--- title: "Who earns more, electrician or plumber in the UK? | Pay set out" url: https://visionplumbing.co.uk/resources/who-earns-more-electrician-or-plumber-in-the-uk/ --- # Who earns more, electrician or plumber in the UK? Water stopped, the leak traced and the repair finished with a one year warranty on parts and labour: Vision Plumbing runs a 24-hour emergency call-out, so call its emergency plumber the moment water appears where it should not. [4.8 out of 5 · 49 reviews on Trustpilot (opens Trustpilot)](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/visionplumbing.co.uk)[24 reviews on Checkatrade (opens Checkatrade)](https://www.checkatrade.com/trades/VisionPlumbingLimited) ## Don’t just take our word for it Read every review on the [reviews](https://visionplumbing.co.uk/reviews/) page. JJustin 5 out of 5 stars, review from Trustpilot > Superb service, came same day and did an amazing job sorting out my blocked sink. Definitely would use again. [via Trustpilot (opens Trustpilot)](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/visionplumbing.co.uk) DDavid Page 5 out of 5 stars, review from Trustpilot > Norbert was very helpful and friendly. He fixed a leak I had in my bathroom very quickly. Definitely will use again! [via Trustpilot (opens Trustpilot)](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/visionplumbing.co.uk) Verified reviewer, job in TN13 **10**/10 on Checkatrade Replace broken toilet cistern > Very speedy response to job request on this website, Norbert called within seconds and agreed to call in for quote later today. Came when said he… [via Checkatrade (opens Checkatrade)](https://www.checkatrade.com/trades/VisionPlumbingLimited) RRob 5 out of 5 stars, review from Trustpilot > True definition of 24/7 great service. Very helpful used his services on 2 occasions went above and beyond each time. Great guy keep up the good work. [via Trustpilot (opens Trustpilot)](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/visionplumbing.co.uk) AAnna 5 out of 5 stars, review from Trustpilot > Excellent communication, explained issue well, supplied a clear itemized quote, good workmanship and overall high efficiency. Would hire again. [via Trustpilot (opens Trustpilot)](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/visionplumbing.co.uk) Verified reviewer, job in TN13 **10**/10 on Checkatrade Unblocked of blocked sewerage drains > Emergency call out on a Sunday evening. Very prompt and came straight away. Sorted the problem straight away and at a fair price for a Sunday night… [via Checkatrade (opens Checkatrade)](https://www.checkatrade.com/trades/VisionPlumbingLimited) DDi 5 out of 5 stars, review from Trustpilot > We always use Norbert’s plumbing service at our restaurant. He is always on time and fully understand what needs to be done. Highly recommend ! [via Trustpilot (opens Trustpilot)](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/visionplumbing.co.uk) TThomas Dixon 5 out of 5 stars, review from Trustpilot > Excellent work - very efficient. Friendly service. I would highly recommend to others. [via Trustpilot (opens Trustpilot)](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/visionplumbing.co.uk) Verified reviewer, job in E16 **10**/10 on Checkatrade Leaking pipe behind a laundry machine > Norbert did the job well and efficiently. He was available at short notice to help. [via Checkatrade (opens Checkatrade)](https://www.checkatrade.com/trades/VisionPlumbingLimited) AAnia Hampton 5 out of 5 stars, review from Trustpilot > Excellent service. Work undertaken in a timely thorough and clean manner. Operator was friendly informative and totally professional. Highly… [via Trustpilot (opens Trustpilot)](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/visionplumbing.co.uk) JJoe 5 out of 5 stars, review from Trustpilot Knowledgable and trustworthy > This firm is professional and do the job well. They turned up on time and they are very knowledgeable. Very trustworthy. I highly recommend them. [via Trustpilot (opens Trustpilot)](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/visionplumbing.co.uk) Verified reviewer, job in TN4 **10**/10 on Checkatrade Clean out blocked drain, used camera to ensure pipework was in good condition. > The quality of the work completed was extremely high, the engineer did not finish the job until he was satisfied the drain was completely clean as… [via Checkatrade (opens Checkatrade)](https://www.checkatrade.com/trades/VisionPlumbingLimited) HHarriet Boulding 5 out of 5 stars, review from Trustpilot > Great service! Norbert is very professional and I am very pleased with the result. Will be recommending him. [via Trustpilot (opens Trustpilot)](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/visionplumbing.co.uk) CCsaba Nyako 5 out of 5 stars, review from Trustpilot > Very professional service from start to finish. Norbert was