Tiler
Tilers fix tiles to walls and floors in kitchens, bathrooms, shops and restaurants, using materials like ceramics, slate, stone and marble.
Also known as: Wall tiler, floor tiler, ceramic tiler
- Starter salary£21,000 a year
- Experienced£38,000 a year
- Typical hours40 to 45 a week
What you'll do
As a wall and floor tiler, you'll:
- work out the amount of materials needed for a job
- follow design plans to match the layout of tile patterns
- cut tiles to the correct shape and size by hand or with power tools
- prepare surfaces by levelling off with plaster, sand or cement
- fix tiles into place and apply grouting and sealants
- tidy up work areas and dispose of old materials safely
Working environment
You could work at a client's home, at a client's business or on a construction site.
Your working environment may be dusty, noisy and physically demanding.
You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of building and construction
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with your hands
- knowledge of maths
- the ability to work well with others
- customer service skills
- design skills and knowledge
- the ability to organise your time and workload
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a tiler
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
College
You could take a college course to learn some of the skills needed to do this job. Courses include:
- wall and floor tiling
- construction skills - tiling
Some colleges offer short DIY courses in tiling that you can try before deciding whether to take a longer course that leads to a qualification.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:
- Finishing Trades Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
- Wall and Floor Tiling Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
Work
You may be able to start work as a site labourer or tiler's 'mate' and do further training on the job to qualify as a tiler.
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
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
Restrictions and requirements
You may need a driving licence for some jobs.
Career path and progression
With experience and extra training, you could move into:
- site management
- estimating
- contract management
- heritage work
You could also train apprentices in further education or set up your own business.
Registration
- you'll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to train and work on a construction site
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleKitchen and bathroom fitter
- Job roleConstruction site supervisor
- Job roleCarpet fitter and floor layer
- Job roleCeiling fixer
- Job roleShopfitter
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0