Tilers typically start as apprentices learning wall and floor tiling before progressing to specialist work such as large-format porcelain, mosaic or wet-room tanking. Many experienced tilers move into self-employed CIS contract work or run their own small tiling business. This guide shows exactly what tilers take home after income tax, National Insurance and CIS deductions for the 2026/27 tax year, covering both employed and self-employed routes.
Figures are indicative market rates; actual pay varies by employer, region, experience and sector.
| Role | Career Stage | Salary Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice Tiler | 0--2 years | £18,000--£22,000 | NVQ Level 2/3; learning wall and floor tiling basics |
| Qualified Tiler (Employed) | 2--5 years | £24,000--£32,000 | Standard wall and floor tiling for a building firm |
| Senior/Specialist Tiler | 5+ years | £32,000--£42,000 | Large-format, mosaic or wet-room tanking specialist |
| Self-Employed CIS Tiler | Varies | £28,000--£55,000+ | CIS subcontractor or direct-to-homeowner invoicing |
| Tiling Business Owner | Varies | £40,000--£75,000+ | Own client base, may employ apprentices or subcontractors |
These scenarios illustrate take-home pay at different career stages using 2026/27 England tax rates (personal allowance £12,570). The self-employed CIS example uses Class 4 self-employed National Insurance.
NVQ apprenticeship
Employed
Annual profit
Figures are for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scottish taxpayers pay Scottish Income Tax rates.
| Scenario | Gross | Income Tax | NI | Net/yr | Net/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | £22,000 | -£1,886 | -£754 | £19,360 | £1,613/mo |
| Newly qualified | £27,000 | -£2,886 | -£1,154 | £22,960 | £1,913/mo |
| Experienced tiler | £35,000 | -£4,486 | -£1,794 | £28,720 | £2,393/mo |
| Senior/specialist tiler | £45,000 | -£6,486 | -£2,594 | £35,920 | £2,993/mo |
Self-employed tilers working on construction sites are usually paid under the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS), with 20% (registered) or 30% (unregistered) deducted at source by the contractor as an advance payment toward Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance (6% on profits between £12,570 and £50,270, 2% above). Tilers invoicing homeowners directly for domestic work are not required to operate CIS and pay Income Tax and Class 4 NI on their full profit via Self Assessment.
Allowable expenses typically include tiles and adhesive not recharged to the client, tools, tile cutters, van costs, insurance and travel between jobs. Unlike employees, self-employed tilers receive no employer pension contribution, statutory sick pay or paid holiday, and must arrange their own pension provision.
| Annual Profit | Income Tax | Class 4 NI | Net/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | -£3,486 | -£1,046 | £25,468 |
| £45,000 | -£6,486 | -£1,946 | £36,568 |
| £65,000 | -£13,432 | -£2,557 | £49,011 |
Large-format porcelain slabs, natural stone, mosaic work and wet-room waterproofing/tanking systems require additional training and command significantly higher day rates than standard wall and floor tiling.
Domestic bathroom and kitchen tiling for homeowners typically pays a premium day rate compared with high-volume new-build commercial tiling, though commercial work often offers more consistent year-round volume.
Self-employed tiling offers higher day rates and flexibility over which jobs to take, but removes employment protections such as paid holiday, sick pay and pension contributions, and requires managing CIS deductions and Self Assessment tax.
Tilers who take on their own client work directly, rather than subcontracting to a builder, and eventually employ apprentices or subcontractors themselves, typically see the largest income growth, though this comes with additional business admin and liability.
