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Official ONS earnings · Updated September 2026

Plumber salary in the UK

Full-time employed plumbers earn a median of £37,881 a year (£18.18 an hour), 3% below the £39,039 median for all UK full-time employees.

Median yearly pay, full-time
£37,881
Median hourly pay
£18.18
Median weekly pay
£748
Top 20% earn more than
£47,330

Pay range

What plumbers earn, from lowest to highest

Yearly pay for full-time employees at each point of the range (percentiles).

  1. 10% earn under£24,916
  2. 20% earn under£29,582
  3. 25% earn under£31,656
  4. 30% earn under£32,861
  5. 40% earn under£35,165
  6. Median (50%)£37,881
  7. 60% earn under£40,152
  8. 70% earn under£43,979
  9. 75% earn under£45,451
  10. 80% earn under£47,330

Points are shown only where ONS rates the estimate as reliable. The median changed by -0.6% on 2024.

The trade in numbers

  • 42,070 active plumbing and heating companies on Companies House.
  • 53.4% of those set up in 2019–2020 were still going five years later.
  • 8.6% are currently proposed for strike-off or in insolvency.

From our Trade Survival Index and Trade Index.

Qualifications

  • A Level 2 or Level 3 plumbing and domestic heating qualification, often through an apprenticeship.
  • Gas Safe registration, which is a legal requirement for anyone working on gas appliances such as boilers.
  • Extra certificates for unvented hot water systems, heat pumps or water regulations, depending on the work.

Self-employed

Self-employed plumber earnings

Many plumbers and gas engineers are self-employed and charge by the hour, day or job. That income isn't covered by the ONS figures, and it has to cover tools, van, insurance and Gas Safe fees.

Working for yourself? Compare sole trader vs limited company, or work out CIS deductions and refunds.

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How it compares with other trades

See the full ranking of UK trade salaries, from air-conditioning engineers to gardeners, in the highest paid trades in the UK.

Hiring rather than training? Find local plumbers and heating engineers or get free quotes.

Plumber salary FAQs

Full-time employed plumbers earn a median £37,881 a year, according to ONS figures for 2025. The middle half earn between £31,656 and £45,451.

The median for full-time employed plumbers is £18.18 an hour, typically on a 40-hour paid week. Self-employed plumbers charge customers more per hour to cover their costs.

The top 20% of full-time employed plumbers earn more than £47,330 a year. Supervisors, specialists and those working overtime or away from home tend to earn most.

Many plumbers and gas engineers are self-employed and charge by the hour, day or job. That income isn't covered by the ONS figures, and it has to cover tools, van, insurance and Gas Safe fees.

ONS groups gas and heating engineers with plumbers, so the same figures apply: the median for full-time employees is shown at the top of this page. Gas Safe registered engineers who specialise in boilers are often at the upper end of the range.

There were 42,070 active plumbing and heating companies on the Companies House register in September 2026, plus many sole traders and employees. About 53.4% of such companies set up in 2019–2020 were still trading five years later.

Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional), Table 14, full-time employee jobs, UK: Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers and repairers (SOC 5315). Excludes the self-employed. We'll update this page when ONS publishes the 2026 figures.