From employed plumbers to gas-registered self-employed engineers, enter your salary or annual earnings to see your take-home pay after Income Tax, National Insurance, pension and student loan for 2026/27.
Salary · pension · 2026/27
Plumber pay depends on your qualifications, whether you are gas-registered, your location and whether you are employed or self-employed. Heating engineers with a gas-safe registration and those running their own businesses in London and the South East are typically the highest earners.
| Role / level | Typical salary 2026 |
|---|---|
| Apprentice plumber | £14,000 – £20,000 |
| Qualified plumber | £28,000 – £36,000 |
| Gas-registered heating engineer | £36,000 – £45,000 |
| Self-employed / London | £45,000 – £60,000+ |
Employed plumbers are taxed through PAYE, which is what this calculator shows. If you are self-employed or run a limited company, your tax is worked out on profit — see the self-employed tax calculator for sole traders or the contractor take-home calculator for limited companies. Emergency call-outs and weekend work are taxed at your marginal rate; model them with the overtime calculator.
Qualified plumbers typically earn £28,000 to £45,000 a year employed, with gas-registered heating engineers and self-employed plumbers in London often earning £50,000 or more. Apprentices earn less while training.
Yes. Self-employed plumbers pay Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance on their profit through Self Assessment, not through PAYE. This calculator assumes employed pay; for sole-trader profit use the self-employed tax calculator, or the contractor calculator if you trade through a limited company.
Emergency call-out fees, overtime and weekend work are added to your earnings and taxed at your marginal Income Tax and National Insurance rate, so they are taxed the same way as your basic pay but at whatever band the extra income falls into.
On a £38,000 salary with a 5% pension contribution, an employed plumber takes home around £29,200 a year, roughly £2,430 a month, after Income Tax, National Insurance and pension. Enter your details above for an exact figure.
