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Last updated: 19 December 2024
What's the average gas engineer salary?
A gas engineer salary in the UK can be significant with the right training. This guide looks at how much does a gas engineer earn, including costs to consider when running your own business.
As with any trade, the potential salary for a gas engineer will depend on several factors. Experience and qualifications play an important role in determining your earning potential.
Qualified gas engineers usually work on a wider range of equipment compared with heating engineers. That can increase the gas engineer's earning potential.
What does a gas engineer do?
For all types of gas appliances, including heating and kitchen appliances, gas engineers can:
Install
Service
Maintain
Check for leaks and make them safe
Connect to the mains gas
Gas engineers typically work in either or both of these areas:
Residential properties
Commercial properties
How easy it is to become a gas engineer?
You need the right training to be a qualified gas engineer. The most important qualification is to be Gas Safe registered.
Get Gas Safe training to start out as a gas engineer
Why train as a gas engineer? Training or retraining to be a gas engineer could be a great option for you. You may be: In a job you don’t like and keen for a new challenge. Leaving or graduated school and now considering career options. Already working as a tradesperson but want to gain new skills
Earn more by specialisng
Similarly, specialising in certain areas and providing niche services can provide an additional source of income. Areas such as installation, servicing and testing can all provide different levels of pay.
Increase your earning potential
Grow your gas engineer business and join Checkatrade today!
Gas engineer salary potential in London
Another variable on how much you can earn is where you work. As you might expect, you can probably earn more working in the capital.
A higher cost of living in London means average salaries are higher. That applies to a gas engineer salary London.
A London weighting takes the gas engineer average wage up a few notches. Especially if you already live in or near the city. Bear in mind that transport costs to and from work could be higher. So could journey times to get to work.
How much can a gas engineer earn?
We've compiled a comparison table to provide a better idea of the typical gas engineer salary in the UK.
It gives a detailed view of gas engineer salary expectations at different parts of your career:
| Level | Per hour | Per day | Per year | Business Costs* | Approximate Take Home Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | £10.50 | £84 | £18,438 | £0 | £15,936 |
| Newly Qualified | £16.50 | £132 | £28,974 | £0 | £23,351 |
| Employed | £22.00 | £176 | £45,760 | £0 | £34,407 |
| Sole Trader | £44.00 | £352 | £64,902 | £8,113 | £46,244 |
| Business Owner (ltd company) | £49.50 | £396 | £73,014 | £12,778 | £48,509 |
| *includes estimated costs for business expenses such as vehicle, tools, insurance, fuel etc | |||||
| Last updated: November 2024 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now | |||||
As you can see, the average wage for a gas engineer can vary greatly. This is can depend on the current stage of your career and how you are employed.
How much does an apprentice gas engineer earn?
Becoming a gas engineer is a great way to start out in a trade profession. There are plenty of ways to qualify and becoming an apprentice is one of them. The average wage for an apprentice gas engineer is £18,438 per year.
What’s a qualified gas engineer average wage?
Once you qualify in the trade, then your salary should go up. A newly qualified gas engineer average wage is £28,974 per year.
At this stage in your career, you’re likely to be working for someone else. As an employee for a business, your average salary is likely to be £45,760 per year.
Gas engineer salary in the UK for a business owner
Of course, many tradespeople aspire to be their own boss. Typically, this can be as a sole trader. Here, your average gas engineer salary should be around £64,902 per year.
By setting up a limited company business you can usually charge more for your gas engineer services. How much a gas engineer can earn who owns a limited company is around £73,014 per year.
Business expenses can reduce your salary
Remember, as a business owner you’ll also have to pay business expenses. For a sole trader gas engineer, these could be £8,113 per year.
Limited companies also incur business costs. For gas engineers who own a limited company, these average £12,778 per year.
Increase your earning potential
Grow your gas engineer business and join Checkatrade today!
What’s the average gas engineer salary for an employee?
Whether you’re paid hourly or daily, experience counts. Like many trade professions, there’s usually an increase in salary for gas engineers with more qualifications.
Earn more with qualifications
Once you’ve completed an apprenticeship, as an employee you should have further learning opportunities. New qualifications can help see your salary rise.
Hourly or daily rates generally depend on how your employee prefers to work. Often, that depends on the nature and length of the job.
Hourly rates for gas engineers
Apprentice: £10.50 per hour
Newly qualified: £16.50 per hour
Employed: £22.00 per hour
Daily rates for gas engineers
These daily rates are based on an eight-hour day:
Apprentice: £84 per day
Newly qualified: £132 per day
Employed: £176 per day
Running your own gas engineer business
Now, let’s move up a gear and look at gas engineer salaries for business owners. You can earn more. But don’t forget that as a business owner, you’ll probably take on more risks.
