Tiler

Wall tiler, floor tiler, ceramic tiler

Tilers tile walls and floors in kitchens, bathrooms, shops, hotels and restaurants.

Salary Range: £17,000 to £38,000

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:

• Level 1 Certificate in Wall and Floor Tiling
• Level 2 Diploma in Wall and Floor Tiling
• Level 2 Certificate in Wall and Floor Tiling for Property Maintenance

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• 2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course
• 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

More information

• equivalent entry requirements
• funding advice
• search for courses

Apprenticeship

You can get into this career through a wall and floor tiling intermediate apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

More information

• equivalent entry requirements
• guide to apprenticeships

Work

You may be able to start as a site labourer and do further training on the job to qualify as a tiler.

More information

Registration

• you’ll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to train and work on a construction site

Further information

You’ll find more details about tiling careers and training from Go Construct and The Tile Association.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You’ll need:

• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work on your own
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• knowledge of building and construction
• thinking and reasoning skills
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

What you’ll do

Day-to-day tasks

Your day-to-day duties may include:

• marking out an area to estimate the amount of tiles and adhesive needed (known as setting out)
• cutting tiles to size and shape with hand-cutters or bench-mounted tools
• preparing surfaces by levelling off with plaster, sand or cement
• fixing the tiles and applying grout before finishing off
• repairing or removing the previous surface before the setting out stage
• working with various building materials

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, at height, noisy and physically demanding.

You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.

Career path and progression

With experience and extra training, you could become a site supervisor, clerk of works or contract manager.

You could also work as a trainer and assessor on tiling courses or set up your own business.