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Career guide · updated 1 November 2026

How to become a PLC programmer in the UK

To become a PLC programmer in the UK, learn ladder logic and one major platform (Siemens TIA Portal or Allen-Bradley Studio 5000), show that you can build and fault-find a working program, and get a first paid role through an apprenticeship, a college or university route, or a technician job that moves into controls. There is no single legal entry route, and most people combine two. You can start today with free courses and a free browser PLC simulator.

Last updated 1 November 2026. By EDWartens UK (WARTENS LTD).

Start the PLC foundations pathTry the free simulator

The routes into PLC programming, compared

Employers in the UK hire controls and PLC people from several backgrounds. These are the common routes. None is the only one, and which fits depends on your age, your savings and whether you want to earn while you learn.

RouteWhat it isGood forWatch out for
ApprenticeshipA paid job with training, usually Level 3 engineering technician or Level 4 control or technical support engineer. You apply to an employer.School and college leavers, and adults who can take apprentice payCompetitive, and places depend on employers. Search the government service for current vacancies.
HNC or HNDA college qualification in electrical, electronic or mechatronic engineering, often part time alongside work.People already working in a plant or workshopThe course may teach little PLC; check the units for control and PLC content.
DegreeAn engineering degree in electrical, electronic, mechatronic or control engineering.People who want design, project or systems rolesSlowest and most expensive route. Employers still ask what you have built.
Electrician or maintenance technician firstWork in maintenance, then move into controls by fixing and modifying PLC-controlled machines.Electricians and maintenance techniciansYou need to show programming, not only wiring. The electrician to PLC path covers that gap.
Self-study and projectsFree and paid courses, a simulator, and a small project you can explain in an interview.Career changers and anyone building a portfolio before applyingA certificate of completion is not a qualification. Evidence you can program and fault-find is what counts.

What to learn, in order

Siemens appeared in 11.1% of PLC engineer adverts and Rockwell in 4.9% on ITJobsWatch's UK figures for the six months to 23 October 2026, so Siemens is the common first choice. Those adverts are a sample of IT-focused listings, not the whole market.

  • Basic electrical and control ideas: voltage, current, relays, contactors, sensors and how a start-stop circuit works.
  • Ladder logic: contacts, coils, timers, counters, latching and sequences. The IEC 61131-3 standard defines the PLC languages.
  • One platform properly, then the second. Siemens TIA Portal and Allen-Bradley Studio 5000 are the two most asked for in UK adverts; learn the one your target employers use.
  • HMI and SCADA basics: tags, screens, alarms and trends.
  • Reading electrical drawings and understanding BS 7671 at a basic level, even if you are not the electrician.
  • Fault-finding and safe working: how to find why a machine stopped, and when not to touch it.

Start for free with EDWartens

EDWartens UK has 200+ free online courses, including Siemens TIA Portal, Allen-Bradley Studio 5000 and a PLC foundations path, each with video lessons, notes, quizzes and a final exam. Learning is free. An optional verifiable certificate of completion costs £19 including VAT; it is not a regulated qualification.

The EDWartens Lab has a free browser PLC simulator, so you can practise ladder logic without installing anything. The free job simulations (days 1 to 5) let you try a working day as a junior engineer. They are training, not employment.

If you want live teaching and a resume session, the Professional Module is a five-day live online class in Siemens TIA Portal covering PLC, HMI and WinCC SCADA, followed by self-paced modules and a CPD certificate. It is paid; see the course page for the current price and dates.

What PLC programmers are paid

ITJobsWatch, which tracks UK job adverts, reported a median advertised salary of £60,000 for PLC engineer roles across 144 adverts in the six months to 21 October 2026. That is advertised pay in a small, IT-focused sample, not a promise for any one person, and it is higher than what most entry-level roles pay.

Entry-level and trainee roles sit well below that median. Reed trainee PLC listings and our own job board show graduate and trainee examples of £25,000–£30,000 for graduate and trainee roles, £30,000–£40,000 for junior controls/PLC engineers. Check the live board for current ranges.

A realistic first six months

No course, ours included, can promise a job or an interview. The honest aim is to arrive at an interview able to explain something you built.

  • Month 1: work through the PLC foundations path (it starts with the free Siemens TIA Portal course) and build ladder logic for a start-stop circuit, a traffic light and a tank level in the browser simulator.
  • Months 2 and 3: take one platform course (Siemens TIA Portal or Studio 5000) and rebuild your simulator projects on it.
  • Month 4: add HMI and SCADA basics and one electrical-drawings course.
  • Months 5 and 6: write up one project with a drawing, your code and what you would change, build a CV, and apply to apprenticeships, technician and junior controls roles.

Questions

Quick answers

Do I need a degree to be a PLC programmer in the UK?
No. Many controls and PLC people come through apprenticeships, HNC or HND study, or from electrical and maintenance work. A degree helps for design and project roles, but employers mostly ask what you can program and fault-find.
Can I learn PLC programming for free?
Yes, the basics. EDWartens UK has 200+ free courses and a free browser PLC simulator, and learning is free. The optional certificate costs £19 including VAT. Vendor software such as TIA Portal is licensed or time-limited trial, so check Siemens or Rockwell for current terms.
Is there a PLC programmer apprenticeship in the UK?
There are engineering technician and control or technical support engineer apprenticeships that include PLC work, offered by individual employers. Vacancies change, so search the government's Find an apprenticeship service. EDWartens is not an apprenticeship provider.
Should I learn Siemens or Allen-Bradley first?
On ITJobsWatch's figures Siemens appeared in more UK PLC engineer adverts (11.1% against 4.9% for Rockwell, six months to 23 October 2026). Look at adverts in your area and industry before choosing; the ladder logic ideas carry across both.
How long does it take to become a PLC programmer?
It depends on your starting point and the route. An apprenticeship runs for years of paid work and study. Self-study can give you a first project in a few months, but employers also look for site safety knowledge and experience, which takes longer.
Will EDWartens get me a job?
No provider can promise that, and we do not. We offer free courses, a simulator, job simulations and a free UK engineering job board, and a CV and interview preparation if you take the Professional Module. Applying and interviewing is up to you.

Sources

Where this comes from

Third-party facts are dated on this page. Check the source for the latest.

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