How to become a hire services manager or proprietor

Official title: Hire services managers and proprietors

Also called: Manager, Hire manager, Shop manager, Plant manager, Branch manager, Rental manager, Service manager, Plant hire owner, Skip hire manager, Tool hire manager, Hire shop manager, Cab service owner

Managers and proprietors in hire services plan, organise and direct the activities of businesses which hire goods and services, such as tools, heavy machinery and vehicles.

Main tasks

• Plans the optimum utilisation of staff and operating equipment, and co-ordinates maintenance activities to ensure least possible disruption to services.
• Ensures that necessary spare parts, materials and equipment are available or obtainable at short notice
• Liaises with clients, generates new business and negotiates contracts with suppliers and clients
• Determines staffing, financial, material and other short- and long-term requirements
• Ensures compliance with safety and other statutory regulations
• Provides information about machinery, tools and other goods for hire to staff and customers
• Ensures the business accounts are maintained

How to become one

There are no pre-set qualification requirements however, relevant experience is usually essential and qualifications in engineering or other relevant services may be an advantage.

Pay · Outlook

• Median full-time pay: £31,626 a year
• About 19,300 people work in this job now, and about 22,300 are projected by 2035. (+15.6%)

Related jobs

• Property, housing and estate managers
• Garage managers and proprietors
• Hairdressing and beauty salon managers and proprietors
• Waste disposal and environmental services managers
• Managers and directors in the creative industries
• Betting shop and gambling establishment managers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a hire services manager or proprietor?

There are no pre-set qualification requirements however, relevant experience is usually essential and qualifications in engineering or other relevant services may be an advantage.

How much does a hire services manager or proprietor earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £31,626 a year (Office for National Statistics).

Is a hire services manager or proprietor a growing career in the UK?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 16% by 2035, from about 19,300 to about 22,300 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a hire services manager or proprietor?

Not always. 59% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03