£36,700 (small sample)
South West£35,800 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£34,500 (small sample)
West Midlands£33,500 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £36,000
  • 2024 £38,100
  • 2025 Provisional£37,900
↑ 5.3% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 3,300 jobs for plumbers are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20263,636
Jul 20263,360
Jun 20262,783
May 20262,928
Apr 20263,318
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20263,308
Jan 20264,010
Dec 20252,084
Nov 20253,709
Oct 20253,793
Sept 20253,775
Aug 20253,606
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 20254,101
Apr 20252,857
Mar 20253,628
Feb 20254,256
Jan 20253,418
Dec 20241,887
Nov 20243,427
Oct 20243,852
Sept 20243,577
Aug 20243,627
Jul 20243,726
Jun 20243,276
May 20243,812
Apr 20243,461
Mar 20242,838
Feb 20243,004
Jan 20243,804
Dec 20232,546
Nov 20232,925
Oct 20232,864
Sept 20232,597
Aug 20232,828
Jul 20233,174
Jun 20234,332
May 20234,519
Apr 20233,685
Mar 20234,593
Feb 20234,464
Jan 20235,369
Dec 20223,463
Nov 20225,236
Oct 20225,179
Sept 20224,746
Aug 20224,865
Jul 20224,364
Jun 20224,271
May 20224,235
Apr 20223,496
Mar 20224,457
Feb 20224,178
Jan 20225,075
Dec 20214,126
Nov 20214,418
Oct 20214,475
Sept 20215,083
Aug 20215,196
Jul 20216,377
Jun 20215,704
May 20217,696
Apr 20216,679
Mar 20217,730
Feb 20214,516
Jan 20214,983
Dec 20204,042
Nov 20204,756
Oct 20205,202
Sept 20204,181
Aug 20203,320
Jul 20202,348
Jun 20201,785
May 20201,385
Apr 20202,112
Mar 20203,326
Feb 20204,153
Jan 20203,576
Dec 20192,985
Nov 20193,751
Oct 20193,317
Sept 20193,625
Aug 20193,154
Jul 20194,067
Jun 20194,181
May 20193,798
Apr 20192,427
Mar 20192,958
Feb 20193,015
Jan 20193,904
Dec 20182,288
Nov 20183,337
Oct 20183,636
Sept 20183,385
Aug 20183,083
Jul 20182,913
Jun 20183,124
May 20183,204
Apr 20182,944
Mar 20183,731
Feb 20183,175
Jan 20183,975
Dec 20172,779
Nov 20173,431
Oct 20173,443
Sept 20173,497
Aug 20173,185
Jul 20173,066
Jun 20173,954
May 20173,807
Apr 20173,719
Mar 20174,369
Feb 20173,877
Jan 20174,403
Is there a shortage of plumbers?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Note: uncertainty in hours and earnings due to proportion of self employed workers.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
39%against 27% for all jobs
DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London1,585
Birmingham219
Manchester202
Bristol, City of159
Glasgow City137
Leeds130
Oxford110
Nottingham106
Reading105
Somerset105
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where plumbers are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of plumbers
14%!
23%
19%
20%
18%
6.3%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–2414% (small sample)
25–3423%
35–4419%
45–5420%
55–6418%
65+6.3% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!6.7%
Higher education below degree!4.5%
A levels or equivalent58%
GCSEs or equivalent17%
Other qualifications7%
No qualifications!3.3%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent6.7% (small sample)
Higher education below degree4.5% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent58%
GCSEs or equivalent17%
Other qualifications7%
No qualifications3.3% (small sample)

Main employers: plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation (65%), construction of residential and non-residential buildings (7.7%), manufacture of gas (2.2%), joinery installation (2%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
6.7%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 58%
Apprenticeships
6
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
18 months to 4 years
typically
T Levels
2
college courses for 16 to 19 year olds
Self-employed
47%
of people in the job

Routes in

Plumber

You can get into this job through:

College

You could complete a college course which may help you to find a trainee position with a plumbing company.

Courses include:

  • plumbing studies
  • plumbing and domestic heating
  • T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship to learn the skills needed to become a plumber. Apprenticeships include:

  • Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician
  • Building Services Engineering Craftsperson
  • Gas Engineering Operative

You could also do a Low Carbon Heating Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, if you want to become a heat pump engineer.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
More about this route
Foundation apprenticeship

You may be able to start in an assistant role by doing a Building Services Engineering Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship.

You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.

If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:

  • have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
  • are in care or have been in care
  • are in prison or have been in prison

Other ways in

Work your way up

You may be able to start as a plumber's assistant or 'mate' and train on the job to qualify.

You'll usually need some GCSEs, including English and maths, along with good practical skills.

Apply directly

You could apply directly for jobs if you've got qualifications and several years' experience from related industries, like building services or heating and ventilation engineering.

What you’ll need

  • be on the Gas Safe Register to work with domestic gas heating systems

Registration and professional bodies

Registration
  • you'll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to train and work on a construction site
Professional and industry bodies

You can join the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering for professional development training and industry news.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a plumber from the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering and Go Construct.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for plumber. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Heat pump engineer

You can get into this job through:

College

You could take a college course in a related subject like plumbing and heating, or a T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction.

