Gas service technician
Gas service technicians install, service and repair gas appliances and heating systems.
Also known as: Gas installation engineer, gas maintenance engineer
- Starter salary£25,000 a year
- Experienced£45,000 a year
- Typical hours40 to 45 a week
What you'll do
As a gas service technician, you will:
- install gas appliances and heating systems
- carry out planned maintenance checks on systems and equipment
- test controls and safety devices to make sure they work properly
- respond to emergencies
- find and repair gas leaks, using digital fault-finding equipment
- replace or repair old and faulty parts
- complete work records
- advise customers on gas safety and energy efficiency
Working environment
You could work at a client's business or at a client's home.
Your working environment may be at height and cramped.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- practical skills for repairing and maintaining equipment
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- customer service skills
- the ability to use your initiative
- practical skills for installing equipment
- problem-solving skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to work well with your hands
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a gas service technician
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- assessment of experience by a professional body
College
You could do a college course that would teach you some of the skills you need to apply for a trainee position with a gas engineering company.
Courses include:
- plumbing and heating
- refrigeration and air conditioning
- T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction
To fully qualify as a gas service technician, you'll need a recognised gas industry qualification, for example a Level 3 Diploma in Gas Utilisation Installation and Maintenance.
You will normally need to be working to complete a level 3 qualification.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
Apprenticeship
You can apply to do an apprenticeship to train as a service technician. For example:
- Building Services Engineering Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
- Gas Engineering Operative Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
Other routes
You may be able to have your experience and skills assessed through the Accredited Certification Scheme to get a recognised competency certificate.
This assessment is aimed at experienced engineers who work in related industries, like plumbing, heating or ventilation.
Foundation apprenticeship
You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.
If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:
- have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
- are in care or have been in care
- are in prison or have been in prison
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- be on the Gas Safe Register to work with domestic gas heating systems
Career path and progression
With experience, you could:
- move into supervisory and management roles, with responsibility for a team of engineers
- set up your own gas installation and servicing business
- do further training to become a heat pump engineer , working on alternative energy heating systems
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleHeating and ventilation engineer
- Job roleDomestic appliance service engineer
- Job roleGas mains layer
- Job roleBuilding services engineer
- Job roleHeat pump engineer
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