Retraining in your 40s as a tradesperson

While reaching 40 seems daunting for many, it also presents opportunities. Nowadays, retraining in your 40s has never been easier. Read on to discover the whys and hows of learning a trade at 40. It could be the best decision you make.

Learning a trade at 40

When it comes to retraining in your 40s, it might not seem it, but your options are vast.

This is especially true as a tradesperson, where many jobs will allow you to train on the job if you have the right skills.

This means, that, if you have the desire, you can successfully retrain in any profession. There are even jobs for 40-year-olds with no qualifications.

Best of all, highly skilled tradespeople are in high demand across the country. This means there’ll be work available once you’re qualified. You’ll also have the capacity to earn an excellent salary as you become more experienced.

Keep reading to discover why (and how) you might consider retraining in your 40s as a skilled tradesperson.

The best career change ideas at 40

There are lots of easy career changes that pay well in the UK. So, choose something that interests you and you shouldn’t go wrong.

But with the increasing demand for skilled tradespeople in the UK, some of the best opportunities are in practical industries.

If you're good with your hands and fancy a new start, keep reading to discover some of the best career change ideas at 40.

Retraining as an electrician at 40

Being highly skilled, well-paid, and not overly work-intensive, retraining as an electrician is a solid choice. They carry out a wide variety of work, from residential wiring to civil engineering, street lighting, and commercial electricity supply.

As a qualified electrician, you can also expect the following benefits:

• Estimated salary of around £25,200once qualified

• Interesting and varied work on a daily basis

• Different working environments

• Design, installation, and maintenance work that provides a challenge

If you're interested in learning more about getting trained for electrical work, there are a number ofspecialist electrician courses to consider.

How to become a plumber at 40

Plumbers have excellent earning potential and numerous job opportunities across the country. Being a plumber, however, can be a physically demanding role. They are some of the fittest trades in the UK.

You must have a reasonable level of fitness and strength to competently carry out all duties.

Some things to expect as a qualified plumber include:

• An excellent salary of around £23,351 a year (take home)

• Work on domestic and industrial water systems

• Simple leak repairs to complex water pipe design

• Working with new automated technology

Not sure where to begin? There is a lot to know about options for retraining as a plumber, regardless of your age.

Different types of plumbers and their roles

From job stability to handy skills, being a plumber is a solid career choice once you know all the plumbing terminology and slang. In the plumbing industry, there are several different options available that you can specialise in or offer as part of your business. However, it’s important to

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Training as a bricklayer at 40

Bricklaying work is always a necessity no matter where you're based. Easy to learn but hard to master, bricklaying is a trade that you can pick up quickly.

Whether as a labourer, sole trader, or running your own company, bricklaying jobs are always in demand.

Here’s a quick look at what to expect:

• Expect a wage of around £31,942 take home per year

• Varied site work on a wide range of building projects

• A quick-to-learn trade that will position you well to branch into the wider construction trade

• The opportunity to work in different teams or as a subcontractor

Not sure about the process? Why not find out how to become a bricklayer. Whether you're in your 40s, or just starting out.

Becoming a carpenter at 40

Crafting items from wood is one of the oldest professions in the world. Once you reach the age of 40, what could start as a hobby could inspire a change of career.

Constantly needed for projects such as home building, roofing and garden structures, carpenters are really versatile.

Newly qualified carpenters can expect:

• Take home pay of around £15,900 per year

• Variety of job types and opportunities

• Transformational work that leads to high customer satisfaction

• Working with traditional materials

Learn more about how to become a carpenter, with a wide range of options designed to suit a variety of learning styles.

Retraining as a gas engineer at 40

Despite the drive towards using green energy, gas boilers are still in the majority of UK homes. Retraining as a gas or boiler engineer is therefore still a great career choice, as gas engineers will continue to be needed.

When you retrain as a gas or boiler engineer, you can expect:

• Once qualified, you could take home around £18,900 per year

• A combination of maintenance and installation work

• Testing appliances for gas safety and issuing certification

• Working at various locations both domestic and commercial

Find out more about retraining as a gas engineer to see if this is the sort of job for you.

Retraining as a builder at 40

If there’s one trade that will never go out of fashion, it’s building work. So, naturally, it can be a great choice if you’re looking to retrain.