If you’re thinking about starting a gas engineer business, you’ll need a plan. A workable business plan can help you map out your future.
One of the essentials for running any business is knowing how to bring in customers. That usually comes down to having good sales and marketing.
Business expenses
As well as your income, your business will incur expenses. A significant expense could be insurance for gas engineers. You’ll need to keep on top of them for your trade business to be profitable.
Another benefit of running your own business is that you can use certain business costs to reduce your taxable profit.
Gas engineer salary in the UK for sole traders
Going it alone as a self-employed sole trader brings its rewards. Being in greater control of your career also means being able to earn more.
The average wage for a gas engineer who is a sole trader on an annual basis is £64,902 per year.
You can expect average annual business costs in the region of £8,113 per year.
Gas engineer average wage if you run a limited company
Moving your trade business to limited company status is a big step. It’s one you need to think about carefully. There are benefits and drawbacks of setting up a limited company.
As the business owner, you can set your salary level. The average gas engineer salary in the UK if you own a limited company is around £73,014 per year.
You’ll then need to deduct business costs, which average £12,778 per year.
How to earn more money as a gas engineer
In order to earn more as a gas engineer, you need to enhance both your qualifications and experience.
This is especially important for those starting out in their career, but even experienced gas engineers should expand their qualifications.
Gas Safe training is essential when starting out as a gas engineer, you’ll need to achieve certain essential qualifications. A diploma or NVQ is required to begin working as a gas engineer. This should be in one of the following areas:
Heating or gas utilisation
Domestic natural gas installation
Domestic natural gas maintenance
Domestic plumbing and heating
To qualify as a gas engineer, you’ll also need to demonstrate that you have practical experience. This must involve working with a registered gas company or engineer and carrying out work in a real-life setting.
As for more experienced gas engineers, you should research online for courses for training in unfamiliar areas of work. This will help you expand the types of work you can offer clients.
Fancy being your own boss?
Running their own business is the goal of many tradespeople. If these gas engineer salary estimates tempt you down this route, then various options are open.
As we’ve said, these include being a sole trader and setting up a limited company. Take a long hard look at the differences between sole trader and limited company.
These average salary stats for gas engineers may persuade you. If they have, then the next step is to be your own boss.
Top tips on how to become your own boss
"I can't afford to start my own business." "I don't have the experience or knowledge to run a business." "What if I fail?" You wouldn't be human if you didn't have these doubts swirling through your mind. Every successful entrepreneur thinks this before starting up at some point. The fact of the
Boost your gas engineer business with sales leads
If you decide to be your own boss running a gas engineer business it can feel lonely at times. But you don’t have to look far for support. One way is by keeping your pipeline of sales leads flowing.
That’s where you can rely on us. Checkatrade members receive our help with new enquiries. There are lots of other benefits of Checkatrade membership too.
They include:
Exclusive offers and discounts with suppliers like Tradepoint and Wickes
Reduced cost of workwear and branding
Guaranteed work when booked through us (T&Cs apply)
Dedicated trades apps for job management and quoting/invoicing
What do you need to become Checkatrade approved?
Becoming a Checkatrade member comes with a whole host of benefits, but the biggest has to be gaining our seal of approval. Homeowners tend to expect a commitment to quality when it comes to the Checkatrade tick, which can help you to win more business. Here are the checks you'll need to pass to join our directory.
Increase your earning potential
Grow your gas engineer business and join Checkatrade today!
FAQs
Is a heating engineer the same as a gas engineer?
A heating engineer generally works on heating systems including boilers, radiators and all connected hot and cold-water pipework. A gas engineer with the right qualifications can work on a much wider range of gas appliances.
What is the difference between a plumber and a gas engineer?
The main difference between a plumber and a heating engineer is that most plumbers don’t hold Gas Safe certification.
How easy it is to become a gas engineer?
Start by getting the right training. This should include Gas Safe registration. You can find training courses at local colleges and from employers who offer 'on-the-job training'. The gas engineer trade profession is highly skilled and in demand, so there should be plenty of opportunities available to become one.
How much does a commercial gas engineer earn?
Our guide to how much a gas engineer can earn is based on working on either commercial or residential properties. One difference with commercial properties is that more work could be available on larger-scale projects.
How much does a Gas Safe engineer earn?
A gas engineer salary usually rises as you gain more experience, from apprentices to fully qualified tradespeople. You can earn more as a Gas Safe registered engineer by running your own business.
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