Pipe fitters salary in the UK
The median full-time salary for pipe fitters in the UK is £42,580 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,848 a month.
Pay range for pipe fitters
This is the ONS occupation group "Pipe fitters" (SOC 2020 code 5214). ONS figures for 2025 show that ONS published only the median, so half earn less than £42,580 and half earn more.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 25th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Median (50th percentile) | £42,580 | £3,548 | £34,177 | £2,848 |
| 75th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 90th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Take-home at England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates. Not published means ONS did not publish that figure because the estimate is not reliable enough. ONS rates the median for pipe fitters as acceptable, so use it with caution: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 18%.
Where pipe fitters rank
The median for pipe fitters ranks 109th of 362 occupations on this site, in the upper half, and 6th of 52 in skilled trades occupations. It is £3,541 (9.1%) higher than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs. ONS change on the previous year: the median for pipe fitters fell 7.5%, while the UK median for all full-time jobs rose 4.3%.
Jobs with the nearest medians: Environment professionals (£43,362), Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors (£42,700), Mental health nurses (£42,692), Health care practice managers (£42,559), Newspaper and periodical editors (£42,451) and Other nursing professionals (£42,300).
How spread out pay is
ONS did not publish the 25th or 75th percentiles for pipe fitters, so we cannot show how spread out their pay is.
The mean for pipe fitters (total pay divided by the number of employees) is £40,698, which is £1,882 (4.4%) lower than the median. When the mean is below the median, a smaller number of lower salaries are pulling the average down. For all UK full-time jobs the mean is 24.3% above the median, so the gap for pipe fitters is smaller.
Pipe fitters and related jobs
Among these 4 jobs in the same ONS minor group, this one has the highest median. The highest median among them is £42,580 (pipe fitters) and the lowest £32,207 (sheet metal workers).
| Job | SOC code | Median salary | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipe fitters | 5214 | £42,580 | £2,848 |
| Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations | 5212 | £37,058 | £2,517 |
| Welding trades | 5213 | £35,344 | £2,414 |
| Sheet metal workers | 5211 | £32,207 | £2,226 |
Take-home pay against all jobs
At the median, pipe fitters take home about £2,848 a month, against £2,636 on the UK median for all jobs. Scotland has its own income tax bands, so take-home pay on the same salary is different there.
| Group | Median a year | Take-home a month | Take-home a month in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipe fitters | £42,580 | £2,848 | £2,841 |
| All full-time employee jobs, UK | £39,039 | £2,636 | £2,631 |
Related pages
All jobs in the Skilled trades occupations table, average salary by area, the take home pay calculator, salary to hourly calculator and pay rise calculator.
How this is worked out
Pay: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), 2025 provisional, SOC 2020 unit group 5214. Take-home: 2026/27 rates, tax code 1257L, no pension or student loan. How to read these figures.
Sources
- ASHE Table 14: earnings by occupation (4-digit SOC), 2025 provisional (ONS)
- ASHE Table 7: earnings by place of work, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups (ONS)
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances (GOV.UK)
- Scottish Income Tax (GOV.UK)
- National Insurance: how much you pay (GOV.UK)
Figures checked on 12 October 2026. ONS plans to publish its next ASHE figures on 22 October 2026. Read how we calculate or tell us about a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
On the median full-time salary of £42,580, take-home pay is about £2,848 a month (£34,177 a year) after 2026/27 income tax and National Insurance, with tax code 1257L and no pension or student loan. In Scotland, where income tax is different, it is about £2,841 a month.
Only the median for 2025: half of full-time employees in this group earn less than £42,580 and half earn more. ONS did not publish the other points in the range because those estimates are not reliable enough.
Yes. The median for pipe fitters is £42,580, which is £3,541 (9.1%) higher than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs (ONS, 2025). It ranks 109th of 362 occupations on this site.