Of course, building work is physically demanding, but this just means you’ll be able to stay active as you work.

Here are a few things to know about becoming a builder:

• You could be earning around £25,214per year (take home)

• Work on both commercial and domestic building sites

• The chance to branch out and specialise in different areas of building

• A social atmosphere and the chance to meet new faces every day

Being a builder is a solid profession, and one that many choose. With increases to home building targets from the UK government, builders are set to become even more desirable over the coming years.

How to become a builder

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Becoming a plasterer at 40

It might not be the first job you think of as a trade position, but plastering work is very much in demand. For example, in 2024 alone, there were over 655,000 plastering job searches through the Checkatrade site.*

Training, while comprehensive, can be faster than other careers and preps you for expanding into other trades down the line.

As a plaster, you can expect to see the following:

• Newly qualified plasterers can take home around £16,032 per year

• Domestic work in client’s homes, as well as work on larger commercial projects

• The potential for expansion into other trade careers at a later date

• The chance to work with a team or as your own business

There are a number of routes if you want to become a plasterer. Whether on the job, as an apprentice, or via a college course, there are different options to consider.

Getting a career in the trade after 40

Skilled tradespeople are in high demand across the UK. Especially due to a growing skills gap, which has led to the creation of organisations such as Skills England.

If you decide to take the plunge and retrain in any trade role, your career prospects can only improve.

As a newly qualified skilled tradesperson, some of the opportunities available to you include:

Electricians

• Domestic electrician

• Installation electrician

• Maintenance & PAT testing

• Electric vehicle design and maintenance

• Highway electrical systems

Plumbers

• Commercial plumbers

• Residential plumbers

• Water supply plumbers

• Water treatment specialists

• Servicing and repair

Gas engineers

• Boiler installation and maintenance

• Gas Safe testing and certification

• New technology development

• Commercial gas infrastructure

• Emergency gas leak repairs

Builders

• Domestic building work

• Commercial building work

• Long-term projects in various settings

• Infrastructure projects

• Emergency building repairs

Plasterers

• Plastering projects in client's home

• Wide-ranging commercial plastering projects

• Construction site plastering work

• Experimentation with new plastering substances

• Ad-hoc plastering repairs and site preparation

Bricklayers

• Small-scale domestic bricklaying

• Large-scale commercial bricklaying

• Single project bricklaying build

• Garden and outdoor bricklaying

• Bricklaying infrastructure projects

Get a new trade career started with Checkatrade

As you can see, there are plenty of career change ideas at 40 that you can try. However, with a new career started, it is good to get off to a successful start.

As a verified Checkatrade member, you’ll be able to show your commitment to high standards, both for colleagues and customers.

If you're starting out in a new trade business venture, either as a sole trader or limited company, having support and more leads coming your way can only be a good thing.

Trade businesses can enjoy the following with Checkatrade membership:

• Unique business profile (for reviews, contact details, photos and more)

• Savings on public liability insurance (with Superscript)

• We'll guarantee your jobs (if booked through us - T&Cs apply)

• Get money off essentials like tools and workwear

• Added trust and reputation by association

Get in touch today to learn more about becoming a qualified Checkatrade member.

Our fixed membership option lets you build the plan that’s perfect for you and your business needs.

Retraining at 40 FAQs

What jobs are most popular with over 40s?

Skilled trades such as electricians and plumbers are popular jobs with over 40s. Other trades such as builders, plasterers, decorators, and gardeners are also popular.

Administrative and office-based jobs also remain popular with over 40s. Tradespeople often use their work experience and transferrable skills to switch to more managerial roles within the same industry.

What's a good career change at 40?

Everyone has different circumstances and needs, so you'll be the best person to decide which trade will suit you. It is worth considering the impact on your work-life balance that retraining can bring, as trade jobs will have different hours than working in an office (for example).

Is it too late to change career at 40?

Although perhaps cliché, phrases such as "every day is a school day" and "you're never too old to learn" are really apply. Your passions and life circumstances will change as you mature, and so a new skilled trade career could provide motivation and help reset your professional life.

* Internal search data from users of the Checkatrade.com website between 1st January and 31st December 2024