Qualifications improve your chances; they do not gate the job. Level 2 is the most recognised.
Pay range: National Careers Service.
Live listings typically advertise £38,000 to £41,000 a year. See the full Plumber salary guide.
Your route in
You can start without qualifications - direct entry/volunteering; a qualification improves your chances
Starting from scratch
Entry-level courses that feed this route.
- Level 1 Diploma in Plumbing L11 course
Qualifications employers recognise (Level 2)
Any of these strengthens your application.
- Level 2 Diploma in Plumbing Studies L2143 courses
- Level 2 Technical Certificate in Plumbing L275 courses
- Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Plumbing and Heating L222 courses
- Level 2 Plumbing Foundation Diploma L215 courses
- Level 2 Diploma in Plumbing L21 course
Add-on certificates
Complements to the main route. Where no level is shown, the awarding body does not specify one.
- Install and Maintain Air Source Heat Pumps 2 courses
- Access to Building Services Engineering (Plumbing Foundation) 1 course
- 5-Day Introduction to Plumbing 1 course
Where this can take you
With experience, you could: do further training to become a heat pump engineer, work with ventilation and air-conditioning systems, or renewable energy technologies like solar powered heating, get certified with the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC), become a master plumber or move into building services engineering and train apprentice plumbers in a further education (FE) college or training centre.
- Level 3 Advanced Plumbing Diploma L334 courses
- Level 3 Diploma in Plumbing Studies L36 courses
- Level 3 Diploma in Plumbing Foundation L33 courses
Courses for this career
Level 2
- Level 2 Diploma in Plumbing Studies L2143 courses
- Level 2 Technical Certificate in Plumbing L275 courses
- Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Plumbing and Heating L222 courses
- Level 2 Plumbing Foundation Diploma L215 courses
- Level 2 Diploma in Plumbing L21 course
Level 3
- Level 3 Advanced Plumbing Diploma L334 courses
- Level 3 Diploma in Plumbing Studies L36 courses
- Level 3 Diploma in Plumbing Foundation L33 courses