national median · SOC 5315
£36,563
£17.58/hr · 2,080 hrs/yr
#51 · Engineering
Plumbers & heating and ventilating installers and repairers Salary
ONS ASHE ASHE 2025 (provisional) national median £36,563 (£17.58/hr on 2,080 hours). SOC 5315. Modeled 2026 take-home, training context, and career comparisons below.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
England, Wales & NI take-home
£29,845
18.4% effective
Scotland take-home at median
£29,814
18.5% effective
Key takeaways — Plumbers
- Plumbers & heating and ventilating installers and repairers ranks #51 of 63 on this hub with a £36,563 ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional) full-time employee median (£17.58/hr).
- Modeled England, Wales & NI take-home at that median: £29,845 (18.4% effective employee levy rate). Scotland: £29,814.
- One rank above: Occupational therapists at £37,201 (+£638).
- Bonuses, share schemes, overtime, and self-employment income are outside ASHE full-time employee cash-wage medians.
About Plumbers & heating and ventilating installers and repairers wages
The Office for National Statistics ASHE 2025 (provisional) publishes full-time employee annual gross medians by Standard Occupational Classification code. For Plumbers & heating and ventilating installers and repairers (SOC 5315), the national median annual pay is £36,563 — meaning half of full-time PAYE employees in this occupation earn more and half earn less across the UK.
We convert that median to an hourly equivalent using 2,080 full-time hours per year, then apply our 2026 UK paycheck model so you see modeled take-home, not just gross. That bridges labour-market statistics with the same tax rules as our UK calculator.
Use the compare tool to pit Plumbers against another career, or open the paycheck calculator to model an offer above or below the published median.
Engineering · rank context
Plumbers sits at rank #51 between Occupational therapists (#50, £37,201) and Welders (#52, £34,742).
Training & licensing context
Engineering medians often require a bachelor's in engineering or a related STEM field. Aerospace and electrical rows can swing with sector cycles.
ASHE wage percentiles (ASHE 2025 (provisional))
ASHE percentile wages show how pay spreads inside the Plumbers occupation — the median is the midpoint.
| 10th percentile | Median |
|---|---|
| £21,000 | £36,563 |
Take-home at ASHE median by nation
Single taxpayer, personal allowance, income tax + employee National Insurance — gross equals the published ASHE median. Scotland uses Scottish income tax bands.
| Nation | Take-home | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales & NI | £29,845 | 18.4% |
| Scotland | £29,814 | 18.5% |
Myths vs facts
Myth: Every Plumbers job pays the ASHE median.
Fact: The median is a national midpoint for full-time employees. Entry roles, part-time schedules, and lower-COL markets sit below; senior specialists in high-demand cities sit above.
Myth: Take-home at median is what you will net.
Fact: Our columns use a single-taxpayer vignette at the ASHE gross median. Tax code, pension, student loan, and Scotland vs England/Wales/NI bands change your actual paycheck.
Salary planning checklist
- Confirm the posting matches SOC 5315 (Plumbers & heating and ventilating installers and repairers)
- Compare England, Wales & NI vs Scotland take-home if relocation is on the table
- Read ASHE percentile tables when published for this occupation
- Use metro paycheck examples (UK) when the employer names a city
- Model your exact gross in the UK paycheck calculator
Common mistakes
- ✕Treating £36,563 as a universal offer for all experience levels
- ✕Ignoring licensing and training years when comparing to lower-medians with shorter paths
- ✕Skipping Scottish income tax when comparing two offers at similar gross medians
Compare Plumbers to other careers
Plumbers salary FAQs
ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional) lists a £36,563 full-time employee national median (SOC 5315) — about £17.58/hr on a 2,080-hour year.
Modeled take-home for a single taxpayer at the ASHE median: England, Wales & NI £29,845, Scotland £29,814 (2026 rules).
#51 of 63 occupations on this hub by national median wage.
ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional): low £21,000, median £36,563.
This SOC unit group anchors searches such as plumber salary.
Occupational therapists ranks #50 at £37,201 — £638 above Plumbers.
Welding trades ranks #52 at £34,742 — £1,821 below.
Related tools
UK paycheck calculator
Model your exact salary and nation
Metro paycheck examples UK
Major UK cities at £100k take-home
Take-home pay by UK nation
Scotland vs England, Wales & NI ladders
Highest paying jobs US
BLS occupation medians & compare
Highest paying jobs Canada
Job Bank occupation medians & compare
Highest paying jobs Australia
ABS EEH averages & compare
Highest paying jobs New Zealand
Stats NZ HLFS major-group medians & compare
Highest paying jobs Ireland
CSO SES occupation medians & compare
National Insurance calculator
Class 1 employee NI detail
Net to gross calculator UK
Reverse PAYE from a take-home target