The salaries of Plumbers are often talked about in the national press. The lack of Plumbers in the UK has led to salaries of 30-70k p.a. being exhibited. So, is this really the position or is this basically untrue? Certainly this level of payment is both possible and achievable for the correctly qualified Plumber. To be fair, the higher earnings of 70-100k p.a. are generally for those working within the self-employed field.

It is fairly usual to expect working hours of 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday with a reputable employer. Normal remuneration such as holiday pay and sickness allowance, along with wages of between 15k and 30K p.a., are usual from UK companies in this area. By working ‘out of hours’ – typically longer than 9am to 6pm Mon- Fri the self employed person can often achieve a higher wage. This is more noticeable when the self employed plumber chooses to work in the domestic market, as result often requiring many evening and weekend visits to suit their clients.

On a personal level remains the issue self-employment, something that does not become everybody. This can involve factors such as getting the basics sorted out and the need to use good ‘business sense’ overall. There are additional charges levied to people who work for themselves including legal and accountancy fees as well as those relating to materials and transport. While these costs can mount up, so too do the benefits, however the costs should always remain a smaller part of the income generated. And the downsides are nearly always outweighed by the proceeds!

Often customary work from employers attracts Student Entrants especially if it meets their needs training in working knowledge and experience. The Self Employed Entrant on the other hand will need to widen their list of plumbing accreditations and certifications as quickly as possible. That said the vast majority of self-employed plumbers appear to favour the ‘domestic’ instead of the commercial market. (Not all of them, but the main do!)

There does appear to be some union between certification relating to each path of Plumbing education and hence the industry. The issue of NVQ’s (or SVQ’s in Scotland) nevertheless appears to cause some difference.

To begin with the NVQ structure appears to be much more important to the Student Entrant than to the Self Employed Entrant. Therefore many Self Employed Entrants will meet their clients’ needs through the use of a wider range of certifications. To satisfy their typical household-based client base many self-employed persons will need to quickly focus on the relative domestic skill sets. Once they have covered the core parts the Student Entrant will often carry on their study not dissimilar to an apprenticeship in the workplace (where the NVQ element can be appraised.) Due to the cost effectiveness of this study the Student Entrant can make strong savings from the outset. Nevertheless by taking a more commercial viewpoint and gaining qualifications faster than the Student Entrant, many Self Employed Entrants gain greater financial rewards and within a shorter space of time.

This clearly demonstrates the need for talk about careers, covering the certification and study required along with the expected financial rewards. It is often the issue of 3 years in low-paid apprenticeship work, alongside going back to college that many adults having to look after their family and with say 20kp.a requirements find difficult. Normally, self-employed students to pay for their courses themselves whereas the younger Student Entrants have the majority of their courses paid for them as part of their apprenticeships. The level of certification sought by the student drives the course structure and can result in costs of between 3k through to 10k+.

Student Entrants will in the main study at further-education colleges, the Self Employed student however has the option to consider the increased scope of private commercial colleges. Commercially oriented plumbing course companies will provide an established path of training which ultimately leads into recognised skill-sets and qualifications. In the current climate the ability of Self Employed Entrants to maintain their current financial situation and job, whilst at the same time as training in the evening, part-time or on self study classes remains one of the advantages of this system. With so many training colleges available, it makes sense to gather information from as many sources as possible. To review your options why not book mark this page (CTRL-D) and you can come back and review the links and adverts we have provided for you.

Plumbers ‘marketability’ is often increased through the use of additional courses. Key certificates in areas such as Gas, Green Energy and Electrical training can be provided by these courses. A popular route for Plumbers involves that of the normal domestic and commercial heating system training program of Gas Training.

Without a doubt, NVQ’s that follow on core subjects lead into the careful and precise program that is Gas Training. It also features many options for on-going training, especially for those who trained as a plumber first and are now looking at some extra skills to add to their stable. It is from this position that many believe the mix of Plumbing/Gas Training is more apt to the mature student. It is by centring on these core elements and dropping the NVQ elements that the Mature Student appears to settle.

It is this distinct training hybrid that appears to suit the self-employed professional. To earn money whilst at the same time as gaining a wider range of perceived skills becomes a desirable prospect. This adds to their overall package rather than having to rely on sub-contraction of key skills to third parties. Of equal concern is the lowering of customer value as they have to wait for essentials to be handled by others and the reduction of the overall earning potential that ensues from sub-contraction. The more skilled a plumber is in their job role – the more that they have to offer their client base.

Finally, whilst the Student Entrant breaks into the industry more quickly the Self Employed Entrant has the opportunity for higher potential earnings, but to do so they need to develop a broader range of certifications and a higher level of business skill sets. Note: This information deals with industry requirements and policies for the UK market alone.

(C) 2009 – S. Edwards. Pop over to Part Time Plumbing Courses or Plumbing Courses.