friendly and knowledgeable and kept me informed at all stages. [via Trustpilot (opens Trustpilot)](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/visionplumbing.co.uk) Verified reviewer, job in TN15 **10**/10 on Checkatrade Fixing a new radiator to the wall and updating pipe work to remove valves on our open heating system > Norbert was absolutely brilliant. He offered great advice, worked efficiently and left everything tidy and well completed. He was also friendly and… [via Checkatrade (opens Checkatrade)](https://www.checkatrade.com/trades/VisionPlumbingLimited) LLauren Ford 5 out of 5 stars, review from Trustpilot Great service for emergency work > I called Vision Plumbing as I could hear water gushing underneath my kitchen. He was able to attend quickly, and found and resolved the issue at a… [via Trustpilot (opens Trustpilot)](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/visionplumbing.co.uk) TTunde Ogunniyi 5 out of 5 stars, review from Trustpilot Prompt emergency response > Norbert was one of several emergency plumbing services I rang overnight after being disappointed by another plumber when seeking assistance for a… [via Trustpilot (opens Trustpilot)](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/visionplumbing.co.uk) Verified reviewer, job in SE15 **10**/10 on Checkatrade Replacing kitchen tap AND replacing pipes under kitchen sink > After exchanging a few text messages Norbert turned up the following day on time with the replacement parts and completed the work in a very… [via Checkatrade (opens Checkatrade)](https://www.checkatrade.com/trades/VisionPlumbingLimited) Vision Plumbing is a **SafeContractor approved** business 5 min read[Plumber](https://visionplumbing.co.uk/services/plumber/) Most pay comparisons between electricians and plumbers set a wage beside a business turnover and call it a result, which is why the answers online disagree. We are a working Emergency Plumber covering Kent, Medway, Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex and south-east London, so this is written from inside the trade, with no invented salary figures. **The Short Version** - Why employed pay in both trades sits close together - The six levers that decide what a tradesperson actually earns - How Part P, water regulations and Gas Safe registration shape income - Why plumber and gas engineer figures should never be mixed - The common errors behind misleading self-employed earnings claims - How long it takes to move from apprentice to full earnings Vision Plumbing is a sole trader plumbing, drainage and hot water business, so you deal with one plumber from the first call to the finished job. If you need an emergency plumber, we cover the whole area, [emergency call-outs in Maidstone](https://visionplumbing.co.uk/resources/emergency-plumber-maidstone/) included. Get a quick quote from Vision Plumbing anywhere across Kent, Medway, Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex and south-east London before a small leak becomes a ceiling repair. ## Who earns more, electrician or plumber in the UK? Who earns more, electrician or plumber in the UK, has no fixed answer: employed pay in the two trades sits close together, and the difference between two people comes far more from employment type, specialism, region and hours worked than from the trade itself. In the common case, the better-paid one is the self-employed specialist with steady demand. **Get a quick quote from Vision Plumbing and speak to the same plumber who will stop the water and fix the fault.** [Quick Quote Online](#contact)[Call Now: 07379 636676](tel:+447379636676) ## What actually moves a tradesperson's pay Put a newly qualified electrician beside a newly qualified plumber on the same employer's payroll and their starting salary will rarely be far apart. Earnings spread out later, as each person makes choices about how they work. These are the levers that decide earning potential in either trade: - **Employed or self-employed.** An employed tradesperson earns a wage. A self-employed electrician or self-employed plumber earns whatever is left after the business is paid for, which can be well above a wage or below it. - **Specialism.** General work pays like general work. Specialist skills, such as commercial electrical installation for an electrician, or unvented hot water and drainage for a plumber, widen the range of jobs and the daily rate they support. - **Region.** Pay in London and the South East tends to run above the national picture, and so do living and running costs. A national average annual salary says little about any one town. - **Hours and urgency.** Out-of-hours and emergency work adds income for those willing to answer the phone at night. - **Equipment.** Owning specialist kit, rather than hiring it in, lets a tradesperson take on heavier jobs directly. - **Demand where they work.