These courses teach you some of the skills you'll need to apply for a trainee plumber, heating and ventilation engineer, or gas service technician position with a company.

Once you've built up your experience, you could take extra training, usually lasting between 3 and 5 days.

This would include:

  • heat pump foundation knowledge
  • low temperature heating and hot water systems
  • individual heat pump technology
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:

  • Building Services Engineering Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
  • Low Carbon Heating Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Heat Network Maintenance Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
More about this route
Foundation apprenticeship

You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.

If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:

  • have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
  • are in care or have been in care
  • are in prison or have been in prison

Work your way up

You could train as a gas service technician, heating and ventilation engineer or plumber. You could then do additional training to become a heat pump engineer.

Training would cover:

  • low temperature heating and hot water systems
  • heat pump installation and maintenance
  • different types of heat pump technologies

Lots of organisations offer training in heat pump installation. You can search for heat training providers in your local region.

Registration and professional bodies

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Heat Pump Association (HPA) for professional development opportunities.

Further information

You can get more advice on heat pump careers and training from the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE).

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for heat pump engineer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Gas service technician

You can get into this job through:

College

You could do a college course that would teach you some of the skills you need to apply for a trainee position with a gas engineering company.

Courses include:

  • plumbing and heating
  • refrigeration and air conditioning
  • T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction

To fully qualify as a gas service technician, you'll need a recognised gas industry qualification, for example a Level 3 Diploma in Gas Utilisation Installation and Maintenance.

You will normally need to be working to complete a level 3 qualification.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do an apprenticeship to train as a service technician. For example:

  • Building Services Engineering Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
  • Gas Engineering Operative Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
More about this route
Foundation apprenticeship

You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.

If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:

  • have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
  • are in care or have been in care
  • are in prison or have been in prison

Other routes

You may be able to have your experience and skills assessed through the Accredited Certification Scheme to get a recognised competency certificate.

This assessment is aimed at experienced engineers who work in related industries, like plumbing, heating or ventilation.

What you’ll need

  • be on the Gas Safe Register to work with domestic gas heating systems

Registration and professional bodies

Further information

You can get more advice about gas industry careers from Energy & Utilities Careers & Jobs.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for gas service technician. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Kitchen and bathroom fitter

You can get into this job through:

College

You could take a college course, which would give you some of the skills needed to start as a trainee in this job.

Courses include:

  • construction skills
  • carpentry and joinery
  • plumbing studies
  • fitted interiors (construction)
  • kitchen and bathroom installation skills
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Fitted Interiors Installer Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship to get into this job.

Apprenticeships in joinery, wall and floor tiling, or plumbing may also be acceptable.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Apply directly

You can apply for jobs if you've got experience and qualifications in a related construction trade like joinery, plumbing, tiling or plastering.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

You may need to travel to other parts of the country for some jobs, especially on commercial and industrial contracts.

Further information

You'll find more details about careers in kitchen fitting and bathroom fitting from Go Construct.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for kitchen and bathroom fitter. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

6 for this job
Level 3About 4 years

Plumbing and domestic heating technician

You gain
Diploma in plumbing and domestic heating; Nationally Accredited Certification Scheme for Gas Fitting Operatives (ACS) Assessments…
Leads to
EngTech by the Engineering Council through The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE…
Details on Skills England
Level 3About 3 years

Low carbon heating technician

You gain
Certification in vented and unvented hot water storage systems
Details on Skills England
Level 3About 18 months

Gas engineering operative

You gain
IGEM IG/1 supplement 2 certification (Natural Gas) or IGEM IG/1 supplement 4…; Matters of Gas Safety Competency Accreditations to meet the requirements of the…
Leads to
Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM)
Details on Skills England
Level 3About 3 years

Heat network maintenance technician

Leads to
Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Other qualifications

QualificationTypeLevel
Building service engineering foundation apprenticeshipFoundation apprenticeship2
Building services engineering for constructionT Level3
Low carbon heating engineeringT Level3

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • examines drawings and specifications to determine layout of system
  • measures and cuts required lengths of copper, lead, steel, iron, aluminium or plastic using hand or machine tools
  • installs fittings such as storage tanks, cookers, baths, toilets, taps and valves, refrigerators, boilers, heat pumps, radiators and fires
  • tests completed installation for leaks and makes any necessary adjustments
  • attaches fittings and joins piping by welding, soldering, cementing, fusing, screwing or other methods
  • repairs burst pipes and mechanical and combustion faults and replaces faulty taps, washers, valves, etc

Skills

  • use measurement instruments
  • keep records of work progress
  • detect flaws in pipeline infrastructure
  • follow health and safety procedures in construction
  • inspect construction supplies
  • inspect pipelines
  • lay pipe installation
  • use personal protection equipment
  • use safety equipment in construction
  • work ergonomically
  • keep personal administration
  • process incoming construction supplies
  • work in a construction team
  • apply health and safety standards

Knowledge

  • types of pipelines
  • types of piping

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for skilled construction and building trades, a group of 12 jobs that includes plumbers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 1.5%about 14,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 2035374,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.