Heat pump careers
How to become a heat pump installer
Most heat pump installers start as plumbers or heating engineers and add the heat pump knowledge on top. The water side is plumbing done to a careful design; the refrigerant and electrical work belong to specialists.
What the job is
A heat pump job is a team effort. Here's who does what.
The water side
Working out each room's heat loss, choosing radiators or underfloor heating that keep rooms warm at a lower flow temperature, running the pipework, fitting the cylinder, then cleaning, filling and commissioning the system. This is the part our course teaches.
The refrigerant side
A monobloc heat pump arrives with its refrigerant sealed inside the outdoor unit, so the installer connects water pipes to it. A split system has refrigerant pipes between two units. In Great Britain, anyone connecting the refrigerant pipework of a split heat pump using F gas needs their own F-gas qualification; Northern Ireland has its own F-gas rules.
The electrical side
The new supply and isolation are electrical work for an electrician. In England and Wales that work goes through a registered competent person scheme member or a building control notice; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own building rules.
The customer
A heat pump runs longer and cooler than a boiler, so radiators feel warm rather than hot. A good installer explains the controls, the defrost cycle and the hot water timing before they leave.
How people get in
There are a few routes, and most of them start with plumbing or heating.
From plumbing or heating
The National Careers Service suggests training first as a plumber, heating engineer or gas service technician, then adding a short heat pump course. Water-side skills carry straight over.
An apprenticeship in England
England's Level 3 low carbon heating technician apprenticeship (ST1020) trains people in a job, with an employer, from the start. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland list their own apprenticeships.
Short heat pump courses
Awarding bodies such as BPEC, LCL Awards and EAL offer heat pump awards for working installers. Each sets its own entry requirements, so check what a course expects before you book.
Working with an MCS certified business
MCS certifies businesses and the installations they register. Many installers work for, or alongside, an MCS certified company. A personal award and a company's certification are different things.
Where our course fits
Learn the theory first, at your own pace, then get the hands-on training and experience.
What it covers
Short lessons on heat loss, flow temperatures, radiator sizing, hot water, commissioning records and the jobs to hand over. The first part is free.
What it doesn't do
It doesn't make you MCS certified, F-gas qualified or registered with any scheme. It's learning content, not a qualification: you still need proper training, supervised experience and assessment.
What heat pump engineers earn
The National Careers Service gives £24,000 for a starter to £46,000 when experienced, for England. It's a guide, not a promise of any wage, and the profile doesn't say which year it describes.
- Starter
- £24,000 a year
- Experienced
- £46,000 a year
Source: National Careers Service, Heat pump engineer: job profile. No reference year given; range as shown on the profile in October 2026. Read on 31 October 2026.
ONS's earnings survey doesn't count heat pump installers as a job of their own: they sit inside wider plumbing and heating groups. So we give no ONS figure for them, and no day rate.
Questions people ask
- Do I need to be a plumber first?
- It's the usual route. The National Careers Service suggests training as a plumber, heating engineer or gas service technician first, then adding heat pump training. An apprenticeship is the other way in.
- Do I need an F-gas qualification?
- Only for the refrigerant work. In Great Britain, anyone working on the refrigerant pipework of a split heat pump using F gas needs their own F-gas qualification. A monobloc's refrigerant is sealed in at the factory, so its installer connects the water side. Northern Ireland has its own F-gas rules.
- Do I need MCS?
- MCS certifies businesses, not individual learners. It isn't a legal licence, but the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales needs an MCS certified installer, so many customers ask for one.
- Will your course qualify me?
- No. Our lessons teach the knowledge side and let you practise it. They don't qualify, certify or register anyone.
Keep exploring
Where to go next on this site.
Sources
Sources checked 31 October 2026, each read at the source. The rules, grants and official pages can change, so check them before you act.
- National Careers Service: Heat pump engineerWhat heat pump engineers do, the college, apprenticeship and short-course routes in England, and the advice to train first as a plumber or heating engineer.
- Skills England: Low carbon heating technician (ST1020)England's Level 3 low carbon heating technician apprenticeship standard, version 1.2.
- BPEC: Domestic air source and ground source heat pump qualificationsAn example of a short heat pump qualification for working installers, and what its awarding body says it is recognised for.
- MCS: Our roleMCS as a quality mark for small-scale renewable systems, with product and installation standards for certified installers.
- Government guidance: Qualifications to work with F gasIn Great Britain, people working on equipment containing F gas, including heat pump systems, need their own F-gas qualification.
- DAERA: Fluorinated greenhouse gasesNorthern Ireland's F-gas rules, which follow the EU F-gas law and are run by DAERA.
- Government guidance: Building regulations approvalInstalling or replacing a heating system needs building regulations approval in England and Wales unless a competent person scheme member does it; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.
- Government guidance: Apply for the Boiler Upgrade SchemeThe scheme covers England and Wales; the grant amounts; the extra off-gas amount until March 2027; who is eligible; that an MCS certified installer applies; and where Scotland and Northern Ireland point instead.