The route, drawn out
DWG C242 · 5 stops · 3 years to qualify-
Day one Start as an apprentice from £15.6k
-
Year 2 Training continues, pay rises min. £21.2k+
-
3 years Fully qualified around £26k
-
+3–5 years Experienced up to £42k
-
Then Your own business you set the rate
The first figures are legal minimums: the apprentice rate (£8.00/hr) and the National Minimum Wage for 18–20s and 21+ from April 2026, on a 37.5-hour week. Qualified and experienced pay are indicative UK ranges — most employers pay apprentices above the minimum.
What the job is
Blacksmithing survived the industrial revolution by becoming a craft. Today's smiths make gates, railings, balustrades, sculpture and restoration ironwork, combining traditional forge work with modern welding and fabrication.
It is a small trade, largely self-employed or working in a handful of established forges, and it rewards design ability as much as hand skill. Architectural and conservation commissions are where the money is, and good smiths have work booked well ahead.
A typical day
- Heat, draw, upset, bend and forge-weld steel at the anvil
- Work from drawings and develop designs with clients
- Use power hammers, presses and modern welding alongside hand tools
- Finish, fit and install ironwork on site
- Maintain the forge, fire and tooling
How you get in
- No formal qualifications required, but craft or art ability helps enormously
- Good physical fitness and tolerance of heat, noise and dust
- A portfolio of making — anything you have made — carries real weight
- Places are limited, so approach forges directly
Where it leads
- Self-employed smith with your own forge
- Architectural metalwork and large commissions
- Heritage and conservation restoration work
- Sculpture, teaching and gallery work
Where to train for this
7 colleges and training providers on our list cover Blacksmith training. Open your region to see them, then check current intakes with the provider directly.