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Wall and floor tiler

Cover walls or floors with tiles in homes and businesses in order to make rooms attractive as well as watertight.

Also known as: tiler, construction worker, builder

About skillsGetting in

About the job

Salary

Source: LMI for All

Weekly

£520

Average

Monthly

£2,253

Average

Yearly

£27,040

Average

2,400

people are currently employed

High growth

200 more jobs in 5 years

These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics

What it's like

You would cover walls or floors with tiles in places such as kitchens, bathrooms, shops, hotels and restaurants. Your work would make rooms more attractive and pleasant to be in, as well as protecting their surfaces against water damage. 

Your tasks might include:

  • marking out areas and choosing the right amount of tiles and paste

  • repairing or removing old surfaces

  • cutting tiles using different tools

  • preparing surfaces with plaster, sand or cement

  • fixing tiles and applying grout

  • buying materials and looking after budgets

  • talking to customers about their ideas

You would learn to work with many materials including ceramics, glass, terracotta, stone, granite and marble.

It's also possible to specialise in a particular field, for example swimming pools or mosaic walls.

Hours

You would normally work between 37 and 45 hours a week, Monday to Friday, although you may need to work overtime to meet contract deadlines.

Environment

Tiling can be physically demanding and often involves lifting heavy loads. You would wear protective safety clothing when working with adhesives and grout.

Travel

You would travel from site to site, and some contracts may involve overnight stays away from home. You would usually transport your equipment in a van.

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    Top skills

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    It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.

    Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:

    • time management
    • managing resources
    • implementing ideas
    • developing a plan
    • attention to detail
    • observation
    • working with numbers
    • designing
    • creative
    • verbal communication

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    Getting in

    Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.

    You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.

    Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.

    Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:

    • Art and Design

    • Practical Craft Skills

    • Skills for Work: Construction Craft

    You would do a Modern Apprenticeship leading to a relevant Scottish Vocational Qualifications in Wall and Floor Tiling (SVQ level 3) and registration with the Scottish Building Apprenticeship Training Council (SBATC).

    Usually there are no formal qualifications required to enter this apprenticeship but most employers value a good general education. You usually have to take an aptitude test as part of the entry process.

    Qualifications and experience that show practical skills such as Skills for Work Construction Crafts (SCQF level 4/5).

    A driving licence can be useful.

    You must hold a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent safety passport to train and work on site. You must pass a health and safety test to qualify for this scheme. 

    Some employers would expect you to have some experience working as a labourer.

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