** A trade in short supply locally commands better day rates than one with plenty of competition. Government salary data is useful for the employed side, but it measures pay, not profit, so it understates the spread among people who run their own business. ## The rules that shape both trades Regulation decides which work each trade may legally take on, and that has a direct effect on income. Notifiable electrical work in homes in England falls under Part P of the Building Regulations, which is why many electricians join a scheme that lets them certify their own work. Plumbing has its own rules. New water fittings must meet the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, and unvented hot water cylinders need specific competence to install. Gas is separate again: anyone carrying out gas work for payment must be on the Gas Safe Register, which takes additional qualifications and assessment beyond plumbing. That distinction matters, because plenty of salary comparisons quietly bundle plumbers and gas engineers together. Vision Plumbing, for example, is plumbing, drainage and hot water only, and anything involving gas or a boiler goes to a registered gas engineer. ## Common mistakes in comparing the two trades Most confused answers to this question come from comparing figures that do not measure the same thing. The usual errors: - **Treating gross takings as income.** A self-employed tradesperson pays for a van, fuel, tools, insurance, materials and accounting before any of it is theirs, then pays tax. - **Forgetting unpaid time.** Quoting, travelling, paperwork, holidays and sick days earn nothing for a sole trader. - **Mixing plumbers with gas engineers.** Heating and gas qualifications change the picture, so a plumber-only figure and a gas engineer figure are different comparisons. - **Applying London numbers everywhere.** Regional pay differences are real in both trades. - **Reading an apprentice wage as a career wage.** Early pay in both trades is low by design and rises with trade qualifications and employment experience. - **Assuming emergency work is easy money.** It pays for nights, weekends and being on call, which is time taken from everything else. A fair comparison sets employed pay against employed pay, and business profit against business profit, in the same region and specialism. ## How long it takes to reach full earnings Both trades usually begin with an apprenticeship or college route lasting a few years, combining paid site work with study. Pay in that period is modest, and it rises once the person is a qualified tradesperson working unsupervised. Career progression after that is gradual. Experience brings faster, more confident work and the specialist jobs that pay better. Going self-employed is the step where earnings can climb furthest, but it also brings the most disruption: the first year or so often means uneven income while a customer base grows, and profit margins depend on keeping the diary full. Emergency call-outs are one route that tests a plumber's experience directly. Water through a ceiling at night has to be stopped, traced and repaired by someone who knows what they are looking at. If you need an emergency plumber near you across Kent, Medway, Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex or south-east London, Vision Plumbing runs a 24-hour emergency call-out, and the plumber who quotes the job is the plumber who turns up and does it. **Get a quick quote from Vision Plumbing and speak to the same plumber who will stop the water and fix the fault.** [Quick Quote Online](#contact)[Call Now: 07379 636676](tel:+447379636676) - [Home](https://visionplumbing.co.uk/) - [Resources](https://visionplumbing.co.uk/resources/) - Who earns more, electrician or plumber in the UK? #### On This Page #### Need A Hand With This? Norbert does the work himself, with a one year warranty on parts and labour. ## Related resources - [How much does a plumber charge for 3 hours work?](https://visionplumbing.co.uk/resources/how-much-does-a-plumber-charge-for-3-hours-work/)How much does a plumber charge for 3 hours work? UK averages explained, what moves the rate, and how to get a quick, honest quote for your own job. - [Plumber in Royal Tunbridge Wells](https://visionplumbing.co.uk/resources/plumber-royal-tunbridge-wells/)Plumber in Royal Tunbridge Wells for leaks, taps, showers, drains and unvented cylinders, quoted and fixed by one plumber, 24-hour call-out. Get a quick quote. - [Plumber in Maidstone](https://visionplumbing.co.uk/resources/plumber-maidstone/)Plumber in Maidstone for leaks, taps, drains, hot water. One sole trader quotes and does the job, with his own drain camera and jetting kit. Get a quick quote. ## Tell Norbert what needs doing A line about the job is enough. Norbert reads every enquiry himself and rings you back to talk it through before he quotes. 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