Heat pump engineer
Heat pump engineers install and service zero carbon central heating and hot water systems in buildings.
Also known as: Heat pump installer, heat pump technician, low carbon heating technician
- Starter salary£24,000 a year
- Experienced£46,000 a year
- Typical hours35 to 43 a week
- Green jobYes
What you'll do
As a heat pump engineer, you could:
- install, service and repair low carbon heating and hot water systems
- find and fix faults
- follow health and safety requirements
- decommission heating and hot water systems
- show customers how to use their new system
Working environment
You could work at a client's business or at a client's home.
Your working environment may be cramped, at height and you'll travel often.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
- knowledge of building and construction
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- design skills and knowledge
- knowledge of maths
- the ability to work well with others
- the ability to use your initiative
- customer service skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a heat pump engineer
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
College
You could take a college course in a related subject like plumbing and heating, or a T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction.
These courses teach you some of the skills you'll need to apply for a trainee plumber , heating and ventilation engineer , or gas service technician position with a company.
Once you've built up your experience, you could take extra training, usually lasting between 3 and 5 days.
This would include:
- heat pump foundation knowledge
- low temperature heating and hot water systems
- individual heat pump technology
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 could apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:
- Building Services Engineering Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
- Low Carbon Heating Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
- Heat Network Maintenance Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
Work
You could train as a gas service technician , heating and ventilation engineer or plumber . You could then do additional training to become a heat pump engineer.
Training would cover:
- low temperature heating and hot water systems
- heat pump installation and maintenance
- different types of heat pump technologies
Lots of organisations offer training in heat pump installation. You can search for heat training providers in your local region .
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
Career path and progression
With experience, you could move into supervisory and management roles, with responsibility for a team of engineers.
You could also:
- set up your own business
- train apprentices
- teach in a further education college
Find out more about teaching in further education .
Professional and industry bodies
You could join the Heat Pump Association (HPA) for professional development opportunities.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job rolePlumber
- Job roleHeating and ventilation engineer
- Job roleRefrigeration and air-conditioning installer
- Job roleCorporate responsibility and sustainability practitioner
- Job roleEnvironmental consultant
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0