Plymouth is a city of around 265,000 on the Devon side of the Tamar, the river that forms the border with Cornwall. Its jobs market is dominated by defence, marine engineering and the NHS. The largest single presence is Devonport: the Royal Dockyard, run by Babcock, sits within the largest naval base in Western Europe and is the UK's only licensed site for refitting and refuelling nuclear-powered submarines. Live vacancies there lean heavily towards welders, fitters, electrical and mechanical trades, project and nuclear engineers, and the security-cleared roles that go with them.
On the private side, Princess Yachts has its head office and assembly halls on Newport Street in Stonehouse (PL1 3QG), with further production at Coypool and South Yard across five Plymouth sites. The work covers boatbuilding, composites, joinery and marine fit-out. Health is the other large employer base: University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, based at Derriford Hospital (PL6 8DH), employs more than 11,000 people and is the largest teaching hospital trust in the South West, generating a steady flow of clinical, nursing and support vacancies. Nearby is the Derriford cluster, taking in Plymouth Science Park and the International Medical and Technology Park, with The Range's head office in the Derriford and Estover area and the University of Plymouth in the city centre. Recruitment agencies in the city are active in engineering and skilled trades, NHS and care, and warehouse and logistics out towards Langage at Plympton.
Transport: Plymouth station is on the Great Western main line, with direct trains to London Paddington (fastest around 2h59m, more often nearer 3h20m), Exeter in about an hour, on to Bristol, and the Cornish line west to Truro and Penzance. The A38 Devon Expressway runs through the city and continues to Exeter, where it joins the M5. Postcodes: PL1 to PL3 cover the city centre, Hoe and waterfront; PL6 takes in Derriford, Estover and the northern business parks.
Jobs in Plymouth
Tax Manager
Field Service Engineer - Industrial Equipment
Project Manager
Door to Door Canvasser
Recruitment Consultant
Digital Content Coordinator
Fire And Security Engineer
Property Surveyor
Customer Team Member
Sales & Operations Administrator
Commercial Gas Engineer
Interim Purchase Ledger
Food Production Operative
Compliance Coordinator
IT Systems Administrator
Graduate Applications Engineer
Applications Engineer
Buying Administrator
Project Administrator
Operations Assistant
Frequently asked questions
Which employers in Plymouth hire the most?
The three largest are Babcock at Devonport Royal Dockyard (marine and nuclear engineering and trades), University Hospitals Plymouth at Derriford Hospital (clinical, nursing and support roles), and Princess Yachts (boatbuilding and marine fit-out). The University of Plymouth and The Range's head office are also major recruiters. Between them they account for a large share of the skilled and entry-level vacancies in the city.
Do I need security clearance to work at Devonport Dockyard?
For many roles on the naval base, yes. Because Devonport handles nuclear submarine refits, a lot of trade, engineering and contractor positions require Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance and often Security Check (SC), which involves residency and background checks. Babcock and the agencies that supply the dockyard state the clearance level in each advert, so check before applying.
Where are most of Plymouth's warehouse and office jobs based?
The northern PL6 corridor around Derriford and Estover holds Plymouth Science Park, the International Medical and Technology Park and The Range's head office, so a lot of office, tech and distribution work sits there. Larger logistics and manufacturing units extend east towards Langage at Plympton, just off the A38. City-centre and waterfront roles in retail, hospitality and the university fall mainly within PL1 to PL4.